This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of ip routing. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: oSPF metric is called cost. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
What is the OSPF metric called?
Hop count
Why wrong: Hop count is associated with RIP.
Cost
Correct. OSPF uses cost.
Distance
Why wrong: Distance is not the OSPF metric name.
Feasible distance
Why wrong: Feasible distance is an EIGRP term.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Cost
OSPF uses cost as its internal metric. By default, cost is derived primarily from bandwidth.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Hop count
Why it's wrong here
Hop count is associated with RIP.
Cost
Distance
Feasible distance
Option-by-option analysis
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.
Why this is correct
Correct. OSPF uses cost.
Why this is wrong here
Hop count is a metric used by routing protocols like RIP, not OSPF. OSPF uses cost as its metric, which is based on the bandwidth of the links.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question were about RIP or another distance-vector routing protocol, asking for the metric used, 'Hop count' would be the correct answer. For example, a question could ask, 'What metric does RIP use to determine the best path to a destination?'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse OSPF with other routing protocols that use hop count, especially if they have limited experience with OSPF's cost metric, leading to a misinterpretation of the question.
Why this is wrong here
The term 'Distance' is not used in OSPF to describe its metric; instead, OSPF uses 'Cost' to determine the best path based on link bandwidth. This option is misleading as it may relate to other routing protocols like RIP, which uses distance metrics.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question asked for the metric used in a different routing protocol, such as RIP, the answer could be 'Distance' as it refers to the number of hops to reach a destination. In that context, 'Distance' would accurately describe the metric used.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'Distance' with the concept of measuring the length of a path in networking, leading them to mistakenly associate it with routing metrics in general, despite its inaccuracy in the context of OSPF.
Why this is wrong here
Feasible distance is a term used in EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol) to represent the lowest calculated metric to reach a destination. In the context of OSPF, the correct term for its metric is 'cost'.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question were to ask about EIGRP metrics or the comparison of routing protocols, feasible distance would be the correct answer, as it specifically refers to EIGRP's metric for determining the best path to a destination.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse OSPF with EIGRP due to their similar roles in routing, leading them to mistakenly select feasible distance, which is a familiar term from their studies of EIGRP.
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?”
Common exam traps
A common exam trap is confusing OSPF's metric with other routing protocol metrics. For example, hop count is the metric used by RIP, not OSPF. Similarly, 'feasible distance' is a term specific to EIGRP, which can mislead candidates into selecting it as the OSPF metric. Another trap is mistaking administrative distance for metric; administrative distance ranks the trustworthiness of routing protocols, while metric determines the best path within a protocol. Candidates must clearly distinguish that OSPF's metric is called 'cost,' which is bandwidth-based, to avoid selecting incorrect options that sound related but belong to other protocols.
Detailed technical explanation
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a widely used link-state routing protocol in Cisco networks, and its routing decisions are based on a metric called 'cost.' The OSPF cost metric is a value assigned to each interface that reflects the overhead required to send packets across that link. By default, Cisco calculates cost as the inverse of the bandwidth of the interface, using the formula: Cost = Reference Bandwidth / Interface Bandwidth, where the reference bandwidth is typically 100 Mbps. For example, a FastEthernet interface (100 Mbps) has a cost of 1, while a Gigabit Ethernet interface (1000 Mbps) has a cost of 1/10th, which Cisco rounds to 1 as well, but can be adjusted by changing the reference bandwidth. This cost metric allows OSPF to select the most efficient path to a destination by summing the costs of all outgoing interfaces along a route and choosing the path with the lowest total cost. Unlike distance-vector protocols such as RIP, which use hop count as a metric, OSPF's cost metric provides a more granular and bandwidth-aware path selection. EIGRP, another Cisco routing protocol, uses a composite metric including bandwidth and delay, and terms like 'feasible distance' are specific to EIGRP, not OSPF. Understanding OSPF cost is critical for network engineers to optimize routing and ensure efficient traffic flow in Cisco environments.
Key takeaway
OSPF metric is called cost
Real-world example
A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
What to study next
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FAQ
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — OSPF metric is called cost.
The correct answer is: Cost — OSPF uses cost as its internal metric. By default, cost is derived primarily from bandwidth.
Review oSPF metric is called cost, then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
OSPF metric is called cost
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Last reviewed: May 17, 2026
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