200-901 Software Development and Design Practice Question
Which THREE statements about RESTful APIs are true?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that REST requires WebSockets for real-time communication or that REST is tied to SOAP, when in fact REST is protocol-agnostic but typically uses HTTP, and SOAP is a distinct, heavier-weight alternative.
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
✓
They use HTTP methods to perform CRUD operations.
Option B is correct because RESTful APIs map CRUD operations to standard HTTP methods: POST for create, GET for read, PUT/PATCH for update, and DELETE for delete. Option D is correct because REST enforces stateless communication, meaning each request from client to server must contain all information needed to understand and process it, with no client session state stored on the server between requests. Option E is correct because REST exposes resources as identifiable URIs/URLs, and clients interact with those resources using the uniform HTTP interface. Option A is not correct because REST does not require WebSockets; it typically uses HTTP request/response, and WebSockets are a separate full-duplex protocol used for different scenarios. Option C is not correct because REST is an architectural style that commonly uses JSON or XML over HTTP, not SOAP, which is a separate messaging protocol with its own envelope and WS-* standards.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
They require WebSockets for communication.
Why it's wrong here
REST relies on standard HTTP request-response semantics, so WebSockets are unnecessary; they suit persistent bidirectional streams instead. It is tempting because real-time APIs often pair REST with WebSockets, and WebSockets would be the correct choice for low-latency server-push scenarios.
- ✓
They use HTTP methods to perform CRUD operations.
Why this is correct
REST maps CRUD semantics onto HTTP verbs: POST creates, GET reads, PUT or PATCH updates and DELETE removes. This satisfies the truth criterion because the uniform interface is a defining REST architectural constraint, not an implementation detail.
- ✗
They use SOAP as the message format.
Why it's wrong here
REST is an architectural style independent of any message format; SOAP is a separate protocol with its own envelope and WSDL contract. It is tempting because SOAP APIs do exchange XML messages, but REST commonly uses JSON or XML over HTTP without a SOAP envelope.
- ✓
They use stateless communication.
Why this is correct
Each REST request carries all context needed for the server to process it, so no client session state is retained between calls. This satisfies the truth criterion because statelessness is a core REST architectural constraint enabling horizontal scaling and simpler recovery.
- ✓
They expose resources via URLs.
Why this is correct
REST models everything as a resource addressed by a unique URL, and clients manipulate those resources through the uniform interface. This satisfies the truth criterion because resource identification via URIs is a defining REST architectural constraint.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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