- A
Isolate tenants
Why wrong: Tenants provide isolation.
- B
Define routing between VRF
Why wrong: Contracts are between EPGs, not VRFs.
- C
Allow or deny traffic between EPGs
Contracts are the policy mechanism.
- D
Provide external connectivity
Why wrong: L3Out provides external connectivity.
Question 187 of 1,000
350-601 Network Practice Question
This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of network. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. 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.
In ACI, what is the purpose of a contract?
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
✓
Allow or deny traffic between EPGs
In Cisco ACI, a contract is a policy construct that defines how communication is allowed or denied between Endpoint Groups (EPGs). Contracts specify the subjects, filters, and actions (permit or deny) that govern traffic flows, enabling granular security and segmentation within the fabric. Without a contract, EPGs in different bridge domains or VRFs cannot communicate by default.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Isolate tenants
Why it's wrong here
Tenants provide isolation.
- ✗
Define routing between VRF
Why it's wrong here
Contracts are between EPGs, not VRFs.
- ✓
Allow or deny traffic between EPGs
Why this is correct
Contracts are the policy mechanism.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Provide external connectivity
Why it's wrong here
L3Out provides external connectivity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that contracts are used for routing or tenant isolation, when in fact they are strictly a policy mechanism for traffic filtering between EPGs, not a routing or tenancy construct.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Contracts in ACI are implemented using a microsegmentation model where each EPG has a preferred group and contracts are enforced at the leaf switch's ASIC via a hardware policy CAM. The contract's subject can specify a direction (consumer/provider), and filters map to protocol/port combinations (e.g., TCP/80). A common real-world scenario is using contracts to allow HTTP traffic between a web EPG and an app EPG while denying all other traffic, ensuring zero-trust segmentation.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
Visual reference
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 350-601 question test?
Network — This question tests Network — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Allow or deny traffic between EPGs — In Cisco ACI, a contract is a policy construct that defines how communication is allowed or denied between Endpoint Groups (EPGs). Contracts specify the subjects, filters, and actions (permit or deny) that govern traffic flows, enabling granular security and segmentation within the fabric. Without a contract, EPGs in different bridge domains or VRFs cannot communicate by default.
What should I do if I get this 350-601 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This 350-601 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 350-601 exam.
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