DELETE request in Postman - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Purpose of DELETE Request in API Testing

What is the main purpose of a DELETE request in API testing?

A To update existing data on the server

B To remove a resource from the server

C To retrieve data from the server without changing it

D To create a new resource on the server

💡 Hint

Think about which HTTP method is used to remove something.

A DELETE request is used to remove a resource from the server. It tells the server to delete the specified data.

❓ Predict Output

intermediate

Output of DELETE Request Response Status

What is the typical HTTP status code returned after a successful DELETE request?

A 404 Not Found

B 201 Created

C 200 OK

D 500 Internal Server Error

💡 Hint

Successful DELETE usually returns a status indicating success without creating anything new.

A successful DELETE request usually returns 200 OK or 204 No Content. 200 OK means the request succeeded and the server returns a response body.

❓ assertion

advanced

Valid Assertion for DELETE Request in Postman Test Script

Which Postman test script assertion correctly verifies a successful DELETE request?

Postman

pm.test("Status code is 200", () => {
    pm.response.to.have.status(200);
});

A pm.test("Status code is 201", () => { pm.response.to.have.status(201); });

B pm.test("Status code is 404", () => { pm.response.to.have.status(404); });

C pm.test("Response body is empty", () => { pm.expect(pm.response.text()).to.eql(null); });

D pm.test("Status code is 200", () => { pm.response.to.have.status(200); });

💡 Hint

Check for the status code that indicates success for DELETE.

The assertion checks that the response status code is 200, which means the DELETE request succeeded.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Debugging a Failing DELETE Request in Postman

You send a DELETE request in Postman but receive a 405 Method Not Allowed error. What is the most likely cause?

A The server does not support DELETE method on the requested URL

B The request body is missing required fields

C The API key is invalid or missing

D The request URL is misspelled

💡 Hint

405 means the method is not allowed on the resource.

A 405 error means the server understands the request method but does not allow it for the requested URL. This usually means DELETE is not supported there.

❓ framework

expert

Automated Test Framework for DELETE Request Validation

In an automated test framework using JavaScript and Postman, which code snippet correctly sends a DELETE request and asserts the response status is 204?

Postman

const pm = require('postman-collection');

// Example snippet

A

pm.sendRequest({ url: 'https://api.example.com/item/123', method: 'DELETE' }, (err, res) => {
  pm.test('Status is 204', () => {
    pm.expect(res.code).to.eql(204);
  });
});

B

pm.sendRequest({ url: 'https://api.example.com/item/123', method: 'POST' }, (err, res) => {
  pm.test('Status is 204', () => {
    pm.expect(res.code).to.eql(204);
  });
});

C

pm.sendRequest({ url: 'https://api.example.com/item/123', method: 'DELETE' }, (err, res) => {
  pm.test('Status is 200', () => {
    pm.expect(res.code).to.eql(200);
  });
});

D

pm.sendRequest({ url: 'https://api.example.com/item/123', method: 'DELETE' }, (err, res) => {
  pm.test('Status is 404', () => {
    pm.expect(res.code).to.eql(404);
  });
});

💡 Hint

DELETE requests often return 204 No Content on success.

The snippet sends a DELETE request and asserts the response status is 204, which means the resource was deleted successfully with no content returned.