VA-003 Compare authentication methods Practice Question
An administrator wants to allow users to authenticate to Vault using their existing corporate GitHub accounts. Which authentication method should be enabled?
⚠ Common exam trap
HashiCorp often tests the distinction between 'direct integration' (GitHub auth method) and 'federation via an identity provider' (Okta, LDAP), leading candidates to confuse Okta or LDAP as valid options for GitHub authentication.
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
✓
GitHub
The GitHub authentication method in Vault allows users to authenticate using their existing corporate GitHub accounts by mapping GitHub teams to Vault policies. This is the only option that directly integrates with GitHub's OAuth-based authentication flow, enabling single sign-on without requiring additional directory services or identity providers.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
LDAP
Why it's wrong here
LDAP is for LDAP directories.
- ✗
Okta
Why it's wrong here
Okta is for Okta identity provider.
- ✗
Username & password (userpass)
Why it's wrong here
Requires local accounts, not GitHub.
- ✓
GitHub
Why this is correct
GitHub auth uses GitHub personal access tokens.
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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.