VA-003 Compare and configure secrets engines Practice Question
A security team wants to store static secrets like API keys in Vault. They need the secrets to be versioned and support rollback. Which secrets engine should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
HashiCorp often tests the distinction between KV v1 and KV v2, trapping candidates who assume all KV engines support versioning, or who confuse the Transit engine's encryption capabilities with secret storage versioning.
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
✓
KV v2
KV v2 is the correct choice because it is designed specifically for storing static secrets with built-in versioning and rollback capabilities. Unlike KV v1, which overwrites data without preserving history, KV v2 retains a configurable number of secret versions, allowing administrators to undelete or roll back to a previous version using the `vault kv rollback` command or API calls.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cubbyhole
Why it's wrong here
Cubbyhole is a per-token private store, not for sharing static secrets.
- ✗
KV v1
Why it's wrong here
KV v1 does not support versioning or rollback.
- ✗
Transit
Why it's wrong here
Transit is an encryption engine, not for storing secrets.
- ✓
KV v2
Why this is correct
KV v2 supports versioning and rollback of secrets.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This VA-003 practice question is part of Courseiva's free HashiCorp 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 VA-003 exam.