Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer Practice Exams
Last updated on Oct 09,2026- Exam Code: Professional Machine Learning Engineer
- Exam Name: Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer
- Certification Provider: Google
- Latest update: Oct 09,2026
Question #1
You work for a magazine publisher and have been tasked with predicting whether customers will cancel their annual subscription. In your exploratory data analysis, you find that 90% of individuals renew their subscription every year, and only 10% of individuals cancel their subscription. After training a NN Classifier, your model predicts those who cancel their subscription with 99% accuracy and predicts those who renew their subscription with 82% accuracy.
How should you interpret these results?
- A . This is not a good result because the model should have a higher accuracy for those who renew their subscription than for those who cancel their subscription.
- B . This is not a good result because the model is performing worse than predicting that people will always renew their subscription.
- C . This is a good result because predicting those who cancel their subscription is more difficult, since there is less data for this group.
- D . This is a good result because the accuracy across both groups is greater than 80%.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
This is not a good result because the model is performing worse than predicting that people will always renew their subscription.
This option has the following reasons:
It indicates that the model is not learning from the data, but rather memorizing the majority class. Since 90% of the individuals renew their subscription every year, the model can achieve a 90% accuracy by simply predicting that everyone will renew their subscription, without considering the features or the patterns in the data. However, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who renew their subscription is only 82%, which is lower than the baseline accuracy of 90%. This suggests that the model is overfitting to the minority class (those who cancel their subscription), and underfitting to the majority class (those who renew their subscription).
It implies that the model is not useful for the business problem, as it cannot identify the customers who are at risk of churning. The goal of predicting whether customers will cancel their annual subscription is to prevent customer churn and increase customer retention. However, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who cancel their subscription is 99%, which is too high and unrealistic, as it means that the model can almost perfectly identify the customers who will churn, without any false positives or false negatives. This may indicate that the model is cheating or exploiting some leakage in the data, such as a feature that reveals the outcome of the prediction. Moreover, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who renew their subscription is 82%, which is too low and unreliable, as it means that the model can miss many customers who will churn, and falsely label them as renewing customers. This can lead to losing customers and revenue, and failing to take proactive actions to retain them.
Reference: How to Evaluate Machine Learning Models: Classification Metrics | Machine Learning Mastery Imbalanced Classification: Predicting Subscription Churn | Machine Learning Mastery
B
Explanation:
This is not a good result because the model is performing worse than predicting that people will always renew their subscription.
This option has the following reasons:
It indicates that the model is not learning from the data, but rather memorizing the majority class. Since 90% of the individuals renew their subscription every year, the model can achieve a 90% accuracy by simply predicting that everyone will renew their subscription, without considering the features or the patterns in the data. However, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who renew their subscription is only 82%, which is lower than the baseline accuracy of 90%. This suggests that the model is overfitting to the minority class (those who cancel their subscription), and underfitting to the majority class (those who renew their subscription).
It implies that the model is not useful for the business problem, as it cannot identify the customers who are at risk of churning. The goal of predicting whether customers will cancel their annual subscription is to prevent customer churn and increase customer retention. However, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who cancel their subscription is 99%, which is too high and unrealistic, as it means that the model can almost perfectly identify the customers who will churn, without any false positives or false negatives. This may indicate that the model is cheating or exploiting some leakage in the data, such as a feature that reveals the outcome of the prediction. Moreover, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who renew their subscription is 82%, which is too low and unreliable, as it means that the model can miss many customers who will churn, and falsely label them as renewing customers. This can lead to losing customers and revenue, and failing to take proactive actions to retain them.
Reference: How to Evaluate Machine Learning Models: Classification Metrics | Machine Learning Mastery Imbalanced Classification: Predicting Subscription Churn | Machine Learning Mastery
Question #1
You work for a magazine publisher and have been tasked with predicting whether customers will cancel their annual subscription. In your exploratory data analysis, you find that 90% of individuals renew their subscription every year, and only 10% of individuals cancel their subscription. After training a NN Classifier, your model predicts those who cancel their subscription with 99% accuracy and predicts those who renew their subscription with 82% accuracy.
How should you interpret these results?
- A . This is not a good result because the model should have a higher accuracy for those who renew their subscription than for those who cancel their subscription.
- B . This is not a good result because the model is performing worse than predicting that people will always renew their subscription.
- C . This is a good result because predicting those who cancel their subscription is more difficult, since there is less data for this group.
- D . This is a good result because the accuracy across both groups is greater than 80%.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
This is not a good result because the model is performing worse than predicting that people will always renew their subscription.
This option has the following reasons:
It indicates that the model is not learning from the data, but rather memorizing the majority class. Since 90% of the individuals renew their subscription every year, the model can achieve a 90% accuracy by simply predicting that everyone will renew their subscription, without considering the features or the patterns in the data. However, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who renew their subscription is only 82%, which is lower than the baseline accuracy of 90%. This suggests that the model is overfitting to the minority class (those who cancel their subscription), and underfitting to the majority class (those who renew their subscription).
It implies that the model is not useful for the business problem, as it cannot identify the customers who are at risk of churning. The goal of predicting whether customers will cancel their annual subscription is to prevent customer churn and increase customer retention. However, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who cancel their subscription is 99%, which is too high and unrealistic, as it means that the model can almost perfectly identify the customers who will churn, without any false positives or false negatives. This may indicate that the model is cheating or exploiting some leakage in the data, such as a feature that reveals the outcome of the prediction. Moreover, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who renew their subscription is 82%, which is too low and unreliable, as it means that the model can miss many customers who will churn, and falsely label them as renewing customers. This can lead to losing customers and revenue, and failing to take proactive actions to retain them.
