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.
An administrator wants to mount the AWS secrets engine at 'aws' path using the API. Which request is correct?
PUT /v1/sys/mounts/aws with body {"type":"aws"}
Why wrong: C uses PUT, but mount creation requires POST.
POST /v1/sys/auth/aws with body {"type":"aws"}
Why wrong: D targets the auth endpoint, not mounts.
POST /v1/sys/mounts/aws with body {"type":"aws"}
A is correct: POST to mounts with type aws mounts the engine.
POST /v1/sys/mounts/aws with body {"type":"aws-secrets"}
Why wrong: B uses incorrect type 'aws-secrets'.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
POST /v1/sys/mounts/aws with body {"type":"aws"}
Option C is correct because mounting a secrets engine in Vault is performed via a POST request to the `/v1/sys/mounts/<path>` endpoint with a JSON body containing the `"type"` field set to the engine's type identifier. For the AWS secrets engine, the type is `"aws"`, and the path is specified in the URL as `aws`. The POST method is required for creating a new mount, while PUT is used for tuning an existing mount.
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.
PUT /v1/sys/mounts/aws with body {"type":"aws"}
Why it's wrong here
C uses PUT, but mount creation requires POST.
POST /v1/sys/auth/aws with body {"type":"aws"}
Why it's wrong here
D targets the auth endpoint, not mounts.
POST /v1/sys/mounts/aws with body {"type":"aws"}
Why this is correct
A is correct: POST to mounts with type aws mounts the engine.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
POST /v1/sys/mounts/aws with body {"type":"aws-secrets"}
Why it's wrong here
B uses incorrect type 'aws-secrets'.
Common exam traps
HashiCorp often tests the distinction between POST (create) and PUT (update/tune) for Vault API endpoints, and candidates confuse the mount path with auth method paths or use an incorrect type string like 'aws-secrets' instead of the official 'aws'.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Vault's mount system uses a logical path prefix to separate secrets engines, and the `type` field maps to a registered plugin or built-in backend. When you POST to `/v1/sys/mounts/aws`, Vault creates a new mount entry in its storage backend (e.g., Consul or Raft), initializes the engine's internal state, and makes it accessible at the `/aws` path. A real-world scenario is automating secrets engine provisioning via Terraform or Ansible, where using the wrong HTTP method (PUT instead of POST) would silently fail or return a 405 Method Not Allowed error, causing deployment pipelines to break.
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
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: POST /v1/sys/mounts/aws with body {"type":"aws"} — Option C is correct because mounting a secrets engine in Vault is performed via a POST request to the `/v1/sys/mounts/<path>` endpoint with a JSON body containing the `"type"` field set to the engine's type identifier. For the AWS secrets engine, the type is `"aws"`, and the path is specified in the URL as `aws`. The POST method is required for creating a new mount, while PUT is used for tuning an existing mount.
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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