200-901 Network Fundamentals Practice Question
A developer is using the Python requests library to call a REST API on a Cisco DNA Center controller. The API requires a token for authentication. The developer writes code to obtain the token and then call the network-device endpoint. Which HTTP header must be included in the second request to authenticate using the token?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that all token-based APIs use the standard Authorization: Bearer header, when Cisco DNA Center specifically requires the X-Auth-Token header.
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
✓
X-Auth-Token: <token>
Cisco DNA Center's REST API uses a token-based authentication mechanism. After obtaining the token from the authentication endpoint, the developer must include it in the X-Auth-Token header of subsequent requests. This header is specific to DNA Center and differs from standard Authorization headers used by other APIs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Authorization: Bearer <token>
Why it's wrong here
Bearer tokens are used in OAuth 2.0 and many modern APIs, but Cisco DNA Center does not use the Bearer scheme for its native token authentication. Instead, it expects the token in the X-Auth-Token header. Using Bearer would result in a 401 Unauthorized error.
- ✗
Cookie: JSESSIONID=<token>
Why it's wrong here
JSESSIONID is a session cookie used by Java web applications, such as Cisco SD-WAN's vManage, but Cisco DNA Center uses a token-based approach, not session cookies. The token is not a JSESSIONID and must be sent in the X-Auth-Token header, not as a cookie.
- ✗
Authorization: Basic <base64-encoded-credentials>
Why it's wrong here
Basic authentication uses a Base64-encoded username and password, not a token. Cisco DNA Center's token-based authentication requires the token to be sent in a specific header, not in the Authorization header with Basic scheme. Using Basic would fail because the token is not a username:password pair.
- ✓
X-Auth-Token: <token>
Why this is correct
Cisco DNA Center uses a custom header X-Auth-Token to carry the authentication token obtained from the /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token endpoint. After a successful login, the response includes a Token field, which must be placed in the X-Auth-Token header for subsequent API calls. This is the correct way to authenticate to DNA Center's REST API.
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JA
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
This 200-901 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-901 exam.