CCNA IP Routing Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Bandwidth

  Why it's wrong here

  Bandwidth is not a metric in RIP; it is, however, one of the components in EIGRP's composite metric, along with delay, load, and reliability. EIGRP uses bandwidth to calculate the minimum bandwidth along the path, and the route with the best composite metric is chosen. RIP's hop count metric does not consider bandwidth at all, meaning a 64 kbps link will be treated the same as a 1 Gbps link if both have the same hop count.

  When this WOULD be correct

  If the question were about a routing protocol that uses bandwidth as a metric, such as Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), then 'bandwidth' would be the correct answer. For example, a question could ask, 'Which metric does EIGRP use to determine the best path?'

• ✗

  Cost

  Why it's wrong here

  RIP does not use cost as a metric; cost is a generic term used by link-state protocols like OSPF. In OSPF, the cost of an interface is typically derived from its bandwidth—the higher the bandwidth, the lower the cost—and the total cost of a route is the sum of the costs of all outgoing interfaces along the path. Since RIP only counts hops, it completely ignores the per-link cost that OSPF would consider, leading to potentially different path selection.

  When this WOULD be correct

  If the question asked about a routing protocol that uses cost as its metric, such as OSPF or EIGRP, then 'Cost' would be the correct answer. For example, 'What metric does OSPF use to choose the best path?' would make this option valid.

• ✓

  Hop count

  Why this is correct

  RIP (Routing Information Protocol) uses hop count as its sole metric, which is the number of routers (hops) a packet must traverse to reach the destination network. Each router that forwards the packet increments the hop count, and RIP considers a route with the fewest hops as the best path, regardless of link speed or reliability. This simple metric is why RIP is suitable for small networks but can choose suboptimal paths in larger, more complex topologies.

• ✗

  Delay

  Why it's wrong here

  RIP does not use delay as a metric; delay is an important factor in EIGRP's composite metric, where it represents the cumulative interface delay along the path, typically measured in tens of microseconds. EIGRP uses delay to prefer lower-latency paths even if they have more hops. RIP, by contrast, only looks at hop count, so it will choose a high-latency, multi-hop route over a direct low-latency one if the hop count is lower, which can be a significant drawback.

  When this WOULD be correct

  If the question asked which metric is used by a routing protocol that considers performance factors such as latency, then 'Delay' would be the correct answer. For example, a question about OSPF or EIGRP, which can factor in delay as part of their metric calculations, would make this option valid.

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.

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?”

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