Reference: How to Evaluate Machine Learning Models: Classification Metrics | Machine Learning Mastery Imbalanced Classification: Predicting Subscription Churn | Machine Learning Mastery
B
Explanation:
This is not a good result because the model is performing worse than predicting that people will always renew their subscription.
This option has the following reasons:
It indicates that the model is not learning from the data, but rather memorizing the majority class. Since 90% of the individuals renew their subscription every year, the model can achieve a 90% accuracy by simply predicting that everyone will renew their subscription, without considering the features or the patterns in the data. However, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who renew their subscription is only 82%, which is lower than the baseline accuracy of 90%. This suggests that the model is overfitting to the minority class (those who cancel their subscription), and underfitting to the majority class (those who renew their subscription).
It implies that the model is not useful for the business problem, as it cannot identify the customers who are at risk of churning. The goal of predicting whether customers will cancel their annual subscription is to prevent customer churn and increase customer retention. However, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who cancel their subscription is 99%, which is too high and unrealistic, as it means that the model can almost perfectly identify the customers who will churn, without any false positives or false negatives. This may indicate that the model is cheating or exploiting some leakage in the data, such as a feature that reveals the outcome of the prediction. Moreover, the model’s accuracy for predicting those who renew their subscription is 82%, which is too low and unreliable, as it means that the model can miss many customers who will churn, and falsely label them as renewing customers. This can lead to losing customers and revenue, and failing to take proactive actions to retain them.
Reference: How to Evaluate Machine Learning Models: Classification Metrics | Machine Learning Mastery Imbalanced Classification: Predicting Subscription Churn | Machine Learning Mastery
Question #3
You work for a hospital that wants to optimize how it schedules operations. You need to create a model that uses the relationship between the number of surgeries scheduled and beds used You want to predict how many beds will be needed for patients each day in advance based on the scheduled surgeries You have one year of data for the hospital organized in 365 rows.
The data includes the following variables for each day
• Number of scheduled surgeries
• Number of beds occupied
• Date
You want to maximize the speed of model development and testing What should you do?
- A . Create a BigQuery table Use BigQuery ML to build a regression model, with number of beds as the target variable and number of scheduled surgeries and date features (such as day of week) as the predictors
- B . Create a BigQuery table Use BigQuery ML to build an ARIMA model, with number of beds as the target variable and date as the time variable.
- C . Create a Vertex Al tabular dataset Tram an AutoML regression model, with number of beds as the target variable and number of scheduled minor surgeries and date features (such as day of the week) as the predictors
- D . Create a Vertex Al tabular dataset Train a Vertex Al AutoML Forecasting model with number of beds as the target variable, number of scheduled surgeries as a covariate, and date as the time variable.
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
According to the official exam guide1, one of the skills assessed in the exam is to “design, build, and productionalize ML models to solve business challenges using Google Cloud technologies”. Vertex AI AutoML Forecasting2 is a service that allows you to train and deploy custom time-series forecasting models for batch prediction. Vertex AI AutoML Forecasting simplifies the model development process by providing a graphical user interface and a no-code approach. You can use Vertex AI AutoML Forecasting to train a model by using your tabular data, and specify the target variable, the covariates, and the time variable. Vertex AI AutoML Forecasting automatically handles the feature engineering, model selection, and hyperparameter tuning. Therefore, option D is the best way to maximize the speed of model development and testing for the given use case. The other options are not relevant or optimal for this scenario.
Reference: Professional ML Engineer Exam Guide
Vertex AI AutoML Forecasting
Google Professional Machine Learning Certification Exam 2023
Latest Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer Actual Free Exam Questions
D
Explanation:
According to the official exam guide1, one of the skills assessed in the exam is to “design, build, and productionalize ML models to solve business challenges using Google Cloud technologies”. Vertex AI AutoML Forecasting2 is a service that allows you to train and deploy custom time-series forecasting models for batch prediction. Vertex AI AutoML Forecasting simplifies the model development process by providing a graphical user interface and a no-code approach. You can use Vertex AI AutoML Forecasting to train a model by using your tabular data, and specify the target variable, the covariates, and the time variable. Vertex AI AutoML Forecasting automatically handles the feature engineering, model selection, and hyperparameter tuning. Therefore, option D is the best way to maximize the speed of model development and testing for the given use case. The other options are not relevant or optimal for this scenario.
Reference: Professional ML Engineer Exam Guide
Vertex AI AutoML Forecasting
Google Professional Machine Learning Certification Exam 2023
Latest Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer Actual Free Exam Questions
Question #4
You work for a company that provides an anti-spam service that flags and hides spam posts on social media platforms. Your company currently uses a list of 200,000 keywords to identify suspected spam posts. If a post contains more than a few of these keywords, the post is identified as spam. You want to start using machine learning to flag spam posts for human review.
What is the main advantage of implementing machine learning for this business case?
- A . Posts can be compared to the keyword list much more quickly.
- B . New problematic phrases can be identified in spam posts.
- C . A much longer keyword list can be used to flag spam posts.
- D . Spam posts can be flagged using far fewer keywords.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
The main advantage of implementing machine learning for this business case is that new problematic phrases can be identified in spam posts. This is because machine learning can learn from the data and the feedback, and adapt to the changing patterns and trends of spam posts. Machine learning can also capture the semantic and contextual meaning of the posts, and not just rely on the presence or absence of keywords. By using machine learning, you can improve the accuracy and coverage of your anti-spam service, and detect new and emerging types of spam posts that may not be captured by the keyword list.
