350-601 Network Practice Question
Which TWO are benefits of using a spine-leaf architecture? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that spine-leaf eliminates VLANs or simplifies spanning-tree, but the key trap is that candidates confuse 'no STP needed' with 'simplified STP design'—in reality, spine-leaf eliminates STP entirely by using Layer 3 routing between leaf and spine switches.
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
✓
Predictable and low latency
In a spine-leaf architecture, every leaf switch connects to every spine switch, creating a full-mesh topology. This ensures that traffic between any two leaf switches traverses exactly one spine switch, resulting in predictable, low-latency forwarding because the number of hops is fixed and deterministic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Predictable and low latency
Why this is correct
Each flow goes leaf-spine-leaf, constant hops.
- ✓
Scalability: adding more leaf switches does not require reconfiguration of existing ones
Why this is correct
Leaves connect to all spines, scaling easily.
- ✗
Eliminates need for VLANs
Why it's wrong here
VLANs are still used in overlay.
- ✗
Simplified spanning-tree design
Why it's wrong here
Spine-leaf often uses routing, not STP.
- ✗
Reduced number of switch ports required
Why it's wrong here
Spine-leaf typically requires more ports.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.