This VA-003 practice question tests your understanding of utilize vault cli and api. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 policy must allow a user to write a new version of an existing secret in a KV v2 secrets engine. Which TWO capabilities are required on the 'data/' path?
delete
Why wrong: D is not required for writing.
list
Why wrong: E is not required for writing.
read
Why wrong: B is not required for writing.
update
C is needed to overwrite an existing secret.
create
A is needed if the secret does not exist yet.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
update
To write a new version of an existing secret in a KV v2 secrets engine, the user needs the 'update' capability on the 'data/' path. This is because the KV v2 API uses a POST/PATCH request to the 'data/' endpoint to create a new version of an existing secret, and the 'update' capability grants permission to modify existing data. The 'create' capability is also required because if the secret does not exist, the same endpoint call will create it, and the policy must allow both creation and update for a seamless write operation.
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.
delete
Why it's wrong here
D is not required for writing.
list
Why it's wrong here
E is not required for writing.
read
Why it's wrong here
B is not required for writing.
update
Why this is correct
C is needed to overwrite an existing secret.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
create
Why this is correct
A is needed if the secret does not exist yet.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
HashiCorp often tests the misconception that 'write' is a separate capability in KV v2, but in reality, writing a new version requires both 'create' and 'update' because the same API call handles both new and existing secrets.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, KV v2 uses a versioned key-value store where each write to the 'data/' path increments the metadata version. The 'update' capability maps to the HTTP PATCH/POST method on the 'data/' endpoint, while 'create' maps to the same method but is required when the secret key does not yet exist. In real-world scenarios, a CI/CD pipeline that rotates secrets would need both capabilities to handle initial deployment and subsequent updates without policy errors.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Utilize Vault CLI and API — This question tests Utilize Vault CLI and API — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: update — To write a new version of an existing secret in a KV v2 secrets engine, the user needs the 'update' capability on the 'data/' path. This is because the KV v2 API uses a POST/PATCH request to the 'data/' endpoint to create a new version of an existing secret, and the 'update' capability grants permission to modify existing data. The 'create' capability is also required because if the secret does not exist, the same endpoint call will create it, and the policy must allow both creation and update for a seamless write operation.
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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