The other options are not advantages of implementing machine learning for this business case for the following reasons:
B
Explanation:
The main advantage of implementing machine learning for this business case is that new problematic phrases can be identified in spam posts. This is because machine learning can learn from the data and the feedback, and adapt to the changing patterns and trends of spam posts. Machine learning can also capture the semantic and contextual meaning of the posts, and not just rely on the presence or absence of keywords. By using machine learning, you can improve the accuracy and coverage of your anti-spam service, and detect new and emerging types of spam posts that may not be captured by the keyword list.
The other options are not advantages of implementing machine learning for this business case for the following reasons:
Question #5
You are training an ML model using data stored in BigQuery that contains several values that are considered Personally Identifiable Information (Pll). You need to reduce the sensitivity of the dataset before training your model. Every column is critical to your model.
How should you proceed?
- A . Using Dataflow, ingest the columns with sensitive data from BigQuery, and then randomize the values in each sensitive column.
- B . Use the Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP) API to scan for sensitive data, and use Dataflow with the DLP API to encrypt sensitive values with Format Preserving Encryption
- C . Use the Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP) API to scan for sensitive data, and use Dataflow to replace all sensitive data by using the encryption algorithm AES-256 with a salt.
- D . Before training, use BigQuery to select only the columns that do not contain sensitive data Create an authorized view of the data so that sensitive values cannot be accessed by unauthorized individuals.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
The best option for reducing the sensitivity of the dataset before training the model is to use the Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP) API to scan for sensitive data, and use Dataflow with the DLP API to encrypt sensitive values with Format Preserving Encryption. This option allows you to keep every column in the dataset, while protecting the sensitive data from unauthorized access or exposure. The Cloud DLP API can detect and classify various types of sensitive data, such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, and more1. Dataflow can create scalable and reliable pipelines to process large volumes of data from BigQuery and other sources2. Format Preserving Encryption (FPE) is a technique that encrypts sensitive data while preserving its original format and length, which can help maintain the utility and validity of the data3. By using Dataflow with the DLP API, you can apply FPE to the sensitive values in the dataset, and store the encrypted data in BigQuery or another destination. You can also use the same pipeline to decrypt the data when needed, by using the same encryption key and method4.
The other options are not as suitable as option B, for the following reasons:
Option A: Using Dataflow to ingest the columns with sensitive data from BigQuery, and then randomize the values in each sensitive column, would reduce the sensitivity of the data, but also the utility and accuracy of the data. Randomization is a technique that replaces sensitive data with random values, which can prevent re-identification of the data, but also distort the distribution and relationships of the data3. This can affect the performance and quality of the ML model, especially if every column is critical to the model.
Option C: Using the Cloud DLP API to scan for sensitive data, and use Dataflow to replace all sensitive data by using the encryption algorithm AES-256 with a salt, would reduce the sensitivity of the data, but also the utility and validity of the data. AES-256 is a symmetric encryption algorithm that uses a 256-bit key to encrypt and decrypt data. A salt is a random value that is added to the data before encryption, to increase the randomness and security of the encrypted data. However, AES-256 does not preserve the format or length of the original data, which can cause problems when storing or processing the data. For example, if the original data is a 10-digit phone number, AES-256 would produce a much longer and different string, which can break the schema or logic of the dataset3.
Option D: Before training, using BigQuery to select only the columns that do not contain sensitive data, and creating an authorized view of the data so that sensitive values cannot be accessed by unauthorized individuals, would reduce the exposure of the sensitive data, but also the completeness and relevance of the data. An authorized view is a BigQuery view that allows you to share query results with particular users or groups, without giving them access to the underlying tables. However, this option assumes that you can identify the columns that do not contain sensitive data, which may not be easy or accurate. Moreover, this option would remove some columns from the dataset, which can affect the performance and quality of the ML model, especially if every column is critical to the model.
Reference: Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Machine Learning Engineer, Course 5: Responsible AI,
Week 2: Privacy
Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer Exam Guide, Section 5: Developing responsible AI solutions, 5.2 Implementing privacy techniques
Official Google Cloud Certified Professional Machine Learning Engineer Study Guide, Chapter 9:
Responsible AI, Section 9.4: Privacy
De-identification techniques
Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP) API
Dataflow
Using Dataflow and Sensitive Data Protection to securely tokenize and import data from a relational database to BigQuery
[AES encryption]
[Salt (cryptography)]
[Authorized views]
B
Explanation:
The best option for reducing the sensitivity of the dataset before training the model is to use the Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP) API to scan for sensitive data, and use Dataflow with the DLP API to encrypt sensitive values with Format Preserving Encryption. This option allows you to keep every column in the dataset, while protecting the sensitive data from unauthorized access or exposure. The Cloud DLP API can detect and classify various types of sensitive data, such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, and more1. Dataflow can create scalable and reliable pipelines to process large volumes of data from BigQuery and other sources2. Format Preserving Encryption (FPE) is a technique that encrypts sensitive data while preserving its original format and length, which can help maintain the utility and validity of the data3. By using Dataflow with the DLP API, you can apply FPE to the sensitive values in the dataset, and store the encrypted data in BigQuery or another destination. You can also use the same pipeline to decrypt the data when needed, by using the same encryption key and method4.
The other options are not as suitable as option B, for the following reasons:
Option A: Using Dataflow to ingest the columns with sensitive data from BigQuery, and then randomize the values in each sensitive column, would reduce the sensitivity of the data, but also the utility and accuracy of the data. Randomization is a technique that replaces sensitive data with random values, which can prevent re-identification of the data, but also distort the distribution and relationships of the data3. This can affect the performance and quality of the ML model, especially if every column is critical to the model.
