Quick Answer
The answer is create, read, and update. The create capability is essential because the CI/CD pipeline must generate fresh dynamic database credentials from a role path like database/creds/my-role, which is a creation action distinct from writing static data. The read capability allows the pipeline to retrieve the AppRole role-id and secret-id for authentication, as well as to read the generated credentials back from Vault. The update capability is needed to allow the pipeline to write the secret-id or update the AppRole’s token properties during the CI/CD workflow. On the HashiCorp Vault Associate VA-003 exam, this question tests your understanding of policy path-based capabilities versus secret engine operations—a common trap is confusing create with update on dynamic secrets, where create is required for generating new credentials, not update. Remember the mnemonic: “Create for creds, read for retrieval, update for AppRole.”
This VA-003 practice question tests your understanding of create vault policies. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
A DevOps team is writing a Vault policy for a CI/CD pipeline that needs to authenticate using AppRole, read specific secrets, and write dynamic database credentials. Which THREE capabilities should be included in the policy to meet these requirements? (Choose three.)
write
Why wrong: 'write' is not necessary for reading secrets; 'read' is correct.
create
'create' is needed to generate new database credentials.
read
'read' is required to read secret data.
sudo
Why wrong: 'sudo' is for privileged operations and not required here.
update
'update' is needed to rotate or modify database credentials.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
create
Option B (create) is correct because the CI/CD pipeline needs to write dynamic database credentials, which requires the 'create' capability on the database secrets engine path (e.g., database/creds/my-role). The 'create' capability allows generating new credentials from a role, which is distinct from simply updating existing secrets. Without 'create', the pipeline cannot request fresh credentials from the database backend.
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.
write
Why it's wrong here
'write' is not necessary for reading secrets; 'read' is correct.
create
Why this is correct
'create' is needed to generate new database credentials.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
read
Why this is correct
'read' is required to read secret data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
sudo
Why it's wrong here
'sudo' is for privileged operations and not required here.
update
Why this is correct
'update' is needed to rotate or modify database credentials.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
HashiCorp often tests the distinction between 'write' and 'create' capabilities, where candidates mistakenly choose 'write' for generating dynamic credentials, not realizing that 'create' is specifically required for role-based credential generation in the database secrets engine.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Vault's AppRole authentication uses a RoleID and SecretID to obtain a token, which is then used for subsequent API calls. The 'create' capability on a database role path (e.g., database/creds/my-role) triggers Vault to generate a new set of credentials (username/password) from the configured database plugin, which are time-bound and automatically revoked. In contrast, 'read' on a static secret path (e.g., secret/data/myapp) retrieves the stored value, while 'update' allows modifying existing secrets or policies. A real-world scenario: a CI/CD pipeline might use 'create' to get a short-lived database user for a deployment, then 'read' to fetch an API key from a KV store, and 'update' to rotate a shared credential after the deployment completes.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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What to study next
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FAQ
Create Vault policies — This question tests Create Vault policies — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: create — Option B (create) is correct because the CI/CD pipeline needs to write dynamic database credentials, which requires the 'create' capability on the database secrets engine path (e.g., database/creds/my-role). The 'create' capability allows generating new credentials from a role, which is distinct from simply updating existing secrets. Without 'create', the pipeline cannot request fresh credentials from the database backend.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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