VA-003 Compare authentication methods Practice Question
Which THREE authentication methods are built into Vault (no plugin required)?
⚠ Common exam trap
HashiCorp often tests the distinction between 'built-in' and 'plugin-based' authentication methods, and the trap here is that candidates mistakenly assume SAML is built-in because it is a common enterprise protocol, but Vault requires a separate plugin for SAML support.
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
✓
OIDC
OIDC (OpenID Connect) is built into Vault as an identity provider and authentication method without requiring any external plugin. It allows clients to authenticate via OIDC providers like Okta or Azure AD, leveraging JWT tokens for identity verification. Vault's built-in OIDC support is configured through the `vault auth enable oidc` command and does not depend on any separate plugin binary.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
OIDC
Why this is correct
OIDC is built-in.
- ✓
LDAP
Why this is correct
LDAP is built-in.
- ✗
SAML
Why it's wrong here
SAML is not built-in; requires plugin.
- ✗
RADIUS
Why it's wrong here
RADIUS is available via plugin, not built-in.
- ✓
AppRole
Why this is correct
AppRole is built-in.
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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.