Option C: Using the Cloud DLP API to scan for sensitive data, and use Dataflow to replace all sensitive data by using the encryption algorithm AES-256 with a salt, would reduce the sensitivity of the data, but also the utility and validity of the data. AES-256 is a symmetric encryption algorithm that uses a 256-bit key to encrypt and decrypt data. A salt is a random value that is added to the data before encryption, to increase the randomness and security of the encrypted data. However, AES-256 does not preserve the format or length of the original data, which can cause problems when storing or processing the data. For example, if the original data is a 10-digit phone number, AES-256 would produce a much longer and different string, which can break the schema or logic of the dataset3.
Option D: Before training, using BigQuery to select only the columns that do not contain sensitive data, and creating an authorized view of the data so that sensitive values cannot be accessed by unauthorized individuals, would reduce the exposure of the sensitive data, but also the completeness and relevance of the data. An authorized view is a BigQuery view that allows you to share query results with particular users or groups, without giving them access to the underlying tables. However, this option assumes that you can identify the columns that do not contain sensitive data, which may not be easy or accurate. Moreover, this option would remove some columns from the dataset, which can affect the performance and quality of the ML model, especially if every column is critical to the model.
Reference: Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Machine Learning Engineer, Course 5: Responsible AI,
Week 2: Privacy
Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer Exam Guide, Section 5: Developing responsible AI solutions, 5.2 Implementing privacy techniques
Official Google Cloud Certified Professional Machine Learning Engineer Study Guide, Chapter 9:
Responsible AI, Section 9.4: Privacy
De-identification techniques
Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP) API
Dataflow
Using Dataflow and Sensitive Data Protection to securely tokenize and import data from a relational database to BigQuery
[AES encryption]
[Salt (cryptography)]
[Authorized views]
Question #6
You work for a food product company. Your company’s historical sales data is stored in BigQuery You need to use Vertex Al’s custom training service to train multiple TensorFlow models that read the data from BigQuery and predict future sales You plan to implement a data preprocessing algorithm that performs min-max scaling and bucketing on a large number of features before you start experimenting with the models. You want to minimize preprocessing time, cost and development effort.
How should you configure this workflow?
- A . Write the transformations into Spark that uses the spark-bigquery-connector and use Dataproc to preprocess the data.
- B . Write SQL queries to transform the data in-place in BigQuery.
- C . Add the transformations as a preprocessing layer in the TensorFlow models.
- D . Create a Dataflow pipeline that uses the BigQuerylO connector to ingest the data process it and write it back to BigQuery.
Correct Answer: C
C
Explanation:
The best option for configuring the workflow is to add the transformations as a preprocessing layer in the TensorFlow models. This option allows you to leverage the power and simplicity of TensorFlow to preprocess and transform the data with simple Python code. TensorFlow is a framework for building and training machine learning models. TensorFlow provides various tools and libraries for data analysis and machine learning. A preprocessing layer is a type of layer in TensorFlow that can perform data preprocessing and feature engineering operations on the input data. A preprocessing layer can help you customize the data transformation and preprocessing logic, and handle complex or non-standard data formats. A preprocessing layer can also help you minimize the preprocessing time, cost, and development effort, as you only need to write a few lines of code to implement the preprocessing layer, and you do not need to create any intermediate data sources or pipelines. By adding the transformations as a preprocessing layer in the TensorFlow models, you can use Vertex AI’s custom training service to train multiple TensorFlow models that read the data from BigQuery and predict future sales1.
The other options are not as good as option C, for the following reasons:
Option A: Writing the transformations into Spark that uses the spark-bigquery-connector and using Dataproc to preprocess the data would require more skills and steps than using a preprocessing layer in TensorFlow. Spark is a framework for distributed data processing and machine learning. Spark can read and write data from BigQuery by using the spark-bigquery-connector, which is a library that allows Spark to communicate with BigQuery. Dataproc is a service that can create and manage Spark clusters on Google Cloud. Dataproc can help you run Spark jobs on Google Cloud, and scale the clusters according to the workload. However, writing the transformations into Spark that uses the spark-bigquery-connector and using Dataproc to preprocess the data would require more skills and steps than using a preprocessing layer in TensorFlow. You would need to write code, create and configure the Spark cluster, install and import the spark-bigquery-connector, load and preprocess the data, and write the data back to BigQuery. Moreover, this option would create an intermediate data source in BigQuery, which can increase the storage and computation costs2.
Option B: Writing SQL queries to transform the data in-place in BigQuery would not allow you to use Vertex AI’s custom training service to train multiple TensorFlow models that read the data from BigQuery and predict future sales. BigQuery is a service that can perform data analysis and machine learning by using SQL queries. BigQuery can perform data transformation and preprocessing by using SQL functions and clauses, such as MIN, MAX, CASE, and TRANSFORM. BigQuery can also perform machine learning by using BigQuery ML, which is a feature that can create and train machine learning models by using SQL queries. However, writing SQL queries to transform the data in-place in BigQuery would not allow you to use Vertex AI’s custom training service to train multiple TensorFlow models that read the data from BigQuery and predict future sales. Vertex AI’s custom training service is a service that can run your custom machine learning code on Vertex AI. Vertex AI’s custom training service can support various machine learning frameworks, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and scikit-learn. Vertex AI’s custom training service cannot support SQL queries, as SQL is not a machine learning framework. Therefore, if you want to use Vertex AI’s custom training service, you cannot use SQL queries to transform the data in-place in BigQuery3.
