200-901 Understanding and Using APIs Practice Question
Which HTTP method should be used to replace an entire existing resource in a RESTful API?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between PUT and PATCH, trapping candidates who confuse 'update' with 'replace' and incorrectly choose PATCH for full resource replacement.
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
✓
PUT
PUT is the correct HTTP method for replacing an entire existing resource in a RESTful API because it is defined as idempotent in RFC 7231, meaning the client sends a full representation of the resource to replace the current state at the target URI. Unlike POST, PUT is intended for full updates where the client specifies the URI and the server replaces the resource entirely with the provided payload.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
POST
Why it's wrong here
POST is for creating new resources.
- ✓
PUT
Why this is correct
PUT replaces the entire resource at the target URL.
- ✗
PATCH
Why it's wrong here
PATCH is for partial updates.
- ✗
DELETE
Why it's wrong here
DELETE removes a resource.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 200-901 question from scratch — 989 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.