200-901 Software Development and Design Practice Question
A developer needs to update an existing resource via a REST API. The update should be partial, meaning only the fields provided in the request body should be changed. Which HTTP method should be used?
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
✓
PATCH
PATCH is used for partial updates to a resource, while PUT replaces the entire resource.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
PATCH
Why this is correct
PATCH is the standard HTTP method for partial modifications.
- ✗
DELETE
Why it's wrong here
DELETE removes the resource.
- ✗
PUT
Why it's wrong here
PUT replaces the entire resource; it is not for partial updates.
- ✗
POST
Why it's wrong here
POST lacks the semantic guarantee of idempotency and the specific partial-update semantics defined by the HTTP specification; the correct method, PATCH, explicitly applies a delta of changes to the resource, whereas POST is designed for non-idempotent creation or submission of data to a processing endpoint. It is tempting because POST can technically send a body to a server and trigger a state change, and in many poorly designed APIs it is misused for updates, but the RESTful standard requires PATCH for partial modifications.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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