Option D: Creating a Dataflow pipeline that uses the BigQueryIO connector to ingest the data, process it, and write it back to BigQuery would require more skills and steps than using a preprocessing layer in TensorFlow. Dataflow is a service that can create and run data processing and machine learning pipelines on Google Cloud. Dataflow can read and write data from BigQuery by using the BigQueryIO connector, which is a library that allows Dataflow to communicate with BigQuery. Dataflow can perform data transformation and preprocessing by using Apache Beam, which is a framework for distributed data processing and machine learning. However, creating a Dataflow pipeline that uses the BigQueryIO connector to ingest the data, process it, and write it back to BigQuery would require more skills and steps than using a preprocessing layer in TensorFlow. You would need to write code, create and configure the Dataflow pipeline, install and import the BigQueryIO connector, load and preprocess the data, and write the data back to BigQuery. Moreover, this option would create an intermediate data source in BigQuery, which can increase the storage and computation costs4.
Reference: Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Machine Learning Engineer, Course 3: Production ML
Systems, Week 2: Serving ML Predictions
Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer Exam Guide, Section 2: Developing ML models, 2.1 Developing ML models by using TensorFlow
Official Google Cloud Certified Professional Machine Learning Engineer Study Guide, Chapter 4: Developing ML Models, Section 4.1: Developing ML Models by Using TensorFlow TensorFlow Preprocessing Layers
Spark and BigQuery
Dataproc
BigQuery ML
Dataflow and BigQuery
Apache Beam
C
Explanation:
The best option for configuring the workflow is to add the transformations as a preprocessing layer in the TensorFlow models. This option allows you to leverage the power and simplicity of TensorFlow to preprocess and transform the data with simple Python code. TensorFlow is a framework for building and training machine learning models. TensorFlow provides various tools and libraries for data analysis and machine learning. A preprocessing layer is a type of layer in TensorFlow that can perform data preprocessing and feature engineering operations on the input data. A preprocessing layer can help you customize the data transformation and preprocessing logic, and handle complex or non-standard data formats. A preprocessing layer can also help you minimize the preprocessing time, cost, and development effort, as you only need to write a few lines of code to implement the preprocessing layer, and you do not need to create any intermediate data sources or pipelines. By adding the transformations as a preprocessing layer in the TensorFlow models, you can use Vertex AI’s custom training service to train multiple TensorFlow models that read the data from BigQuery and predict future sales1.
The other options are not as good as option C, for the following reasons:
Option A: Writing the transformations into Spark that uses the spark-bigquery-connector and using Dataproc to preprocess the data would require more skills and steps than using a preprocessing layer in TensorFlow. Spark is a framework for distributed data processing and machine learning. Spark can read and write data from BigQuery by using the spark-bigquery-connector, which is a library that allows Spark to communicate with BigQuery. Dataproc is a service that can create and manage Spark clusters on Google Cloud. Dataproc can help you run Spark jobs on Google Cloud, and scale the clusters according to the workload. However, writing the transformations into Spark that uses the spark-bigquery-connector and using Dataproc to preprocess the data would require more skills and steps than using a preprocessing layer in TensorFlow. You would need to write code, create and configure the Spark cluster, install and import the spark-bigquery-connector, load and preprocess the data, and write the data back to BigQuery. Moreover, this option would create an intermediate data source in BigQuery, which can increase the storage and computation costs2.
Option B: Writing SQL queries to transform the data in-place in BigQuery would not allow you to use Vertex AI’s custom training service to train multiple TensorFlow models that read the data from BigQuery and predict future sales. BigQuery is a service that can perform data analysis and machine learning by using SQL queries. BigQuery can perform data transformation and preprocessing by using SQL functions and clauses, such as MIN, MAX, CASE, and TRANSFORM. BigQuery can also perform machine learning by using BigQuery ML, which is a feature that can create and train machine learning models by using SQL queries. However, writing SQL queries to transform the data in-place in BigQuery would not allow you to use Vertex AI’s custom training service to train multiple TensorFlow models that read the data from BigQuery and predict future sales. Vertex AI’s custom training service is a service that can run your custom machine learning code on Vertex AI. Vertex AI’s custom training service can support various machine learning frameworks, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and scikit-learn. Vertex AI’s custom training service cannot support SQL queries, as SQL is not a machine learning framework. Therefore, if you want to use Vertex AI’s custom training service, you cannot use SQL queries to transform the data in-place in BigQuery3.
Option D: Creating a Dataflow pipeline that uses the BigQueryIO connector to ingest the data, process it, and write it back to BigQuery would require more skills and steps than using a preprocessing layer in TensorFlow. Dataflow is a service that can create and run data processing and machine learning pipelines on Google Cloud. Dataflow can read and write data from BigQuery by using the BigQueryIO connector, which is a library that allows Dataflow to communicate with BigQuery. Dataflow can perform data transformation and preprocessing by using Apache Beam, which is a framework for distributed data processing and machine learning. However, creating a Dataflow pipeline that uses the BigQueryIO connector to ingest the data, process it, and write it back to BigQuery would require more skills and steps than using a preprocessing layer in TensorFlow. You would need to write code, create and configure the Dataflow pipeline, install and import the BigQueryIO connector, load and preprocess the data, and write the data back to BigQuery. Moreover, this option would create an intermediate data source in BigQuery, which can increase the storage and computation costs4.
Reference: Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Machine Learning Engineer, Course 3: Production ML
Systems, Week 2: Serving ML Predictions
Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer Exam Guide, Section 2: Developing ML models, 2.1 Developing ML models by using TensorFlow
Official Google Cloud Certified Professional Machine Learning Engineer Study Guide, Chapter 4: Developing ML Models, Section 4.1: Developing ML Models by Using TensorFlow TensorFlow Preprocessing Layers
Spark and BigQuery
Dataproc
BigQuery ML
Dataflow and BigQuery
Apache Beam
Question #7
You are working on a binary classification ML algorithm that detects whether an image of a classified scanned document contains a company’s logo. In the dataset, 96% of examples don’t have the logo, so the dataset is very skewed.
