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200-901 Practice Question: Which TWO of the following are true about REST…
Which TWO of the following are true about REST API design principles?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between idempotency and safety, and the trap here is confusing PATCH with PUT or assuming POST must be idempotent like PUT.
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 requests should not change state
B is correct because REST APIs are designed to be stateless, and GET requests are defined as safe methods in RFC 7231. A safe method does not alter server state; it only retrieves data. Therefore, a GET request should never trigger side effects like creating or modifying resources.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
PATCH is used for full replacement of a resource
Why it's wrong here
PATCH is used for partial modifications; full replacement is done with PUT.
- ✓
GET requests should not change state
Why this is correct
GET is intended to retrieve data without side effects.
- ✗
POST requests should be idempotent
Why it's wrong here
POST is not idempotent; multiple identical POST requests may produce different results.
- ✗
DELETE responses must always contain a body
Why it's wrong here
DELETE often returns 204 No Content with no body.
- ✓
PUT can be used for both creation and update of resources
Why this is correct
PUT is idempotent and can create or replace a resource at a given URI.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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