- A
The request was malformed and the server cannot process it.
Why wrong: That would typically result in a 400 Bad Request.
- B
The requested resource does not exist on the server.
Why wrong: That would be a 404 Not Found.
- C
The server is temporarily unavailable due to maintenance.
Why wrong: That would be a 503 Service Unavailable.
- D
The authentication token is missing or invalid, and the request is not allowed.
403 Forbidden indicates that the server recognized the credentials but they do not have the required permissions.
Question 652 of 1,000
200-901 Software Development and Design Practice Question
This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of software development and design. 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.
An automation engineer is writing a Python script to interact with a REST API that requires authentication. The API returns a 403 Forbidden status. Which scenario best explains this response?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 authentication token is missing or invalid, and the request is not allowed.
A 403 Forbidden status code indicates that the server understood the request but refuses to authorize it. In the context of a REST API requiring authentication, this typically means the authentication token is missing, expired, or invalid, and the server is explicitly denying access. This aligns with RFC 7231, which defines 403 as a response when the server 'refuses to fulfill the request' due to insufficient authorization credentials.
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.
- ✗
The request was malformed and the server cannot process it.
Why it's wrong here
That would typically result in a 400 Bad Request.
- ✗
The requested resource does not exist on the server.
Why it's wrong here
That would be a 404 Not Found.
- ✗
The server is temporarily unavailable due to maintenance.
Why it's wrong here
That would be a 503 Service Unavailable.
- ✓
The authentication token is missing or invalid, and the request is not allowed.
Why this is correct
403 Forbidden indicates that the server recognized the credentials but they do not have the required permissions.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
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 401 (Unauthorized) and 403 (Forbidden), where candidates mistakenly think any authentication failure results in 401, but 403 specifically applies when the server knows the identity but denies access due to insufficient permissions or a rejected token.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a 403 response often includes a WWW-Authenticate header (per RFC 7235) to indicate the required authentication scheme, such as Bearer or Basic. In real-world scenarios, a common subtlety is that a valid token may still yield 403 if the token lacks the necessary scopes or roles for the requested endpoint, as opposed to a 401 Unauthorized which signals missing or invalid credentials entirely.
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 security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
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?
Software Development and Design — This question tests Software Development and Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The authentication token is missing or invalid, and the request is not allowed. — A 403 Forbidden status code indicates that the server understood the request but refuses to authorize it. In the context of a REST API requiring authentication, this typically means the authentication token is missing, expired, or invalid, and the server is explicitly denying access. This aligns with RFC 7231, which defines 403 as a response when the server 'refuses to fulfill the request' due to insufficient authorization credentials.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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