The answer is that a router prefers OSPF over RIP because OSPF has a lower administrative distance than RIP for the same prefix. When both routing protocols advertise the 10.50.0.0/16 network, the prefix lengths are identical, so the longest-prefix match rule cannot break the tie. The router then falls back to comparing administrative distance, which is a measure of route source trustworthiness—OSPF defaults to 110, while RIP sits at 120, making the OSPF route more believable. On the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam, this administrative distance comparison is a classic route-selection concept, often tested with a scenario where two protocols learn the exact same subnet. A common trap is thinking the router will load-balance or prefer the route learned first, but the decision is purely based on the lowest AD. Remember the mnemonic: “OSPF is 110, RIP is 120—lower wins, so OSPF is always more trusted.”
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: administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols, with lower values indicating higher preference.. 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
O 10.50.0.0/16 [110/20] via 192.0.2.2
R 10.50.0.0/16 [120/1] via 192.0.2.6
What is the best explanation for why a router chooses the OSPF route to 10.50.0.0/16 instead of the RIP route?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Because OSPF has a lower administrative distance than RIP for the same prefix.
The router chooses the OSPF route because when the prefix length is the same, source preference is considered, and OSPF has a lower administrative distance than RIP. In practical terms, both routes describe the same destination size, so longest-prefix match does not separate them. The router then trusts the OSPF source more than RIP by default.
This is a classic administrative-distance comparison question and a very important route-selection concept.
Key principle: Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols, with lower values indicating higher preference.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Because OSPF has a lower administrative distance than RIP for the same prefix.
Why this is correct
This is correct because both routes are /16, so source trust becomes decisive and OSPF wins.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols, with lower values indicating higher preference.
✗
Because RIP routes are never installed when OSPF is running.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because RIP routes can exist in the table even when OSPF is present.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where the question specifies that RIP is configured but not allowed to run simultaneously with OSPF due to network policy or configuration settings, this option could be correct. For instance, if the exam question states that RIP is disabled when OSPF is active, then this answer would be valid.
✗
Because OSPF always has a longer prefix than RIP.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because both routes shown are the same prefix length.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where a question specifies that OSPF is the only routing protocol running on the router, and it asks why no RIP routes are present, this option could be correct, as it would imply that RIP routes cannot be installed without the protocol being active.
✗
Because the RIP metric is lower than the OSPF metric.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because cross-protocol selection here is decided by administrative distance, not that comparison.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where a question specifies that OSPF is configured to ignore RIP routes due to a specific policy or configuration, such as route filtering or administrative settings that prevent RIP from being used, this option would be 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.
✓Because OSPF has a lower administrative distance than RIP for the same prefix.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
This is correct because both routes are /16, so source trust becomes decisive and OSPF wins.
✗Because RIP routes are never installed when OSPF is running.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
RIP routes can coexist with OSPF routes in the routing table for different prefixes, but for the same prefix, the router selects based on administrative distance, not protocol presence. This statement is factually incorrect as RIP routes are installed when they are the best source for a prefix.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where the question specifies that RIP is configured but not allowed to run simultaneously with OSPF due to network policy or configuration settings, this option could be correct. For instance, if the exam question states that RIP is disabled when OSPF is active, then this answer would be valid.
Why candidates choose this
Students might think OSPF overrides RIP entirely because OSPF is more advanced, but routing protocols operate independently and routes are selected per prefix based on AD.
✗Because OSPF always has a longer prefix than RIP.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Both routes in the exhibit have the same prefix length (/16), so prefix length is not a factor. OSPF does not inherently have longer prefixes; prefix length depends on the network design.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where a question specifies that OSPF is the only routing protocol running on the router, and it asks why no RIP routes are present, this option could be correct, as it would imply that RIP routes cannot be installed without the protocol being active.
Why candidates choose this
Test-takers may confuse the concept of longest prefix match with administrative distance, thinking a more specific route always wins, but here both are equally specific.
