CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
A branch router learns a route to 10.20.30.0/24 from OSPF with metric 30 and also has a static route to the same prefix with an administrative distance of 5. Which route will appear in the routing table?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common exam trap is to confuse the OSPF metric with administrative distance and assume the route with the lower metric is preferred. Since OSPF’s metric is 30 and the static route’s metric is not applicable or higher, candidates may incorrectly select the OSPF route. However, Cisco routers first compare administrative distance, which is a measure of route trustworthiness across different routing sources. Because the static route has a lower administrative distance (5) than OSPF (110), the static route is preferred and installed in the routing table. Misunderstanding this leads to incorrect route selection and exam errors.
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
✓
The static route because its administrative distance is lower
The router installs the static route because administrative distance is compared before metric when two different routing sources advertise the same prefix. OSPF metric matters only against other OSPF choices, not against a lower-AD static route.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The OSPF route because metric 30 is lower than the static route metric
Why it's wrong here
The OSPF metric, or cost, is used only to compare multiple OSPF routes to the same destination. When selecting between routes from different protocols, Cisco IOS first compares administrative distance, not metric. The static route's AD of 1 is much lower than OSPF's AD of 110, so the static route wins regardless of OSPF's metric of 30.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario, if the question stated that the static route had an administrative distance of 200, the OSPF route would be selected due to its lower administrative distance, making option A correct. This would change the preference dynamics between the routes.
- ✓
The static route because its administrative distance is lower
Why this is correct
A static route is assigned an administrative distance of 1 by default in Cisco IOS, whereas an OSPF internal route has an AD of 110. Because the router always prefers the route with the lowest AD, it installs the static route in the routing table and uses it to forward traffic to 10.20.30.0/24. The OSPF route is retained in the OSPF database but not placed in the RIB.
- ✗
Both routes with equal preference because they point to the same prefix
Why it's wrong here
Equal preference and load balancing require routes from the same routing protocol with the same administrative distance and equal metric for the exact same prefix. Here, the static route has an AD of 1 and a metric of 0, while the OSPF route has an AD of 110, so they are not equal candidates. Cisco IOS installs only the route with the lowest AD in the routing table, and the OSPF route is not used for forwarding.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different question where both OSPF and static routes are configured for ECMP and have the same administrative distance, the routing table could show both routes as valid options for load balancing traffic to the same prefix.
- ✗
Neither route until the router performs a full SPF recalculation
Why it's wrong here
Full SPF recalculation is only triggered by a change in the OSPF topology, such as a link or neighbor event, not by the existence of a competing static route. The router already has both candidate routes available, so it can compare them and select the static route immediately without invoking SPF. Therefore, the failure to perform an SPF recalculation does not prevent route selection.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where a router is configured to only install routes after a full SPF recalculation is completed, such as during a network convergence event, this option could be correct. For example, if the router has just rebooted and is waiting for OSPF to converge, it might not install any routes until the SPF process is complete.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The 200-301 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓The static route because its administrative distance is lowerCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
A static route is assigned an administrative distance of 1 by default in Cisco IOS, whereas an OSPF internal route has an AD of 110. Because the router always prefers the route with the lowest AD, it installs the static route in the routing table and uses it to forward traffic to 10.20.30.0/24. The OSPF route is retained in the OSPF database but not placed in the RIB.
✗The OSPF route because metric 30 is lower than the static route metricWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because OSPF routes are chosen based on administrative distance first, not metric. The static route has a lower administrative distance (5) compared to the OSPF route (110), making the static route the preferred choice.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario, if the question stated that the static route had an administrative distance of 200, the OSPF route would be selected due to its lower administrative distance, making option A correct. This would change the preference dynamics between the routes.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may be misled by the metric comparison, mistakenly believing that a lower OSPF metric automatically makes it the preferred route, without considering the critical role of administrative distance in route selection.
✗Both routes with equal preference because they point to the same prefixWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because routing tables do not include multiple routes to the same prefix unless they are configured for equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) routing, which is not indicated in this scenario.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different question where both OSPF and static routes are configured for ECMP and have the same administrative distance, the routing table could show both routes as valid options for load balancing traffic to the same prefix.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose this option due to a misunderstanding of how routing protocols interact, assuming that multiple valid routes can coexist without considering administrative distance and routing table rules.
✗Neither route until the router performs a full SPF recalculationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because the router will not wait for a full SPF recalculation to install the static route in the routing table; it will use the static route immediately due to its lower administrative distance.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where a router is configured to only install routes after a full SPF recalculation is completed, such as during a network convergence event, this option could be correct. For example, if the router has just rebooted and is waiting for OSPF to converge, it might not install any routes until the SPF process is complete.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose this option due to a misunderstanding of how routing protocols interact with static routes, believing that OSPF must always recalculate before any routes are used, which is not the case with static routes.
Analysis generated from the official 200-301blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Visual reference
Quick reference
Routing Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Metric | Max Hops | Algorithm | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIP v2 | Hop count | 15 | Bellman-Ford | Distance vector |
| OSPF | Cost (bandwidth) | Unlimited | Dijkstra (SPF) | Link state |
| EIGRP | Composite metric | Unlimited | DUAL | Hybrid |
| IS-IS | Cost | Unlimited | Dijkstra | Link state |
| BGP | Policy / attributes | Unlimited | Path vector | Path vector |
RIP's 15-hop limit makes it unsuitable for large networks. OSPF and EIGRP dominate modern enterprise deployments.
Go deeper
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Key term
Router
A router is a networking device that connects different networks together and directs data traffic between them by choosing the best path for data to travel.
Key term
Route
A route is a path that data takes through a network from one device or network to another, determined by routing protocols and configured rules.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-301 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco 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 200-301 exam.