Question 1,585 of 1,389
CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
Which TWO statements are true regarding HSRP active/standby election, priority, and preemption?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the exact priority range (0–255) and the tiebreaker rule (highest IP, not lowest), leading candidates to confuse HSRP with VRRP or GLBP, or to misremember the priority scale.
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 router with the highest priority becomes the active router.
In HSRP, the router with the highest priority wins the election to become the active router (A correct). If preemption is enabled, a router with a higher priority can take over the active role from a lower-priority active router (E correct). Option B is incorrect: when priorities are equal, the router with the highest IP address in the standby group is chosen, not the lowest. Option C is incorrect: HSRP priority ranges from 0 to 255, not 0 to 100. Option D is incorrect: preemption is disabled by default on all HSRP interfaces. Option F is incorrect: a priority of 0 is used to indicate that the router will not participate in the election or will immediately give up the active role, but it does not mean it will never become active; in fact, it can be configured to force a new election.
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 router with the highest priority becomes the active router.
Why this is correct
HSRP uses a priority value (0–255, default 100) to determine the active router; the highest priority wins.
- ✗
The router with the lowest IP address in the standby group becomes the active router.
Why it's wrong here
HSRP does not use IP address to elect the active router; priority is the primary determinant, followed by highest IP address as a tiebreaker.
- ✗
HSRP priority can be configured from 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest.
Why it's wrong here
HSRP priority range is 0–255, with 100 as the default.
- ✗
Preemption is enabled by default on all HSRP interfaces.
Why it's wrong here
Preemption is disabled by default in HSRP; it must be explicitly configured with the 'standby preempt' command.
- ✓
If preemption is enabled, a router with a higher priority can take over the active role from a router with a lower priority that is already active.
Why this is correct
Preemption allows a higher-priority router to become active immediately, overriding the current active router.
- ✗
The standby router uses a priority of 0 to indicate it will never become active.
Why it's wrong here
Priority 0 is used to indicate that the router should not become active (e.g., during a shutdown), but it is not the default standby role.
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 router with the highest priority becomes the active router.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
HSRP uses a priority value (0–255, default 100) to determine the active router; the highest priority wins.
✗The router with the lowest IP address in the standby group becomes the active router.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This describes a different mechanism (e.g., VRRP uses IP address as a tiebreaker only after priority).
✗HSRP priority can be configured from 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The range is 0–255, not 0–100.
✗Preemption is enabled by default on all HSRP interfaces.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Preemption is not a default behavior.
✗The standby router uses a priority of 0 to indicate it will never become active.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Priority 0 is a special value, not the normal standby priority.
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?”
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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