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CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
Drag and drop the following steps into the correct order to describe the router's routing table lookup process from receiving a packet with a destination IP address to making the forwarding decision, including best-path selection criteria.
⚠ Common exam trap
Do not confuse the order of longest prefix match and administrative distance. Longest prefix match is always performed first; administrative distance and metric are tie-breakers applied only when multiple routes match the same prefix length.
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
✓
Packet arrival, longest prefix match, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, forwarding decision
The process starts with packet arrival, then longest prefix match, followed by tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, culminating in forwarding.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Packet arrival, longest prefix match, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, forwarding decision
Why this is correct
This sequence accurately describes the router's routing table lookup process: first the packet arrives, then the router performs a longest prefix match to find the most specific route, then if multiple routes exist, it uses administrative distance and metric to select the best path, and finally forwards the packet.
- ✗
Packet arrival, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, longest prefix match, forwarding decision
Why it's wrong here
This sequence inverts the router's actual lookup logic by placing tie-breaking before the longest prefix match. Administrative distance and metric are only meaningful when comparing routes that share the exact same destination prefix; if the router applied them first, it could reject a route with a worse AD but a more specific (longer) prefix that should have won. In Cisco IOS, the router first narrows candidates to the most specific matching prefix, then applies AD and metric only among routes to that identical prefix.
- ✗
Packet arrival, longest prefix match, forwarding decision, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric
Why it's wrong here
This option wrongly postpones route selection until after the packet has already been forwarded. A router cannot make a forwarding decision before determining which route is the best match; if multiple routes for the same prefix exist, the choice of exit interface and next hop depends on the tie-breaking result. In practice, the routing table lookup completes tie-breaking during route selection, so the forwarding decision is necessarily the final step after the best route is chosen.
- ✗
Packet arrival, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, forwarding decision, longest prefix match
Why it's wrong here
This order puts the longest prefix match last, which leaves the router with no destination network to evaluate when applying administrative distance and metric. Since AD and metric are properties of routes to a specific prefix, the router must first identify the longest matching prefix to know which routes are even candidates for forwarding. Placing tie-breaking and forwarding before the longest prefix match makes the process both backwards and functionally impossible.
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.
✓Packet arrival, longest prefix match, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, forwarding decisionCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
This sequence accurately describes the router's routing table lookup process: first the packet arrives, then the router performs a longest prefix match to find the most specific route, then if multiple routes exist, it uses administrative distance and metric to select the best path, and finally forwards the packet.
✗Packet arrival, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, longest prefix match, forwarding decisionWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The specific factual error is that the order of operations is reversed: longest prefix match must come before tie-breaking.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might think that administrative distance is considered first because it is a primary selection criterion, but the longest prefix match is always evaluated first.
✗Packet arrival, longest prefix match, forwarding decision, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metricWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The specific factual error is that forwarding decision is placed before tie-breaking, which is logically impossible as the router needs to choose a path first.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might think that once a longest prefix match is found, the router immediately forwards, forgetting that multiple routes may exist requiring tie-breaking.
✗Packet arrival, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, forwarding decision, longest prefix matchWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The specific factual error is that longest prefix match is placed last, which is completely out of order.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might confuse the order of operations, thinking that tie-breaking happens first because it is a key concept, but the routing table lookup always starts with longest prefix 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?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Key term
Packet
A packet is a small unit of data that is sent over a network, containing both the actual data and control information for delivery.
Key term
Router
A router is a networking device that connects different networks together and directs data traffic between them by choosing the best path for data to travel.
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JA
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.