The answer is the EIGRP internal route because when multiple routing sources provide a path to the same prefix, the router uses administrative distance as the first tiebreaker to select the most trustworthy route. Administrative distance is a value of trust assigned to each routing source, with lower numbers indicating higher reliability. In this scenario, EIGRP internal routes have an AD of 90, which is lower than OSPF’s 110, RIP’s 120, and a static route’s default AD of 1 or a floating static’s AD of 95, so the EIGRP route is installed into the routing table regardless of metric values. On the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam, this concept tests your understanding of route selection logic and is a frequent multiple-choice trap where candidates mistakenly compare metrics first. A common memory tip is to remember that AD decides “who you trust” before metrics decide “which path is best,” and for EIGRP, think “90 is lower than 110, so it wins the trust race.”
CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of ip routing. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: cisco routers use administrative distance to determine the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols before considering metrics.. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Exhibit
R1# show ip route 172.16.10.0
D 172.16.10.0/24 [90/30720] via 10.1.1.2
O 172.16.10.0/24 [110/20] via 10.1.2.2
R 172.16.10.0/24 [120/1] via 10.1.3.2
S 172.16.10.0/24 [95/0] via 10.1.4.2
R1 has routes to 172.16.10.0/24 from multiple sources. Which route will be installed?
R1# show ip route 172.16.10.0
D 172.16.10.0/24 [90/30720] via 10.1.1.2
O 172.16.10.0/24 [110/20] via 10.1.2.2
R 172.16.10.0/24 [120/1] via 10.1.3.2
S 172.16.10.0/24 [95/0] via 10.1.4.2
A
The OSPF route with metric 20
Why wrong: OSPF loses on administrative distance before metric is even considered against other protocols.
B
The EIGRP internal route
EIGRP internal AD 90 is the lowest among the listed candidates.
C
The RIP route because hop count is lowest
Why wrong: RIP AD 120 is worse than both EIGRP and OSPF here.
D
The static route with administrative distance 95
Why wrong: AD 95 is higher than EIGRP internal AD 90.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The EIGRP internal route
Routers compare route source trust first using administrative distance. EIGRP internal routes have an AD of 90, which is lower than OSPF (110), RIP (120), and a static route with AD 95. Therefore, the EIGRP internal route is installed, regardless of metrics.
Key principle: Cisco routers use administrative distance to determine the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols before considering metrics.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
If the question stated that OSPF and EIGRP have the same administrative distance (e.g., both set to 120) and OSPF's metric (20) is better than EIGRP's metric, then the OSPF route would be installed based on lowest metric.
✓
The EIGRP internal route
Why this is correct
EIGRP internal AD 90 is the lowest among the listed candidates.
Related concept
Cisco routers use administrative distance to determine the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols before considering metrics.
In a scenario where all routes are from RIP (e.g., multiple RIP paths to the same network), the route with the lowest hop count would be installed. For example, if the question asked 'Which RIP route will be installed?' and two RIP routes with different hop counts exist, the one with the lowest hop count is correct.
If the question stated that the static route had an administrative distance of 85 (lower than all dynamic protocols), or if the dynamic routes were all from protocols with higher ADs (e.g., RIP at 120, OSPF at 110), then the static route with AD 95 would be installed.
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 EIGRP internal routeCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
EIGRP internal AD 90 is the lowest among the listed candidates.
✗The OSPF route with metric 20Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
OSPF's administrative distance (110) is higher than EIGRP's (90), so OSPF loses despite its low metric.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question stated that OSPF and EIGRP have the same administrative distance (e.g., both set to 120) and OSPF's metric (20) is better than EIGRP's metric, then the OSPF route would be installed based on lowest metric.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may focus on the metric value (20) being low and assume that OSPF will win, forgetting that administrative distance is evaluated first before metric comparison.
✗The RIP route because hop count is lowestWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
RIP's administrative distance (120) is the highest among the options, so it is not installed regardless of hop count.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where all routes are from RIP (e.g., multiple RIP paths to the same network), the route with the lowest hop count would be installed. For example, if the question asked 'Which RIP route will be installed?' and two RIP routes with different hop counts exist, the one with the lowest hop count is correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly believe that the metric (hop count) is the deciding factor across different routing protocols, ignoring the higher priority of administrative distance.
