easyMultiple Choice
200-901 Practice Question: Which HTTP method is considered both safe and…
Which HTTP method is considered both safe and idempotent?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'safe' and 'idempotent' as separate properties, trapping candidates who assume that idempotent methods like PUT or DELETE are also safe, or that PATCH is idempotent because it modifies a resource.
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
✓
GET
GET is both safe and idempotent according to HTTP semantics (RFC 7231). Safe means it must not cause side effects on the server, and idempotent means multiple identical requests produce the same result as a single request. GET is designed solely for retrieval of a resource, so it satisfies both properties.
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 neither safe nor idempotent: it submits data for processing, often creating a new resource, so repeated identical requests can produce multiple resources. It is tempting because it is the standard method for form submissions and resource creation, where side effects are intended.
- ✗
PUT
Why it's wrong here
PUT is idempotent but not safe, because it creates or replaces the target resource and therefore changes server state. It is tempting because repeated identical PUT requests yield the same stored representation, making it the correct choice when full-resource replacement with repeatable outcomes is required.
- ✗
PATCH
Why it's wrong here
PATCH is neither safe nor idempotent in general, applying partial modifications whose repeated execution can yield differing results depending on current resource state. It is tempting because it updates only specified fields, which suits partial-update scenarios where sending the whole representation is undesirable.
- ✓
GET
Why this is correct
GET retrieves a representation without altering server state, making it safe, and repeating the same GET yields the same result, making it idempotent. POST, PATCH and DELETE change state or are non-idempotent, so GET uniquely satisfies both properties.
- ✗
DELETE
Why it's wrong here
DELETE is idempotent but not safe, since it removes the identified resource and alters server state. It is tempting because repeated identical DELETE requests leave the same end state, which is why it suits resource-removal operations where idempotency matters but safety does not.
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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.