This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of security. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Exhibit
policy-map type control-plane COPP
class ICMP
police cir 1000 bps bc 1000 bytes
conform transmit
exceed drop
class OSPF
police cir 5000 bps bc 5000 bytes
conform transmit
exceed transmit
class class-default
police cir 20000 bps bc 20000 bytes
conform transmit
exceed transmit
Refer to the exhibit. The CoPP policy above is applied. Which traffic is most likely to be dropped?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
policy-map type control-plane COPP
class ICMP
police cir 1000 bps bc 1000 bytes
conform transmit
exceed drop
class OSPF
police cir 5000 bps bc 5000 bytes
conform transmit
exceed transmit
class class-default
police cir 20000 bps bc 20000 bytes
conform transmit
exceed transmit
A
Both ICMP and class-default traffic that exceed their rates
Why wrong: Class-default does not drop; only ICMP drops.
B
ICMP traffic that exceeds 1000 bps
The ICMP class drops packets that exceed the police rate.
C
class-default traffic that exceeds 20000 bps
Why wrong: The class-default exceed action is transmit, so no drop occurs.
D
OSPF traffic that exceeds 5000 bps
Why wrong: The OSPF class has an exceed action of transmit, so all OSPF packets are allowed.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ICMP traffic that exceeds 1000 bps
Option B is correct because the CoPP policy explicitly defines a class-map for ICMP traffic with a police rate of 1000 bps. Any ICMP traffic exceeding this rate is dropped due to the 'drop' action in the police command. The other classes (OSPF and class-default) have higher rates and are not as constrained, making ICMP the most likely to be dropped when exceeded.
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.
✗
Both ICMP and class-default traffic that exceed their rates
The ICMP class drops packets that exceed the police rate.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
class-default traffic that exceeds 20000 bps
Why it's wrong here
The class-default exceed action is transmit, so no drop occurs.
✗
OSPF traffic that exceeds 5000 bps
Why it's wrong here
The OSPF class has an exceed action of transmit, so all OSPF packets are allowed.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that all traffic exceeding its policed rate is equally likely to be dropped, but the trap here is that the lowest policed rate (ICMP at 1000 bps) is the most restrictive and thus the most likely to be exceeded and dropped, not the higher-rate classes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Control Plane Policing (CoPP) uses MQC (Modular QoS CLI) to classify and rate-limit traffic destined to the control plane. The police command with a 'drop' action implements a simple token-bucket policer; when the rate exceeds the committed information rate (CIR), packets are dropped. In this policy, ICMP traffic is severely restricted at 1000 bps, which is easily exceeded by even a single ping flood, while OSPF and class-default have more generous allowances, making ICMP the prime candidate for drops in a real-world scenario.
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 network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: ICMP traffic that exceeds 1000 bps — Option B is correct because the CoPP policy explicitly defines a class-map for ICMP traffic with a police rate of 1000 bps. Any ICMP traffic exceeding this rate is dropped due to the 'drop' action in the police command. The other classes (OSPF and class-default) have higher rates and are not as constrained, making ICMP the most likely to be dropped when exceeded.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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