Question 820 of 1,389
CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
Which TWO statements correctly describe how a router selects the best path for a destination network when multiple routing table entries exist?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the exact administrative distance values (e.g., directly connected = 0, static = 1) and the correct comparison order (prefix length first, then AD, then metric) to catch candidates who confuse AD with metric or misremember default values.
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
✓
Routes with the longest prefix length (most specific) are preferred over routes with a shorter prefix.
Routers select the best path by first applying the longest prefix match rule (most specific subnet mask), so option A is correct. If two routes have the same prefix length, the router then compares administrative distance (AD) and prefers the lower AD; option B is incorrect because it says higher AD is selected. When AD is equal, the router uses metric and chooses the lowest metric, making option C correct. Option D is false because directly connected routes have an AD of 0, not 1, and they are indeed more trustworthy than dynamic routes but not due to AD 1. Option E is wrong because directly connected routes are always preferred over dynamic routes regardless of adaptability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Routes with the longest prefix length (most specific) are preferred over routes with a shorter prefix.
Why this is correct
Routers perform a longest prefix match, meaning they compare the number of matching bits in the destination address with each route's subnet mask or prefix length. A more specific route, such as a /24 covering 192.168.1.0/24, is preferred over a less specific route like a /16 covering 192.168.0.0/16, because it identifies the destination network with greater precision. This rule is applied first, even before considering administrative distance or metric, because a longer match indicates a more exact route to the destination and, in classless routing, is always the most efficient forwarding decision.
- ✗
If two routes have the same prefix length, the route with the higher administrative distance is selected.
Why it's wrong here
The administrative distance (AD) is a trustworthiness rating; lower AD values indicate more reliable routing sources. For example, a static route typically has an AD of 1, OSPF has 110, and RIP has 120, so a router would always prefer the lower-AD route. Selecting a higher AD would install a less trustworthy route, which contradicts the entire purpose of AD as a preference mechanism. Therefore, the statement is incorrect because it reverses the ranking order for route source trustworthiness.
- ✓
When the administrative distance is identical, the router compares the metric and selects the route with the lowest metric.
Why this is correct
When the administrative distance is identical, it means the two routes originated from the same routing protocol or source type, so the router must fall back to the protocol's metric to break the tie. Each routing protocol defines its own metric: OSPF uses cost based on cumulative bandwidth, EIGRP uses a composite of bandwidth and delay, and RIP uses simple hop count. The route with the lowest metric value is installed in the routing table because it represents the best path according to that protocol's specific measure of path quality. This is the final tie-breaker in the route selection process, after longest prefix match and AD have already been considered.
- ✗
A directly connected route has an administrative distance of 1, making it more trustworthy than any dynamic route.
Why it's wrong here
Directly connected routes have an administrative distance of 0, not 1. An AD of 0 indicates the absolute highest level of trustworthiness, even higher than static routes (AD 1) or any dynamic protocol such as OSPF (AD 110) or EIGRP (AD 90). While the statement correctly notes that directly connected routes are more trustworthy than dynamic routes, the specific AD value it cites (1) is factually wrong and would incorrectly imply a static-equivalent trust level.
- ✗
Dynamic routes are always preferred over directly connected routes because they can adapt to network changes.
Why it's wrong here
Directly connected routes are always preferred over dynamic routes because they have an administrative distance of 0, which the router inherently trusts as the most reliable source. The adaptability of dynamic protocols does not affect the AD preference; it only allows them to adjust to network changes after the routing decision is made, but never overrides a directly connected interface. Since no dynamic protocol can achieve an AD of 0—OSPF is 110 and EIGRP is 90—the statement's claim is false.
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.
✓Routes with the longest prefix length (most specific) are preferred over routes with a shorter prefix.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Routers perform a longest prefix match, meaning they compare the number of matching bits in the destination address with each route's subnet mask or prefix length. A more specific route, such as a /24 covering 192.168.1.0/24, is preferred over a less specific route like a /16 covering 192.168.0.0/16, because it identifies the destination network with greater precision. This rule is applied first, even before considering administrative distance or metric, because a longer match indicates a more exact route to the destination and, in classless routing, is always the most efficient forwarding decision.
✗If two routes have the same prefix length, the route with the higher administrative distance is selected.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The router selects the route with the lower administrative distance, not higher. Administrative distance is a measure of trustworthiness; a lower value indicates a more reliable source. For example, a static route (AD 1) is preferred over an OSPF route (AD 110).
Why candidates choose this
Students may confuse administrative distance with metric, thinking that a higher value indicates a better path. They might also misremember the rule, thinking that 'higher' means 'better' in all contexts.
✗A directly connected route has an administrative distance of 1, making it more trustworthy than any dynamic route.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Directly connected routes have an administrative distance of 0, not 1. An AD of 0 is the most trustworthy and cannot be overridden by any dynamic route. The value 1 is used for static routes.
Why candidates choose this
Students often confuse the AD values for directly connected (0) and static routes (1). They may also think that a value of 1 is the most trustworthy because it is the smallest positive integer.
✗Dynamic routes are always preferred over directly connected routes because they can adapt to network changes.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Directly connected routes have an AD of 0, which is lower than any dynamic routing protocol (e.g., OSPF AD 110, EIGRP AD 90). Therefore, directly connected routes are always preferred over dynamic routes, not the other way around.
Why candidates choose this
Students might think that dynamic routes are more intelligent and adaptive, so they should be preferred. They may also overlook the fact that directly connected routes are inherently more reliable because they are directly attached to the router.
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
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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