Which metrics would give you the most confidence in your model?
- A . F-score where recall is weighed more than precision
- B . RMSE
- C . F1 score
- D . F-score where precision is weighed more than recall
Correct Answer: A
A
Explanation:
Option A is correct because using F-score where recall is weighed more than precision is a suitable metric for binary classification with imbalanced data. F-score is a harmonic mean of precision and recall, which are two metrics that measure the accuracy and completeness of the positive class1. Precision is the fraction of true positives among all predicted positives, while recall is the fraction of true positives among all actual positives1. When the data is imbalanced, the positive class is the minority class, which is usually the class of interest. For example, in this case, the positive class is the images that contain the company’s logo, which are rare but important to detect. By weighing recall more than precision, we can emphasize the importance of finding all the positive examples, even if some false positives are included2.
Option B is incorrect because using RMSE (root mean squared error) is not a valid metric for binary classification with imbalanced data. RMSE is a metric that measures the average magnitude of the errors between the predicted and actual values3. RMSE is suitable for regression problems, where the target variable is continuous, not for classification problems, where the target variable is discrete4.
Option C is incorrect because using F1 score is not the best metric for binary classification with imbalanced data. F1 score is a special case of F-score where precision and recall are equally weighted1. F1 score is suitable for balanced data, where the positive and negative classes are equally important and frequent5. However, for imbalanced data, the positive class is more important and less frequent than the negative class, so F1 score may not reflect the performance of the model well2.
Option D is incorrect because using F-score where precision is weighed more than recall is not a good metric for binary classification with imbalanced data. By weighing precision more than recall, we can emphasize the importance of minimizing the false positives, even if some true positives are missed2. However, for imbalanced data, the true positives are more important and less frequent than the false positives, so this metric may not reflect the performance of the model well2.
Reference: Precision, recall, and F-measure
F-score for imbalanced data
RMSE
Regression vs classification
F1 score
[Imbalanced classification]
[Binary classification]
A
Explanation:
Option A is correct because using F-score where recall is weighed more than precision is a suitable metric for binary classification with imbalanced data. F-score is a harmonic mean of precision and recall, which are two metrics that measure the accuracy and completeness of the positive class1. Precision is the fraction of true positives among all predicted positives, while recall is the fraction of true positives among all actual positives1. When the data is imbalanced, the positive class is the minority class, which is usually the class of interest. For example, in this case, the positive class is the images that contain the company’s logo, which are rare but important to detect. By weighing recall more than precision, we can emphasize the importance of finding all the positive examples, even if some false positives are included2.
Option B is incorrect because using RMSE (root mean squared error) is not a valid metric for binary classification with imbalanced data. RMSE is a metric that measures the average magnitude of the errors between the predicted and actual values3. RMSE is suitable for regression problems, where the target variable is continuous, not for classification problems, where the target variable is discrete4.
Option C is incorrect because using F1 score is not the best metric for binary classification with imbalanced data. F1 score is a special case of F-score where precision and recall are equally weighted1. F1 score is suitable for balanced data, where the positive and negative classes are equally important and frequent5. However, for imbalanced data, the positive class is more important and less frequent than the negative class, so F1 score may not reflect the performance of the model well2.
Option D is incorrect because using F-score where precision is weighed more than recall is not a good metric for binary classification with imbalanced data. By weighing precision more than recall, we can emphasize the importance of minimizing the false positives, even if some true positives are missed2. However, for imbalanced data, the true positives are more important and less frequent than the false positives, so this metric may not reflect the performance of the model well2.
Reference: Precision, recall, and F-measure
F-score for imbalanced data
RMSE
Regression vs classification
F1 score
[Imbalanced classification]
[Binary classification]
Question #8
Your work for a textile manufacturing company. Your company has hundreds of machines and each machine has many sensors. Your team used the sensory data to build hundreds of ML models that detect machine anomalies Models are retrained daily and you need to deploy these models in a cost-effective way. The models must operate 24/7 without downtime and make sub millisecond predictions.
What should you do?
- A . Deploy a Dataflow batch pipeline and a Vertex Al Prediction endpoint.
- B . Deploy a Dataflow batch pipeline with the Runlnference API. and use model refresh.
- C . Deploy a Dataflow streaming pipeline and a Vertex Al Prediction endpoint with autoscaling.
- D . Deploy a Dataflow streaming pipeline with the Runlnference API and use automatic model refresh.
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
A Dataflow streaming pipeline is a cost-effective way to process large volumes of real-time data from sensors. The RunInference API is a Dataflow transform that allows you to run online predictions on your streaming data using your ML models. By using the RunInference API, you can avoid the latency and cost of using a separate prediction service. The automatic model refresh feature enables you to update your models in the pipeline without redeploying the pipeline. This way, you can ensure that your models are always up-to-date and accurate. By deploying a Dataflow streaming pipeline with the RunInference API and using automatic model refresh, you can achieve sub-millisecond predictions, 24/7 availability, and low operational overhead for your ML models.
Reference: Dataflow documentation
RunInference API documentation Automatic model refresh documentation
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D
Explanation:
A Dataflow streaming pipeline is a cost-effective way to process large volumes of real-time data from sensors. The RunInference API is a Dataflow transform that allows you to run online predictions on your streaming data using your ML models. By using the RunInference API, you can avoid the latency and cost of using a separate prediction service. The automatic model refresh feature enables you to update your models in the pipeline without redeploying the pipeline. This way, you can ensure that your models are always up-to-date and accurate. By deploying a Dataflow streaming pipeline with the RunInference API and using automatic model refresh, you can achieve sub-millisecond predictions, 24/7 availability, and low operational overhead for your ML models.
