200-901 Understanding and Using APIs Practice Question
A developer is building a Python application that consumes the Cisco Webex Teams API. The application needs to handle rate limiting gracefully. Which TWO of the following are appropriate strategies when the API returns a 429 Too Many Requests status code? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking that retrying immediately or ignoring the error will eventually succeed, when in fact it will only prolong the rate limiting.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Implement exponential backoff, doubling the wait time after each consecutive 429 response.
When encountering a 429 Too Many Requests, the client should respect the Retry-After header if present, or implement exponential backoff to gradually increase wait times. These strategies prevent further rate limit violations and allow successful retries. Immediate retries, ignoring the error, or switching endpoints do not address the root cause and can lead to continued failures.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ignore the 429 error and continue sending requests as fast as possible.
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring the 429 error and continuing to send requests will only worsen the situation. The server will keep rejecting requests, and the client may be subject to stricter rate limits or temporary bans. It is essential to respect the rate limiting signals and adjust the request rate accordingly.
- ✓
Implement exponential backoff, doubling the wait time after each consecutive 429 response.
Why this is correct
Exponential backoff is a robust strategy where the client increases the delay between retries after each failure, often doubling the wait time. This reduces the load on the server and increases the chance of success once the rate limit window resets. It is particularly useful when the Retry-After header is not provided or when multiple clients are competing.
- ✗
Immediately retry the request without any delay.
Why it's wrong here
Immediately retrying without delay will likely exacerbate the rate limiting issue, as the client will continue to exceed the allowed request rate. The server may continue to respond with 429, and the client could be temporarily blocked. It is important to back off and wait before retrying to allow the rate limit window to reset.
- ✗
Switch to a different API endpoint that is not rate limited.
Why it's wrong here
Switching to a different endpoint does not solve the rate limiting problem if the limit is applied per user or per application across all endpoints. Moreover, it may not be possible if the required functionality is only available on the rate-limited endpoint. The correct approach is to handle the rate limit by waiting and retrying, not by avoiding the endpoint.
- ✓
Read the Retry-After header and wait for the specified number of seconds before retrying.
Why this is correct
The Retry-After header, when present in a 429 response, indicates how many seconds the client should wait before making another request. Adhering to this value ensures the client does not exceed the rate limit and allows the server to reset the counter. This is a standard and recommended approach for handling rate limiting in Cisco Webex APIs.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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