CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
Exhibit
R1# show ip route | include 0.0.0.0 O*E2 0.0.0.0/0 [110/1] via 10.1.12.2 R1(config)# ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 192.0.2.1 150
Exhibit: A router has both an OSPF-learned default route and a floating static default route. Which route is currently active?
⚠ Common exam trap
A frequent exam trap is believing that static routes always override dynamic routes simply because they are manually configured. This misconception leads to selecting the static route as active regardless of administrative distance. In reality, Cisco routers use administrative distance to determine route preference, and a floating static route is deliberately configured with a higher AD to act as a backup. The router prefers the OSPF route with AD 110 over the floating static route with AD 150, so the static route is inactive unless the OSPF route fails. Misunderstanding this can cause incorrect answers about route selection in routing tables.
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 OSPF default route, because AD 110 beats the floating static AD 150
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.
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 static route, because static routes always override dynamic routes
Why it's wrong here
Static routes do not automatically override dynamic routes; the default AD for a static route is 1, but an administrator can create a floating static route with a higher AD, as done here with 150. Because OSPF's AD is 110, which is lower than 150, the OSPF route wins the routing table selection, despite being dynamic. The statement 'static routes always override dynamic routes' is false because AD is a configurable priority, not an inherent property of the route type. In this scenario, the static route is just a backup and is not active.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question stated that the static route had a lower AD than the dynamic route (e.g., a static route with AD 1) or if the dynamic route was not present in the routing table. For example: 'A router has both an EIGRP-learned route and a static route with AD 5. Which route is active?'
- ✓
The OSPF default route, because AD 110 beats the floating static AD 150
Why this is correct
The OSPF default route is preferred because its administrative distance (AD) is 110, which is lower than the floating static route's configured AD of 150. In Cisco IOS, when multiple routes exist for the same destination prefix, the route with the lowest AD is installed in the routing table. Since the OSPF route has a better (lower) AD, it becomes the active default route. The static route remains in the configuration as a backup and will only be used if the OSPF route disappears.
- ✗
Both routes load-balance automatically
Why it's wrong here
Load balancing only occurs when multiple routes have exactly the same administrative distance and metric, and the routing protocol supports equal-cost multipath (ECMP). Here, the OSPF route has AD 110 while the floating static route has AD 150, so they are not equal-cost and the router will not load-balance across them. OSPF and static routes are different sources, and the router always prefers the lower AD route for the default prefix. Therefore, only one route is actually installed and used, not both.
When this WOULD be correct
If both routes had the same administrative distance (e.g., both OSPF routes or both static routes with equal AD) and equal metric, the router would load-balance traffic across them.
- ✗
Neither route, because a default route cannot be learned by OSPF
Why it's wrong here
OSPF absolutely can learn and carry a default route; this is commonly done using the 'default-information originate' command on an ASBR, which injects 0.0.0.0/0 into the OSPF domain. The router in question has received an OSPF default route, so the premise that OSPF cannot learn a default route is false. Both routes exist, but due to AD differences, exactly one is selected as the active default. Thus, saying 'neither route' is incorrect because the router will use the OSPF path.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question stated that the router is running RIP instead of OSPF, because RIP does not support a default route in its standard updates (unless configured with 'default-information originate' in some implementations, but traditionally RIP does not propagate a default route).
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 OSPF default route, because AD 110 beats the floating static AD 150Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The OSPF default route is preferred because its administrative distance (AD) is 110, which is lower than the floating static route's configured AD of 150. In Cisco IOS, when multiple routes exist for the same destination prefix, the route with the lowest AD is installed in the routing table. Since the OSPF route has a better (lower) AD, it becomes the active default route. The static route remains in the configuration as a backup and will only be used if the OSPF route disappears.
✗The static route, because static routes always override dynamic routesWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Static routes do not always override dynamic routes; the route with the lowest administrative distance (AD) is preferred. Here, OSPF has AD 110, which is lower than the floating static route's AD 150, so OSPF is active.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question stated that the static route had a lower AD than the dynamic route (e.g., a static route with AD 1) or if the dynamic route was not present in the routing table. For example: 'A router has both an EIGRP-learned route and a static route with AD 5. Which route is active?'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates often memorize that static routes are preferred over dynamic routes in general, but they forget that administrative distance can be modified, making a dynamic route preferred if its AD is lower.
✗Both routes load-balance automaticallyWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Both routes cannot be active simultaneously because they have different administrative distances; the router selects the route with the lowest AD (110 for OSPF) and installs only that one in the routing table.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If both routes had the same administrative distance (e.g., both OSPF routes or both static routes with equal AD) and equal metric, the router would load-balance traffic across them.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may assume that multiple default routes always load-balance, not realizing that different route sources have different ADs and only the best AD route is installed.
✗Neither route, because a default route cannot be learned by OSPFWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
OSPF can learn a default route (0.0.0.0/0) via a Type 5 or Type 3 LSA, so the statement that a default route cannot be learned by OSPF is false.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question stated that the router is running RIP instead of OSPF, because RIP does not support a default route in its standard updates (unless configured with 'default-information originate' in some implementations, but traditionally RIP does not propagate a default route).
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly believe that OSPF cannot generate or learn a default route, confusing it with older protocols like RIPv1 that lack default route propagation.
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
Routing Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Metric | Max Hops | Algorithm | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIP v2 | Hop count | 15 | Bellman-Ford | Distance vector |
| OSPF | Cost (bandwidth) | Unlimited | Dijkstra (SPF) | Link state |
| EIGRP | Composite metric | Unlimited | DUAL | Hybrid |
| IS-IS | Cost | Unlimited | Dijkstra | Link state |
| BGP | Policy / attributes | Unlimited | Path vector | Path vector |
RIP's 15-hop limit makes it unsuitable for large networks. OSPF and EIGRP dominate modern enterprise deployments.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Interpreting HSRP and VRRP Operational Status
Key term
Administrative distance
Administrative distance is a number that a router uses to decide which routing protocol's route to trust when it learns about the same destination from multiple different routing protocols.
Key term
OSPF
OSPF is a link-state routing protocol that uses the SPF algorithm to compute the shortest path to each destination within a single autonomous system.
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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.