- A
The child policy includes a police command that is limiting traffic below the parent shaper rate
If a child policy has a police command with a rate of 8 Mbps, that overrides the parent shaper for that class, resulting in a lower observed rate.
- B
The child policy uses 'bandwidth remaining' instead of 'bandwidth'
Why wrong: Using 'bandwidth remaining' is valid and does not cause a rate drop.
- C
The child policy includes a bandwidth command that exceeds the parent shaper rate
Why wrong: Bandwidth commands in child policies do not limit the aggregate; the parent shaper still enforces 10 Mbps.
- D
The parent shaper uses 'shape peak' instead of 'shape average'
Why wrong: 'Shape peak' would allow bursts above the rate, potentially increasing the observed rate, not decreasing it.
Quick Answer
The answer is that a child policy with a police command is reducing the observed shape rate below the configured parent shaper. In hierarchical QoS on a Cisco ASR 9000, the parent policy shapes traffic to a specified rate, like 10 Mbps, but a police command in the child policy acts as an independent, stricter bottleneck that can drop or mark down traffic before it ever reaches the parent shaper. This means the child policer, not the parent shaper, determines the actual throughput, explaining why you see only 8 Mbps instead of the configured 10 Mbps. On the Cisco SPCOR 350-501 exam, this question tests your understanding of HQoS hierarchy and the critical difference between shaping and policing—a common trap is assuming the parent shaper always controls the final rate. Remember the memory tip: “Police in the child can steal the bandwidth from the parent.”
350-501 Automation and Quality of Service Practice Question
This 350-501 practice question tests your understanding of automation and quality of service. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
A customer is using a Cisco ASR 9000 router with hierarchical QoS (HQoS) on a subscriber interface. The parent policy sets a shape rate of 10 Mbps, but the observed traffic rate is only 8 Mbps. What is a common misconfiguration that would cause this?
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
The child policy includes a police command that is limiting traffic below the parent shaper rate
In hierarchical QoS (HQoS) on a Cisco ASR 9000, the parent policy shapes traffic to a specified rate, but if the child policy includes a police command, that policer can independently drop or mark down traffic before it reaches the parent shaper. This causes the observed traffic rate to be lower than the parent shape rate, as the child policer is the actual bottleneck. The correct answer is A because the police command in the child policy is limiting traffic below the 10 Mbps parent shaper, resulting in only 8 Mbps observed.
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.
- ✓
The child policy includes a police command that is limiting traffic below the parent shaper rate
Why this is correct
If a child policy has a police command with a rate of 8 Mbps, that overrides the parent shaper for that class, resulting in a lower observed rate.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The child policy uses 'bandwidth remaining' instead of 'bandwidth'
Why it's wrong here
Using 'bandwidth remaining' is valid and does not cause a rate drop.
- ✗
The child policy includes a bandwidth command that exceeds the parent shaper rate
Why it's wrong here
Bandwidth commands in child policies do not limit the aggregate; the parent shaper still enforces 10 Mbps.
- ✗
The parent shaper uses 'shape peak' instead of 'shape average'
Why it's wrong here
'Shape peak' would allow bursts above the rate, potentially increasing the observed rate, not decreasing it.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between shaping and policing in HQoS, where candidates mistakenly think the parent shaper always controls the final rate, ignoring that a child policer can override it by dropping traffic earlier in the pipeline.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Bandwidth commands in child policies do not limit the aggregate; the parent shaper still enforces 10 Mbps.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, HQoS on the ASR 9000 uses a two-level scheduler: the parent level enforces the shape rate via a token bucket, while the child level can apply policing or bandwidth guarantees. A police command in the child policy operates independently with its own token bucket, and if its rate is set lower than the parent shape, it becomes the effective bottleneck. In real-world scenarios, this misconfiguration often occurs when operators apply per-subscriber policing for fairness but forget to align it with the aggregate shape, leading to underutilization of the parent link.
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 practitioner preparing for the 350-501 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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.
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Automation and Quality of Service — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 350-501 question test?
Automation and Quality of Service — This question tests Automation and Quality of Service — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The child policy includes a police command that is limiting traffic below the parent shaper rate — In hierarchical QoS (HQoS) on a Cisco ASR 9000, the parent policy shapes traffic to a specified rate, but if the child policy includes a police command, that policer can independently drop or mark down traffic before it reaches the parent shaper. This causes the observed traffic rate to be lower than the parent shape rate, as the child policer is the actual bottleneck. The correct answer is A because the police command in the child policy is limiting traffic below the 10 Mbps parent shaper, resulting in only 8 Mbps observed.
What should I do if I get this 350-501 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
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This 350-501 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 350-501 exam.
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