CCNA AI and Network Operations 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.

• ✓

  JSON

  Why this is correct

  JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight, text-based data-interchange format that organizes data into key-value pairs and arrays. It is language-agnostic, human-readable, and natively parseable by virtually every programming language, making it the de facto standard for representing resources in REST API request and response bodies, typically transmitted over HTTP with the Content-Type: application/json header.

• ✗

  STP

  Why it's wrong here

  STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) is a Layer 2 networking protocol that runs on switches to prevent loops in Ethernet topologies by exchanging Bridge Protocol Data Units (BPDUs) and blocking redundant paths. It operates at the data-link layer to ensure a loop-free logical topology, and it has absolutely no role in serializing or representing data for REST APIs, which rely on application-layer formats like JSON or XML.

  When this WOULD be correct

  If the exam question asked about protocols used for data transmission in network environments, particularly in relation to Ethernet networks, STP could be the correct answer. For example, a question could ask about protocols that manage network topology to prevent loops.

• ✗

  EIGRP

  Why it's wrong here

  EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol) is a Cisco-proprietary distance-vector routing protocol that dynamically exchanges network-layer route information, using composite metrics based on bandwidth, delay, load, and reliability. It is a routing protocol that operates at the network layer to determine the best path to destinations, not a data format for encoding API payloads; REST APIs use structured text representations, not routing metrics.

  When this WOULD be correct

  If the question were about identifying protocols used in network communication, particularly those that manage routing information, EIGRP would be the correct answer when asking about dynamic routing protocols in a network setup.

• ✗

  802.1Q

  Why it's wrong here

  802.1Q is the IEEE standard for VLAN tagging, which inserts a 4-byte tag into Ethernet frames to identify the VLAN to which the frame belongs on trunk links. This Layer 2 tagging mechanism is used to segment broadcast domains in switched networks, and it is entirely unrelated to data serialization; REST APIs represent data using formats like JSON or XML, not by modifying Ethernet frame headers.

  When this WOULD be correct

  If the question asked about network protocols or standards related to VLANs and their role in data transmission, then 802.1Q would be the correct answer as it defines how to tag Ethernet frames for VLAN identification.

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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