Question 206 of 1,000
Understanding and Using APIseasyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

200-901 Understanding and Using APIs Practice Question

This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of understanding and using apis. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

A developer is making a GET request to a REST API and needs to specify that the response should be in JSON format. Which HTTP header should be set?

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

Accept

The Accept header is used by the client to tell the server which media types (e.g., application/json) it can understand and prefers for the response. In a GET request, the client does not send a body, so Content-Type is irrelevant for specifying the response format. Setting Accept: application/json ensures the server returns JSON if it supports that format.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • Content-Type

    Why it's wrong here

    Content-Type indicates the format of the request body.

  • User-Agent

    Why it's wrong here

    User-Agent identifies the client software.

  • Authorization

    Why it's wrong here

    Authorization carries credentials.

  • Accept

    Why this is correct

    Accept specifies the desired response format.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Cisco often tests the distinction between Content-Type (for request body) and Accept (for response body), leading candidates to mistakenly choose Content-Type because they confuse 'sending' data with 'receiving' data.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Content negotiation via the Accept header is defined in HTTP/1.1 (RFC 7231, Section 5.3.2) and allows the client to specify multiple acceptable types with quality values (e.g., Accept: application/json;q=0.9, text/html;q=0.5). The server may also use the Accept header to return a 406 Not Acceptable status if it cannot satisfy any of the client's preferences. In REST APIs, this is critical for versioning or supporting multiple serialization formats (JSON, XML, etc.) from the same endpoint.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
  • Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
  • Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.

TExam Day Tips

  • Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
  • Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 200-901 question test?

Understanding and Using APIs — This question tests Understanding and Using APIs — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Accept — The Accept header is used by the client to tell the server which media types (e.g., application/json) it can understand and prefers for the response. In a GET request, the client does not send a body, so Content-Type is irrelevant for specifying the response format. Setting Accept: application/json ensures the server returns JSON if it supports that format.

What should I do if I get this 200-901 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026

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