Reference: Dataflow documentation
RunInference API documentation Automatic model refresh documentation
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Question #9
You are developing an image recognition model using PyTorch based on ResNet50 architecture. Your code is working fine on your local laptop on a small subsample. Your full dataset has 200k labeled images You want to quickly scale your training workload while minimizing cost. You plan to use 4 V100 GPUs.
What should you do? (Choose Correct Answer and Give Reference and Explanation)
- A . Configure a Compute Engine VM with all the dependencies that launches the training Train your model with Vertex Al using a custom tier that contains the required GPUs.
- B . Package your code with Setuptools. and use a pre-built container Train your model with Vertex Al using a custom tier that contains the required GPUs.
- C . Create a Vertex Al Workbench user-managed notebooks instance with 4 V100 GPUs, and use it to train your model
- D . Create a Google Kubernetes Engine cluster with a node pool that has 4 V100 GPUs Prepare and submit a TFJob operator to this node pool.
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
The best option for scaling the training workload while minimizing cost is to package the code with Setuptools, and use a pre-built container. Train the model with Vertex AI using a custom tier that contains the required GPUs.
This option has the following advantages:
It allows the code to be easily packaged and deployed, as Setuptools is a Python tool that helps to create and distribute Python packages, and pre-built containers are Docker images that contain all the dependencies and libraries needed to run the code. By packaging the code with Setuptools, and using a pre-built container, you can avoid the hassle and complexity of building and maintaining your own custom container, and ensure the compatibility and portability of your code across different environments.
It leverages the scalability and performance of Vertex AI, which is a fully managed service that provides various tools and features for machine learning, such as training, tuning, serving, and monitoring. By training the model with Vertex AI, you can take advantage of the distributed and parallel training capabilities of Vertex AI, which can speed up the training process and improve the model quality. Vertex AI also supports various frameworks and models, such as PyTorch and ResNet50, and allows you to use custom containers and custom tiers to customize your training configuration and resources.
It reduces the cost and complexity of the training process, as Vertex AI allows you to use a custom tier that contains the required GPUs, which can optimize the resource utilization and allocation for your training job. By using a custom tier that contains 4 V100 GPUs, you can match the number and type of GPUs that you plan to use for your training job, and avoid paying for unnecessary or underutilized resources. Vertex AI also offers various pricing options and discounts, such as per-
second billing, sustained use discounts, and preemptible VMs, that can lower the cost of the training process.
The other options are less optimal for the following reasons:
Option A: Configuring a Compute Engine VM with all the dependencies that launches the training. Train the model with Vertex AI using a custom tier that contains the required GPUs, introduces additional complexity and overhead. This option requires creating and managing a Compute Engine VM, which is a virtual machine that runs on Google Cloud. However, using a Compute Engine VM to launch the training may not be necessary or efficient, as it requires installing and configuring all the dependencies and libraries needed to run the code, and maintaining and updating the VM. Moreover, using a Compute Engine VM to launch the training may incur additional cost and latency, as it requires paying for the VM usage and transferring the data and the code between the VM and Vertex AI.
Option C: Creating a Vertex AI Workbench user-managed notebooks instance with 4 V100 GPUs, and using it to train the model, introduces additional cost and risk. This option requires creating and managing a Vertex AI Workbench user-managed notebooks instance, which is a service that allows you to create and run Jupyter notebooks on Google Cloud. However, using a Vertex AI Workbench user-managed notebooks instance to train the model may not be optimal or secure, as it requires paying for the notebooks instance usage, which can be expensive and wasteful, especially if the notebooks instance is not used for other purposes. Moreover, using a Vertex AI Workbench user-managed notebooks instance to train the model may expose the model and the data to potential security or privacy issues, as the notebooks instance is not fully managed by Google Cloud, and may be accessed or modified by unauthorized users or malicious actors.
Option D: Creating a Google Kubernetes Engine cluster with a node pool that has 4 V100 GPUs.
Prepare and submit a TFJob operator to this node pool, introduces additional complexity and cost.
This option requires creating and managing a Google Kubernetes Engine cluster, which is a fully managed service that runs Kubernetes clusters on Google Cloud. Moreover, this option requires creating and managing a node pool that has 4 V100 GPUs, which is a group of nodes that share the same configuration and resources. Furthermore, this option requires preparing and submitting a TFJob operator to this node pool, which is a Kubernetes custom resource that defines a TensorFlow training job. However, using Google Kubernetes Engine, node pool, and TFJob operator to train the model may not be necessary or efficient, as it requires configuring and maintaining the cluster, the node pool, and the TFJob operator, and paying for their usage. Moreover, using Google Kubernetes Engine, node pool, and TFJob operator to train the model may not be compatible or scalable, as they are designed for TensorFlow models, not PyTorch models, and may not support distributed or parallel training.
Reference: [Vertex AI: Training with custom containers]
[Vertex AI: Using custom machine types]
[Setuptools documentation]
[PyTorch documentation]
[ResNet50 | PyTorch]
B
Explanation:
The best option for scaling the training workload while minimizing cost is to package the code with Setuptools, and use a pre-built container. Train the model with Vertex AI using a custom tier that contains the required GPUs.
This option has the following advantages:
It allows the code to be easily packaged and deployed, as Setuptools is a Python tool that helps to create and distribute Python packages, and pre-built containers are Docker images that contain all the dependencies and libraries needed to run the code. By packaging the code with Setuptools, and using a pre-built container, you can avoid the hassle and complexity of building and maintaining your own custom container, and ensure the compatibility and portability of your code across different environments.
