mediumMultiple Choice
CCNP Practice Question: Examine this configuration: policy-map QOS_POLICY…
Examine this configuration: policy-map QOS_POLICY
class VOICE
priority percent 10
class VIDEO
bandwidth percent 30
class class-default
fair-queue !
interface GigabitEthernet0/0
service-policy output QOS_POLICY
What is the effect of this policy-map?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that 'priority' and 'bandwidth' cannot coexist in the same policy-map, or that 'bandwidth' implies priority queuing, when in fact they serve different roles (strict priority vs. guaranteed minimum bandwidth) and are commonly used together in enterprise QoS designs.
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
✓
Voice traffic gets strict priority up to 10% of interface bandwidth, video gets at least 30%, and all other traffic is fair-queued.
The policy-map uses the 'priority percent 10' command under class VOICE, which provides strict priority queuing for voice traffic, guaranteeing it is serviced first up to 10% of the interface bandwidth. The 'bandwidth percent 30' command under class VIDEO allocates a minimum bandwidth guarantee of 30% for video traffic, while the 'fair-queue' command under class-default ensures all other traffic shares the remaining bandwidth fairly using Cisco's Class-Based Weighted Fair Queuing (CBWFQ). This configuration is valid and commonly used in enterprise QoS designs to prioritize real-time traffic while still providing bandwidth guarantees for other critical traffic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Voice traffic gets strict priority up to 10% of interface bandwidth, video gets at least 30%, and all other traffic is fair-queued.
Why this is correct
In the policy-map, the voice class is configured with the priority command, which creates a strict priority queue capped at 10% of the interface bandwidth, ensuring Voice over IP packets are serviced first and minimizing delay and jitter. The video class uses the bandwidth command, which reserves a minimum of 30% of link capacity for video traffic using class-based weighted fair queuing (CBWFQ), though this does not guarantee immediate scheduling over other classes. All other traffic falls into the default class, where the fair-queue command applies, permitting equal distribution of the remaining bandwidth among remaining flows. Thus, the statement accurately describes the configured queuing behavior.
- ✗
Voice and video both get priority queuing, with voice at 10% and video at 30%.
Why it's wrong here
This option misreads the 'priority' and 'bandwidth' commands as both creating priority queues. In reality, the 'priority' command for voice establishes a strict priority queue at 10%, while the 'bandwidth' command for video guarantees 30% of bandwidth under CBWFQ but does not provide strict priority. Therefore, video traffic will share scheduling with other classes rather than being immediately serviced as a priority class, so the statement is incorrect.
- ✗
The policy-map is invalid because you cannot use both priority and bandwidth in the same policy-map.
Why it's wrong here
Mixing 'priority' and 'bandwidth' in a single policy-map is a common and valid design practice. Cisco's recommended QoS model uses multiple classes: delay-sensitive traffic gets priority, guaranteed-bandwidth traffic gets a bandwidth allocation, and best-effort traffic gets fair-queueing. There is no rule preventing the coexistence of these commands in the same policy-map, so the policy-map is not invalid.
- ✗
The policy-map will only shape traffic, not prioritize it.
Why it's wrong here
The policy-map primarily performs queuing and scheduling, not traffic shaping. Unlike shaping, which buffers and paces traffic to a configured rate using the 'shape' command, this policy-map applies queuing decisions with priority, bandwidth, and fair-queue. It does not contain any 'shape' or 'police' commands, so it cannot be categorized as a shaping policy.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-401 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 350-401 exam.