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Correct answer: A. Tools, resources and prompts — executable functions, contextual data and reusable interaction templates.
Explanation
The principle — A server's surface is made of three named kinds of thing, and knowing which is which is the whole of server design.
Why the key is correct — Servers provide functionality through three building blocks: tools, resources and prompts. Tools: Executable functions that AI applications can invoke to perform actions (e.g., file operations, API calls, database queries). Resources: Data sources that provide contextual information to AI applications (e.g., file contents, database records, API responses). Prompts: Reusable templates that help structure interactions with language models (e.g., system prompts, few-shot examples).
Why the others are wrong — Tools are one of three, not all three. Prompts are published by the server even though the user picks them. And one server can offer all three.
Remember this — Tools do, resources tell, prompts guide.
Sources — MCP first-party documentation.
Sources
“Servers provide functionality through three building blocks:”
“Tools: Executable functions that AI applications can invoke to perform actions (e.g., file operations, API calls, database queries)”
“Resources: Data sources that provide contextual information to AI applications (e.g., file contents, database records, API responses)”
“Prompts: Reusable templates that help structure interactions with language models (e.g., system prompts, few-shot examples)”
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