CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
Which TWO statements about HSRP active/standby election, priority, and preempt are true?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that HSRP uses MAC address as a tiebreaker (it uses IP address) and that preemption is enabled by default (it is not).
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 (default 100, range 0-255) becomes the active router (A). If priorities are equal, the router with the highest IP address on the subnet wins, not the highest MAC address (B). Preemption is disabled by default; 'standby preempt' must be configured for a higher-priority router to take over (C). The 'show standby' command displays active/standby router roles, priority values, and preemption status, verifying D. The standby router is the one with the second-highest priority, not the lowest (E).
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 from 0 to 255, with a default of 100, to determine the active router. The router with the highest priority wins the election and becomes the active virtual router, forwarding traffic for the standby group. For example, a router with priority 150 will be chosen over a router with priority 100, regardless of which router came up first, assuming preemption is enabled.
- ✗
If priorities are equal, the router with the highest MAC address becomes active.
Why it's wrong here
When HSRP priorities are equal, the election tie-breaker is the highest IP address on the HSRP interface, not the MAC address. HSRP uses virtual MAC addresses for data traffic, but these are deterministic based on group number and are not used in the active router decision. Thus, the router with the numerically highest IP address in the group becomes active.
- ✗
Preemption is enabled by default on all HSRP routers.
Why it's wrong here
Preemption is disabled by default in HSRP. Without explicit configuration using the 'standby preempt' command, a router that comes up with a higher priority will not assume the active role if another router is already active. This prevents unnecessary failovers but can lead to a suboptimal active router if preemption is not deliberately enabled.
- ✓
The 'show standby' command can be used to verify the active and standby routers, priority, and preemption status.
Why this is correct
The 'show standby' command is the primary verification tool for HSRP operation. It displays each configured group's current state (Active, Standby, or other), the active and standby router addresses, the configured priority, and whether preemption is enabled. This allows an engineer to quickly confirm the expected router is active and that preemption will take effect if a higher-priority router returns.
- ✗
The router with the lowest priority becomes the standby router.
Why it's wrong here
The router with the lowest priority never becomes the standby router; HSRP elects the router with the highest priority as active and the router with the second-highest priority as standby. Routers with lower priorities remain in the listen or speak state, ready to take over only if both active and standby fail. So the lowest priority router is not the standby, it is merely a listener.
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 from 0 to 255, with a default of 100, to determine the active router. The router with the highest priority wins the election and becomes the active virtual router, forwarding traffic for the standby group. For example, a router with priority 150 will be chosen over a router with priority 100, regardless of which router came up first, assuming preemption is enabled.
✗If priorities are equal, the router with the highest MAC address becomes active.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
HSRP tie-breaking uses the highest IP address on the HSRP interface, not the MAC address. The MAC address is used for virtual MAC assignment but does not influence election.
Why candidates choose this
Students may confuse HSRP with other protocols like VRRP or GLBP, or mistakenly think that MAC address is used for election since it is a unique identifier.
✗Preemption is enabled by default on all HSRP routers.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Preemption is disabled by default in HSRP; it must be explicitly configured with the 'standby preempt' command. Without preemption, a higher priority router will not take over active role from a lower priority router that is already active.
Why candidates choose this
Many students assume preemption is enabled by default because it is a common feature in other redundancy protocols or because they think the highest priority router should always be active.
✗The router with the lowest priority becomes the standby router.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The standby router is the router with the second-highest priority, not the lowest. The lowest priority router would only become standby if all other routers fail, as it is the least preferred.
Why candidates choose this
Students may incorrectly think that the standby router is the one with the lowest priority because they associate 'standby' with a backup role that is less important, but HSRP elects the standby as the next best candidate.
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
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Interpreting HSRP and VRRP Operational Status
Key term
MAC address
A MAC address is a unique hardware identifier assigned to a network interface card that allows devices to communicate on a local network.
Key term
First Hop Redundancy Protocol
A First Hop Redundancy Protocol provides automatic backup for the default gateway router on a network so that devices keep working if the primary router fails.
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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.