Top 35+ Google Cloud (GCP) Interview Questions & Answers for 2025
Introduction
IntroductionAs enterprises accelerate cloud adoption, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) remains one of the most powerful ecosystems for scalable infrastructure, AI, and DevOps automation.
At Cloud Soft Solutions, we help professionals and organizations master GCP through real-world cloud consulting and certification guidance.
This blog compiles the most frequently asked and advanced GCP interview questions to help you prepare confidently for your 2025 interviews — from Compute Engine to BigQuery, IAM, Kubernetes, and beyond.
Section 1: Google Cloud Basics
Section 1: Google Cloud Basics1. What is Google Cloud Platform (GCP)?
GCP is a suite of cloud computing services including compute, storage, networking, big data, ML, and DevOps tools managed on Google’s global infrastructure.
2. What are the core services of GCP?
- Compute (Compute Engine, GKE, Cloud Run)
- Storage (Cloud Storage, Filestore, Persistent Disks)
- Networking (VPC, Load Balancer, Cloud Interconnect)
- Big Data & AI (BigQuery, Dataflow, Vertex AI)
- IAM & Security (Cloud IAM, KMS, Policy Intelligence)
3. What is the difference between GCP, AWS, and Azure?
| Feature | GCP | AWS | Azure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | AI/ML, Data Analytics | Mature Ecosystem | Hybrid Integration |
| Network | Global private fiber | Wide global reach | Microsoft integration |
| Pricing | Per-second billing | Pay-as-you-go | Hybrid focus |
Section 2: Compute & Storage
Section 2: Compute & Storage4. What is Google Compute Engine (GCE)?
A service for creating and managing VMs on Google’s infrastructure, offering custom machine types and preemptible instances for cost optimization.
5. How do you manage autoscaling in GCE?
Use Instance Groups with Autoscaler policies that adjust VM counts based on CPU utilization or custom metrics.
6. Explain Preemptible VMs.
Temporary low-cost VMs that last up to 24 hours — great for fault-tolerant or batch workloads.
7. What are Persistent Disks in GCP?
Block storage for VMs that persists even after the instance stops. Types: Standard, SSD, and Balanced PDs.
8. What’s the difference between Cloud Storage and Filestore?
- Cloud Storage: Object storage (unstructured data).
- Filestore: Managed file storage (NFS-based).
Section 3: Networking
Section 3: Networking9. What is a VPC in GCP?
A Virtual Private Cloud defines your network boundaries, allowing resource isolation, subnets, firewalls, and routing.
10. What is Shared VPC?
Allows multiple projects to share a common VPC network while maintaining billing and access control separation.
11. Explain Cloud Load Balancing types.
- HTTP(S) Load Balancer – Global, Layer 7.
- TCP/UDP Load Balancer – Regional, Layer 4.
- Internal Load Balancer – Private traffic distribution.
12. What is a Cloud Interconnect?
A dedicated physical connection from on-premise to GCP for low latency and secure hybrid connectivity.
Section 4: Identity, Security & Access Management
Section 4: Identity, Security & Access Management13. What is Cloud IAM?
Manages permissions and access control using:
- Members (user, service account)
- Roles (primitive, predefined, custom)
- Policies (bindings of members to roles)
14. How does GCP ensure data security?
- Encryption at rest and in transit
- Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK)
- VPC Service Controls for data exfiltration protection
15. What is Workload Identity Federation?
Allows external identities (like from AWS/Azure) to access GCP without storing service account keys.
Section 5: Kubernetes & DevOps
Section 5: Kubernetes & DevOps16. What is GKE?
A managed Kubernetes service that automates cluster setup, scaling, and upgrades.
17. What are GKE Autopilot clusters?
Fully managed clusters where Google handles infrastructure, scaling, and maintenance.
18. How can you integrate CI/CD pipelines with GCP?
Using Cloud Build, Cloud Deploy, Artifact Registry, and GitHub Actions for automated deployments.
19. How do you manage secrets in GCP DevOps pipelines?
By using Secret Manager integrated with Cloud Build or Kubernetes.
20. What is Infrastructure as Code (IaC) in GCP?
Manage infrastructure declaratively using:
- Terraform
- Deployment Manager
- Pulumi
Section 6: Data, Analytics & AI
Section 6: Data, Analytics & AI21. What is BigQuery?
A serverless data warehouse optimized for real-time analytics using SQL-like queries.
22. How does BigQuery store data?
Columnar storage (Capacitor format) with query caching and partitioned tables for performance.
23. Explain BigQuery pricing.
- Storage: $0.02/GB/month
- Query: $5 per TB scanned
- Flat-rate and on-demand options available
24. What is Dataflow?
A fully managed stream and batch data processing service, based on Apache Beam.
25. Compare Dataproc vs Dataflow.
| Feature | Dataproc | Dataflow |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | Hadoop/Spark | Apache Beam |
| Use Case | Existing Spark jobs | Stream/Batch pipelines |
| Management | Cluster-based | Serverless |
26. What is Pub/Sub?
A global messaging system for event-driven architectures and microservices communication.
Section 7: Architecture & Cost Optimization
Section 7: Architecture & Cost Optimization27. How do you design high availability in GCP?
- Use Regional clusters
- Configure Load Balancers
- Deploy across multi-zones
- Enable Cloud Monitoring alerts
28. How do you optimize cost in GCP?
- Use Committed Use Discounts (CUDs) and Sustained Use Discounts (SUDs)
- Adopt Preemptible VMs
- Use Cost Recommender APIs
29. What is Cloud Billing Export?
Exports billing data to BigQuery or Cloud Storage for detailed cost analysis and forecasting.
Section 8: Advanced Concepts
Section 8: Advanced Concepts30. Explain Anthos.
Anthos enables hybrid and multi-cloud Kubernetes management with policy control and configuration sync.
31. What is Cloud Run?
A fully managed serverless compute service that runs stateless containers on demand — ideal for APIs and microservices.
32. How do you secure API traffic in Cloud Run?
Use Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) and VPC connectors for private communication.
33. What is Cloud Spanner?
A globally distributed SQL database combining relational consistency with horizontal scalability.
34. Explain how to monitor applications in GCP.
Use the Cloud Operations Suite (formerly Stackdriver):
- Cloud Monitoring for metrics
- Cloud Logging for logs
- Cloud Trace & Profiler for performance
35. What’s new in GCP 2025?
- Vertex AI Agent Builder for enterprise AI apps
- Confidential GKE Nodes
- Cloud Run for Anthos hybrid deployment
- Autopilot cost insights dashboard
- Carbon Footprint API for sustainability tracking
Cloud Soft Solutions: Your GCP Training & Consulting Partner
At Cloud Soft Solutions, we specialize in:
- Enterprise-grade GCP architecture & migration
- Kubernetes (GKE) and DevOps automation
- Cloud security & IAM governance
- BigQuery & Dataflow analytics solutions
- Hands-on training for GCP certifications and interviews
Whether you’re preparing for interviews or enterprise deployments, Cloud Soft Solutions helps you master GCP with real-world expertise.
