VA-003 Compare and configure secrets engines Practice Question
An organization needs to store secrets with versioning support, allowing rollback to previous secret values. Which KV secrets engine version should be enabled?
⚠ Common exam trap
HashiCorp often tests the misconception that KV v3 exists or that the Transit secrets engine can handle versioned secret storage, leading candidates to choose those incorrect options.
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 provides versioning support for secrets, allowing users to retrieve and rollback to previous secret values. KV v1 stores secrets without versioning, and the Transit secrets engine is designed for encryption/decryption operations, not secret storage with versioning.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
KV v3
Why it's wrong here
No KV v3 secrets engine exists in Vault; the available KV versions are v1 and v2. KV v2 would be enabled when versioning and rollback of stored secret values are required, as the scenario demands.
- ✗
KV v1
Why it's wrong here
KV v1 stores each secret at a single path with no version metadata, so overwriting destroys the prior value and rollback is impossible. KV v2 would be chosen precisely when versioning and rollback of previous secret values are required, as the scenario states.
- ✓
KV v2
Why this is correct
KV v2 stores secret metadata alongside data, retaining a configurable number of prior versions per secret. This directly satisfies the rollback requirement: `vault kv rollback` or reading `secret/data/<path>?version=N` restores an earlier value. KV v1 overwrites in place with no version history, so it cannot meet the stem's constraint.
- ✗
Transit secrets engine
Why it's wrong here
The transit engine performs encryption as a service, handling cryptographic operations on data rather than storing secrets at paths. KV v2 would be selected when secrets must be stored with version history and rollback, which is the stated requirement.
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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.