Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A route to 10.10.10.0/24 is learned through two OSPF paths. Both have the same prefix length and the same administrative distance, but one path has a lower OSPF metric. Which path is preferred?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
The path with the lower OSPF metric
This is correct because within the same protocol and prefix, the lower metric is preferred.
B
Distractor review
The path with the higher OSPF metric
This is wrong because higher metric means a less preferred path.
C
Distractor review
Both paths equally, because the administrative distance is the same
This is wrong because equal administrative distance does not mean both paths are used when metrics differ.
D
Distractor review
Neither path, because two OSPF routes to the same prefix are invalid
This is wrong because OSPF can learn the same prefix via multiple paths and selects the best one.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is assuming that administrative distance alone determines the preferred route when multiple paths are learned from the same routing protocol. Candidates might incorrectly believe that equal administrative distance means both routes are equally preferred or that the higher metric could be chosen. However, within OSPF, administrative distance is constant and does not influence path preference between OSPF routes. Instead, the OSPF metric is the decisive factor. Misunderstanding this can lead to incorrect answers about route selection and routing table entries.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) is a link-state routing protocol that calculates the best path to a destination based on the lowest cumulative cost, known as the OSPF metric. This metric is derived from interface bandwidths along the path, making it a dynamic and scalable method for path selection within an OSPF area. When multiple routes to the same prefix exist, OSPF uses this metric to determine the most efficient route. In OSPF, when two routes to the same destination prefix have the same administrative distance (which is 110 by default for OSPF) and identical prefix lengths, the router compares the OSPF metrics to choose the preferred path. The route with the lower OSPF metric is installed in the routing table because it represents the least-cost path. Administrative distance is only used to compare routes from different routing protocols, so it does not influence the decision between two OSPF-learned routes. A common exam trap is to confuse administrative distance with OSPF metric when selecting the best path within OSPF. Since both routes share the same administrative distance, the router does not consider it for tie-breaking. Instead, it relies solely on the OSPF metric. Practically, OSPF can maintain multiple routes to the same prefix if they have equal metrics, but when metrics differ, only the lowest metric route is preferred and installed in the routing table, ensuring optimal path selection.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- OSPF calculates the best path to a destination based on the lowest cumulative metric, which reflects the cost of traversing interfaces along the route.
- When multiple OSPF routes to the same prefix exist with equal administrative distance, the router prefers the route with the lower OSPF metric.
- Administrative distance is used to compare routes from different routing protocols, not to select between multiple OSPF-learned routes.
- OSPF installs only the route with the lowest metric in the routing table when multiple paths to the same prefix differ in cost.
- If multiple OSPF routes have the same metric and prefix length, OSPF can perform equal-cost load balancing by installing multiple paths.
- The OSPF metric is calculated based on interface bandwidth, making lower bandwidth links have higher cost and less preferred.
- OSPF’s path selection process ensures efficient routing by always choosing the least-cost path within the same routing protocol.
- Confusing administrative distance with OSPF metric can lead to incorrect route preference decisions in Cisco routing exams.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A router learns the same prefix from both OSPF and EIGRP. Which route is installed by default?
Question 2
A router shows this output: R1#show ip ospf neighbor Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface 10.1.1.2 1 FULL/DR 00:00:34 192.168.12.2 GigabitEthernet0/0 10.1.1.3 1 2WAY/DROTHER 00:00:39 192.168.12.3 GigabitEthernet0/0 Which statement is correct?
Question 3
What is the OSPF metric called?
Question 4
A non-root switch has two uplinks toward the root bridge. One path has a lower total STP cost than the other. What role will the lower-cost uplink have?
Question 5
A router interface applies this ACL inbound: 10 deny tcp any any eq 80 20 permit ip any any A user reports that web browsing to a server by IP address fails, but ping works. Which statement best explains the behavior?
Question 6
A router learns route 198.51.100.0/24 from OSPF with AD 110 and also has a static route to the same prefix configured with AD 150. Which route is installed?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-301 question test?
OSPF calculates the best path to a destination based on the lowest cumulative metric, which reflects the cost of traversing interfaces along the route.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The path with the lower OSPF metric — The path with the lower OSPF metric is preferred. In practical terms, when the prefix and route source are the same, the router uses the routing protocol’s internal path-selection logic. For OSPF, the lower metric is the more attractive path. This is a clean example of metric-based selection within one routing protocol. Administrative distance is not the deciding factor here because the source protocol is the same on both paths.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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