CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
A route to 192.168.1.0/24 appears in the routing table from OSPF, but a more specific static route to 192.168.1.128/25 is also configured. Which route is used for traffic to 192.168.1.200?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common exam trap is assuming that the routing protocol with the lower administrative distance or higher trustworthiness automatically wins, regardless of prefix length. Candidates may incorrectly choose the OSPF /24 route because OSPF is a dynamic protocol and often trusted. However, the router always applies the longest-prefix match rule first, so the more specific static /25 route is preferred. Overlapping routes are normal and do not cause routing conflicts; the router simply forwards packets based on the most specific match. Misunderstanding this can lead to selecting the wrong answer and missing the core routing principle tested here.
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 /25 route
The static /25 route is used because longest-prefix match prefers the most specific matching route. In plain language, even though the OSPF /24 route covers the destination, the /25 static route covers a narrower range and therefore wins for addresses inside that upper half of the subnet. The router does not begin by asking which protocol is more trusted unless the prefix lengths are equal among the matching routes.
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 /24 route
Why it's wrong here
OSPF’s longest-prefix-match rule dictates that the /25 static route is preferred for 192.168.1.200, which falls within the 192.168.1.128/25 range, regardless of OSPF’s administrative distance. This option is tempting because OSPF often wins over static routes due to a lower administrative distance (110 vs. 1), but that comparison is irrelevant here: the decisive factor is prefix length, not administrative distance. It would be correct only if the destination address lay outside the /25 range, where the /24 route would be the only match.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where the static route to 192.168.1.128/25 is removed or not configured, and only the OSPF /24 route exists, then traffic to 192.168.1.200 would use the OSPF route. The question would specify that only the OSPF route is available.
- ✓
The static /25 route
Why this is correct
The destination 192.168.1.200 falls within 192.168.1.128/25, which is a longer prefix than the OSPF-advertised 192.168.1.0/24. When a packet matches multiple routes, longest prefix match takes precedence regardless of administrative distance, so the static /25 route is preferred.
- ✗
Both routes automatically load-balance
Why it's wrong here
Equal-cost multipath load-balancing requires multiple routes with the same prefix length and equal metric (or AD for different protocols). Here the static route has /25 and AD 1, while OSPF has /24 and AD 110; they don't meet the criteria. Only the best route is installed in the RIB, and forwarding uses that single route.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different question setup where both routes are of equal prefix length (e.g., two static routes with the same subnet mask), the exam could ask about load balancing between them, making this option correct as both would be used for traffic.
- ✗
Neither route because the network overlaps
Why it's wrong here
Overlapping networks do not cause both routes to be invalid. Routers use the longest prefix match algorithm: the /25 route is more specific for 192.168.1.200, so it is chosen. The presence of overlapping routes is normal in a routing table; the router doesn't discard routes just because they overlap.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where the question states that both routes are configured but the static route is disabled or has a lower administrative distance than OSPF, then the OSPF route would be used, making option D correct.
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 /25 routeCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
The destination 192.168.1.200 falls within 192.168.1.128/25, which is a longer prefix than the OSPF-advertised 192.168.1.0/24. When a packet matches multiple routes, longest prefix match takes precedence regardless of administrative distance, so the static /25 route is preferred.
✗The OSPF /24 routeWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The OSPF /24 route is less specific than the static /25 route. Since 192.168.1.200 falls within the /25 subnet, the router will use the most specific matching route, which is the static /25 route.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where the static route to 192.168.1.128/25 is removed or not configured, and only the OSPF /24 route exists, then traffic to 192.168.1.200 would use the OSPF route. The question would specify that only the OSPF route is available.
Why candidates choose this
Students might think that because OSPF is a dynamic routing protocol, it takes precedence over static routes, or they may confuse administrative distance with prefix length.
✗Both routes automatically load-balanceWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Load balancing only occurs when there are multiple routes with the same prefix length and equal administrative distance/metric. Here, the routes have different prefix lengths (/24 vs /25), so they are not equal and cannot load-balance.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different question setup where both routes are of equal prefix length (e.g., two static routes with the same subnet mask), the exam could ask about load balancing between them, making this option correct as both would be used for traffic.
Why candidates choose this
Students may think that any two routes to the same destination network will automatically load-balance, not realizing that the routes must be identical in prefix length and have equal cost.
✗Neither route because the network overlapsWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Overlapping routes are common in routing tables; the router selects the most specific match. The presence of overlapping routes does not prevent the router from using either route; it simply uses the longest prefix match.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where the question states that both routes are configured but the static route is disabled or has a lower administrative distance than OSPF, then the OSPF route would be used, making option D correct.
Why candidates choose this
Students might believe that overlapping routes cause a conflict or error, similar to overlapping IP addresses on interfaces, but routing tables handle overlapping prefixes by longest match.
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
Related to this question
Learn chapter
OSPFv3 Single-Area Configuration for IPv6
Key term
Static route
A static route is a manually configured path in a router's routing table that tells the router exactly where to send packets for a specific destination network.
Key term
Subnet
A subnet is a logical subdivision of an IP network, created by partitioning a larger network address space using subnet masks.
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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.