✗The static route with administrative distance 95Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A static route with AD 95 has a higher administrative distance than EIGRP's 90, so it loses.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question stated that the static route had an administrative distance of 85 (lower than all dynamic protocols), or if the dynamic routes were all from protocols with higher ADs (e.g., RIP at 120, OSPF at 110), then the static route with AD 95 would be installed.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that a static route with a low AD (95) is always preferred over dynamic routes, but they forget that EIGRP internal routes have an even lower AD (90).
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?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Administrative distance (AD) is a Cisco-specific value used to rate the trustworthiness of routing information received from different routing protocols or sources. Each routing protocol is assigned a default AD value, with lower values indicating more trustworthy routes. For example, EIGRP internal routes have an AD of 90, static routes default to 1 (unless configured otherwise), OSPF routes have an AD of 110, and RIP routes have an AD of 120. When a router receives multiple routes to the same destination network from different protocols, it uses AD to decide which route to install in the routing table.
The router first compares the AD values of all candidate routes to a destination network. The route with the lowest AD is preferred and installed in the routing table, regardless of the metric values within the routing protocols. Metrics such as OSPF cost or EIGRP composite metric are only used to select the best route within the same routing protocol. In this scenario, the EIGRP internal route with AD 90 is preferred over OSPF (AD 110), RIP (AD 120), and a static route with AD 95, because 90 is the lowest AD.
A common exam trap is to confuse metric with administrative distance. Candidates often incorrectly select the OSPF route with a better metric or the static route with AD 95 over the EIGRP internal route. However, Cisco routers always prioritize routes by AD first before considering metrics. Practically, this means even if OSPF has a lower metric, its higher AD causes it to lose to EIGRP internal routes. Understanding this distinction is critical for correct route selection and troubleshooting in Cisco networks.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Cisco routers use administrative distance to determine the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols before considering metrics.
EIGRP internal routes have a default administrative distance of 90, making them more preferred than OSPF (110) and RIP (120) routes.
Static routes have a default administrative distance of 1, but if configured with AD 95, they are less preferred than EIGRP internal routes.
When multiple routes to the same destination exist, the router installs the route with the lowest administrative distance into the routing table.
Metrics such as OSPF cost or EIGRP composite metric are only compared among routes from the same routing protocol, not across different protocols.
A route with a lower metric but higher administrative distance will not be installed over a route with a higher metric but lower administrative distance.
Understanding the difference between administrative distance and metric is essential to correctly predict route selection behavior on Cisco routers.
Incorrectly prioritizing metric over administrative distance is a common exam trap that leads to wrong answers in routing questions.
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.
Key takeaway
Cisco routers use administrative distance to determine the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols before considering metrics.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 200-301 question in full detail.
Review cisco routers use administrative distance to determine the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols before considering metrics., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — Cisco routers use administrative distance to determine the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols before considering metrics..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The EIGRP internal route — Routers compare route source trust first using administrative distance. EIGRP internal routes have an AD of 90, which is lower than OSPF (110), RIP (120), and a static route with AD 95. Therefore, the EIGRP internal route is installed, regardless of metrics.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Review cisco routers use administrative distance to determine the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols before considering metrics., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Cisco routers use administrative distance to determine the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols before considering metrics.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A router receives two routes to 10.50.0.0/16: one from OSPF and one static route with an administrative distance of 90. Which route is installed by default?
hard
✓ A.The static route, because its administrative distance is lower than OSPF's
B.The OSPF route, because dynamic routes always override static routes
C.Both routes, because equal destination networks always load-balance
D.Neither route, because the destinations overlap
Why A: By default, the static route with administrative distance 90 is installed because it is preferred over the OSPF route with default administrative distance 110. In plain language, the router is being told that the manually configured route is more trustworthy than the OSPF-learned one, so it chooses the static path first. The protocol type alone does not decide the outcome. Administrative distance is the key comparison when two different route sources offer the same destination prefix length.
This is a classic routing-selection question because many learners incorrectly assume OSPF always wins over static routes unless the static route uses the default administrative distance. Once the static route is given a value lower than OSPF’s 110, it becomes the preferred path unless a more specific route exists elsewhere.
Last reviewed: May 17, 2026
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