mediumMultiple Select
CCNP Practice Question: Which three statements about syslog message…
Which three statements about syslog message severity levels are correct? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse severity 6 (informational) with severity 7 (debugging), and assuming the Cisco IOS default logging console level is 3 when it is actually 2 (critical).
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
✓
Severity level 0 (emergencies) indicates the system is unusable.
Option A is correct because syslog severity level 0 is defined as "emergencies," meaning the system is unusable and immediate attention is required. Option B is correct because severity level 3 is "errors," which covers error conditions that still allow the system to continue functioning, unlike level 0-2. Option C is correct because severity level 5 is "notifications," used for normal but significant conditions such as interface up/down events. Option D is incorrect because debugging messages are severity level 7, while level 6 is "informational" for normal operational messages. Option E is incorrect because the default logging console severity level on Cisco IOS is level 2 (critical), not level 3 (errors).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Severity level 0 (emergencies) indicates the system is unusable.
Why this is correct
Severity level 0 maps to emergencies, the highest priority, signalling that the system itself is unusable and requires immediate attention. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a correct syslog severity statement, since level 0 sits at the top of the eight-level scale, above alerts and critical conditions.
- ✓
Severity level 3 (errors) includes error conditions that still allow the system to function.
Why this is correct
Severity 3 (Error) denotes non-fatal error conditions where the system continues operating, satisfying the stem's requirement for a correct syslog severity statement. This contrasts with severity 2 (Critical), which signals critical conditions, and severity 0 (Emergency), where the system is unusable.
- ✓
Severity level 5 (notifications) is used for normal but significant conditions, such as interface up/down.
Why this is correct
Syslog severity level 5 corresponds to notifications, covering normal but significant conditions like interface up/down events. This sits between warnings (4) and informational (6) on the numeric scale, where lower numbers indicate greater severity, so level 5 is correctly classified as significant yet non-error.
- ✗
Severity level 6 (informational) is used for debugging messages that are only useful during troubleshooting.
Why it's wrong here
Severity 6 denotes informational messages, not debugging; debugging is level 7. The option mislabels the level, so it fails the scenario regardless of the other two selections. It tempts because debugging output is indeed only useful during troubleshooting, which is exactly what level 7 describes.
- ✗
The default logging console severity level on Cisco IOS is 3 (errors).
Why it's wrong here
The default console severity level on Cisco IOS is 2 (critical), not 3; level 3 is the default for the logging buffer, not the console. It is tempting because level 3 (errors) is a commonly configured console threshold in production, but that reflects deliberate configuration rather than the out-of-box default.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 350-401
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which three statements about Syslog severity levels are true? (Choose three.)
easy- ✓ A.Severity level 0 (Emergency) indicates that the system is unusable.
- ✓ B.Severity level 5 (Notice) is a normal but significant condition.
- C.Severity level 6 (Informational) is used for informational messages that require immediate action.
- ✓ D.Severity level 7 (Debugging) is the lowest severity level.
- E.Severity level 4 (Warning) is more severe than level 3 (Error).
Why A: Option A is correct because Syslog severity level 0 is Emergency, meaning the system is unusable and requires immediate attention. Option B is correct because severity level 5 is Notice, defined as a normal but significant condition that is not an error. Option D is correct because severity level 7 is Debugging, the lowest severity level in the Syslog scale, used for debug-level messages. Option C is incorrect because severity level 6 is Informational, which covers normal operational messages that do not require immediate action. Option E is incorrect because severity level 4 (Warning) is less severe than level 3 (Error), since lower numeric values indicate higher severity in Syslog.
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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.