✗Because the RIP metric is lower than the OSPF metric.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Metrics are only comparable within the same routing protocol; OSPF uses cost and RIP uses hop count, so they cannot be directly compared. The router uses administrative distance to choose between different protocols.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where a question specifies that OSPF is configured to ignore RIP routes due to a specific policy or configuration, such as route filtering or administrative settings that prevent RIP from being used, this option would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Students often assume lower metric always means better route, but cross-protocol selection ignores metrics and relies on AD first.
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
A frequent exam trap is believing that RIP routes are never installed when OSPF is running or that the router always prefers the route with the lowest metric regardless of protocol. This is incorrect because RIP routes can remain in the routing table alongside OSPF routes. The router actually uses administrative distance, not metric, to choose between routes learned from different protocols. Confusing metric with administrative distance leads to wrong answers, especially when both protocols advertise the same prefix length. Remember, cross-protocol route selection depends on administrative distance, not metric comparison.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
This is wrong because both routes shown are the same prefix length.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Administrative distance (AD) is a key concept in Cisco routing that determines the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols. Each routing protocol is assigned a default AD value, with lower values indicating higher trust. OSPF has a default AD of 110, while RIP has a default AD of 120. When a router learns about the same destination prefix from multiple protocols, it compares their AD values to decide which route to install in the routing table.
When two routes to the same prefix length exist, the router uses the administrative distance as the tiebreaker. Since both OSPF and RIP advertise the 10.50.0.0/16 prefix in this scenario, the router compares their AD values and selects the route with the lower AD, which is OSPF. Metrics within each protocol are only compared when routes come from the same routing protocol; cross-protocol metric comparison does not influence route selection.
A common exam trap is assuming that metrics alone determine route selection across protocols or that RIP routes are suppressed when OSPF is running. In reality, both routes can coexist in the routing table, but the router prefers the route with the lowest administrative distance. Understanding this distinction is critical for correctly answering questions about route selection in multi-protocol environments and for practical network troubleshooting.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols, with lower values indicating higher preference.
OSPF has a default administrative distance of 110, which is lower than RIP's default administrative distance of 120.
When multiple routes to the same prefix length exist, the router selects the route with the lowest administrative distance to install in the routing table.
Metrics are only compared between routes learned from the same routing protocol and do not influence cross-protocol route selection.
RIP routes can coexist in the routing table alongside OSPF routes if they advertise the same prefix, but OSPF routes are preferred due to lower administrative distance.
Longest prefix match is the primary route selection criterion; when prefix lengths are equal, administrative distance becomes the deciding factor.
Confusing metric comparison with administrative distance leads to incorrect route selection understanding in multi-protocol environments.
Understanding administrative distance is essential for troubleshooting routing issues and correctly answering CCNA 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
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols, with lower values indicating higher preference.
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 administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols, with lower values indicating higher preference., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols, with lower values indicating higher preference..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Because OSPF has a lower administrative distance than RIP for the same prefix. — The router chooses the OSPF route because when the prefix length is the same, source preference is considered, and OSPF has a lower administrative distance than RIP. In practical terms, both routes describe the same destination size, so longest-prefix match does not separate them. The router then trusts the OSPF source more than RIP by default.
This is a classic administrative-distance comparison question and a very important route-selection concept.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Review administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols, with lower values indicating higher preference., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols, with lower values indicating higher preference.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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. Exhibit: A router has both an OSPF-learned default route and a floating static default route. Which route is currently active?
hard
A.The static route, because static routes always override dynamic routes
✓ B.The OSPF default route, because AD 110 beats the floating static AD 150
C.Both routes load-balance automatically
D.Neither route, because a default route cannot be learned by OSPF
Why B: A floating static route only takes over when its administrative distance is set higher than the preferred route and the preferred route disappears. The routing table shows the OSPF default because AD 110 is lower than the floating static AD 150.
Last reviewed: May 17, 2026
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