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200-901 Practice Question: A university IT department manages a Cisco Meraki…
A university IT department manages a Cisco Meraki network with 200 MR access points and 50 MS switches. They use the Meraki dashboard API to automate network provisioning. A new student dormitory was added, and the team needs to create a new network and claim devices. They have a Python script that uses the Meraki API to create the network and then claim devices by serial numbers. The script successfully creates the network but fails when claiming devices with a 400 error: 'Device serial number is not valid or already claimed'. The serial numbers are correct and unused. The API key has full organization access. The script uses the endpoint 'POST /networks/{networkId}/devices/claim' with the correct body. What is the most likely cause of the failure?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between organization-level inventory and network-level claiming, trapping candidates who assume that claiming a device automatically adds it to the organization's inventory or that a valid serial number is sufficient without prior inventory registration.
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
✓
The devices have not been added to the organization's inventory first.
In the Meraki API workflow, devices must first be added to the organization's inventory via the 'POST /organizations/{organizationId}/inventory/devices' endpoint before they can be claimed into a specific network. The 400 error 'Device serial number is not valid or already claimed' occurs when the serial numbers are not present in the organization's inventory, even if they are correct and unused. The script successfully creates the network but fails at the claim step because the devices have not been inventoried at the organization level.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The API key does not have permission to claim devices.
Why it's wrong here
It has full organization access.
- ✗
The serial numbers contain a typo.
Why it's wrong here
They are correct.
- ✓
The devices have not been added to the organization's inventory first.
Why this is correct
Devices must be claimed into the organization before being assigned to a network.
- ✗
The devices are not Meraki MR or MS models.
Why it's wrong here
They are MR and MS.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.