This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of cisco platforms and development. 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.
When making API calls to Cisco DNA Center, a developer receives a 401 Unauthorized error. The token was obtained using the token API endpoint. What is the most likely reason?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The request body contains invalid JSON
Why wrong: Invalid JSON causes 400 Bad Request.
The token has expired
Tokens have an expiration time; expired tokens cause 401.
The API base URL is incorrect
Why wrong: Wrong base URL results in connection errors.
The HTTP header for Accept is missing
Why wrong: Missing Accept header leads to 400 Bad Request.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The token has expired
A 401 Unauthorized error when using a token obtained from the token API endpoint most commonly indicates that the token has expired. Cisco DNA Center tokens have a configurable Time-To-Live (TTL), typically defaulting to 1 hour, after which the token becomes invalid and must be refreshed via the /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token endpoint.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The request body contains invalid JSON
Why it's wrong here
Invalid JSON causes 400 Bad Request.
The token has expired
Why this is correct
Tokens have an expiration time; expired tokens cause 401.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The API base URL is incorrect
Why it's wrong here
Wrong base URL results in connection errors.
The HTTP header for Accept is missing
Why it's wrong here
Missing Accept header leads to 400 Bad Request.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between authentication errors (401) and other HTTP errors (400, 404, 406) to see if candidates understand that a valid but expired token still returns 401, not a different status code.
Detailed technical explanation
Cisco DNA Center uses OAuth 2.0-style token-based authentication where the token is a JSON Web Token (JWT) containing claims like 'exp' (expiration time). The token must be included in the Authorization header as 'Bearer <token>'. If the token expires, the server validates the JWT signature and expiration, returning 401. In production, developers should implement token refresh logic by checking the token's expiry before each API call or handling 401 responses by re-authenticating.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the 200-901 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Cisco Platforms and Development — This question tests Cisco Platforms and Development — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The token has expired — A 401 Unauthorized error when using a token obtained from the token API endpoint most commonly indicates that the token has expired. Cisco DNA Center tokens have a configurable Time-To-Live (TTL), typically defaulting to 1 hour, after which the token becomes invalid and must be refreshed via the /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token endpoint.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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