It leverages the scalability and performance of Vertex AI, which is a fully managed service that provides various tools and features for machine learning, such as training, tuning, serving, and monitoring. By training the model with Vertex AI, you can take advantage of the distributed and parallel training capabilities of Vertex AI, which can speed up the training process and improve the model quality. Vertex AI also supports various frameworks and models, such as PyTorch and ResNet50, and allows you to use custom containers and custom tiers to customize your training configuration and resources.
It reduces the cost and complexity of the training process, as Vertex AI allows you to use a custom tier that contains the required GPUs, which can optimize the resource utilization and allocation for your training job. By using a custom tier that contains 4 V100 GPUs, you can match the number and type of GPUs that you plan to use for your training job, and avoid paying for unnecessary or underutilized resources. Vertex AI also offers various pricing options and discounts, such as per-
second billing, sustained use discounts, and preemptible VMs, that can lower the cost of the training process.
The other options are less optimal for the following reasons:
Option A: Configuring a Compute Engine VM with all the dependencies that launches the training. Train the model with Vertex AI using a custom tier that contains the required GPUs, introduces additional complexity and overhead. This option requires creating and managing a Compute Engine VM, which is a virtual machine that runs on Google Cloud. However, using a Compute Engine VM to launch the training may not be necessary or efficient, as it requires installing and configuring all the dependencies and libraries needed to run the code, and maintaining and updating the VM. Moreover, using a Compute Engine VM to launch the training may incur additional cost and latency, as it requires paying for the VM usage and transferring the data and the code between the VM and Vertex AI.
Option C: Creating a Vertex AI Workbench user-managed notebooks instance with 4 V100 GPUs, and using it to train the model, introduces additional cost and risk. This option requires creating and managing a Vertex AI Workbench user-managed notebooks instance, which is a service that allows you to create and run Jupyter notebooks on Google Cloud. However, using a Vertex AI Workbench user-managed notebooks instance to train the model may not be optimal or secure, as it requires paying for the notebooks instance usage, which can be expensive and wasteful, especially if the notebooks instance is not used for other purposes. Moreover, using a Vertex AI Workbench user-managed notebooks instance to train the model may expose the model and the data to potential security or privacy issues, as the notebooks instance is not fully managed by Google Cloud, and may be accessed or modified by unauthorized users or malicious actors.
Option D: Creating a Google Kubernetes Engine cluster with a node pool that has 4 V100 GPUs.
Prepare and submit a TFJob operator to this node pool, introduces additional complexity and cost.
This option requires creating and managing a Google Kubernetes Engine cluster, which is a fully managed service that runs Kubernetes clusters on Google Cloud. Moreover, this option requires creating and managing a node pool that has 4 V100 GPUs, which is a group of nodes that share the same configuration and resources. Furthermore, this option requires preparing and submitting a TFJob operator to this node pool, which is a Kubernetes custom resource that defines a TensorFlow training job. However, using Google Kubernetes Engine, node pool, and TFJob operator to train the model may not be necessary or efficient, as it requires configuring and maintaining the cluster, the node pool, and the TFJob operator, and paying for their usage. Moreover, using Google Kubernetes Engine, node pool, and TFJob operator to train the model may not be compatible or scalable, as they are designed for TensorFlow models, not PyTorch models, and may not support distributed or parallel training.
Reference: [Vertex AI: Training with custom containers]
[Vertex AI: Using custom machine types]
[Setuptools documentation]
[PyTorch documentation]
[ResNet50 | PyTorch]
Question #10
You built a deep learning-based image classification model by using on-premises data. You want to use Vertex Al to deploy the model to production Due to security concerns you cannot move your data to the cloud. You are aware that the input data distribution might change over time You need to detect model performance changes in production.
What should you do?
- A . Use Vertex Explainable Al for model explainability Configure feature-based explanations.
- B . Use Vertex Explainable Al for model explainability Configure example-based explanations.
- C . Create a Vertex Al Model Monitoring job. Enable training-serving skew detection for your model.
- D . Create a Vertex Al Model Monitoring job. Enable feature attribution skew and dnft detection for your model.
Correct Answer: C
C
Explanation:
Vertex AI Model Monitoring is a service that allows you to monitor the performance and quality of your ML models in production. You can use Vertex AI Model Monitoring to detect changes in the input data distribution, the prediction output distribution, or the model accuracy over time. Training-serving skew detection is a feature of Vertex AI Model Monitoring that compares the statistics of the data used for training the model and the data used for serving the model. If there is a significant difference between the two data distributions, it indicates that the model might be outdated or inaccurate. By enabling training-serving skew detection for your model, you can detect model performance changes in production and trigger retraining or redeployment of your model as needed. This way, you can ensure that your model is always up-to-date and accurate, without moving your data to the cloud.
Reference: Vertex AI Model Monitoring documentation
Training-serving skew detection documentation
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C
Explanation:
Vertex AI Model Monitoring is a service that allows you to monitor the performance and quality of your ML models in production. You can use Vertex AI Model Monitoring to detect changes in the input data distribution, the prediction output distribution, or the model accuracy over time. Training-serving skew detection is a feature of Vertex AI Model Monitoring that compares the statistics of the data used for training the model and the data used for serving the model. If there is a significant difference between the two data distributions, it indicates that the model might be outdated or inaccurate. By enabling training-serving skew detection for your model, you can detect model performance changes in production and trigger retraining or redeployment of your model as needed. This way, you can ensure that your model is always up-to-date and accurate, without moving your data to the cloud.
Reference: Vertex AI Model Monitoring documentation
Training-serving skew detection documentation
Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Machine Learning Engineer Professional Certificate