Match each BGP attribute to its category or purpose.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Well-known mandatory attribute for loop prevention
Well-known mandatory attribute indicating next-hop IP
Well-known discretionary attribute for best path selection
Optional non-transitive attribute to influence inbound traffic
Optional transitive attribute for route tagging and policy
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Local Preference: Well-known discretionary attribute used for outbound traffic influence
Correct matches associate BGP attributes with their standard categories and purposes. Local Preference and Next Hop are well-known discretionary and mandatory respectively, while MED is optional nontransitive. Common confusions include misclassifying attribute categories or purposes.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Local Preference: Well-known discretionary attribute used for outbound traffic influence
Why this is correct
Local Preference is a well-known discretionary attribute that influences the selection of routes for outbound traffic from the local AS.
MED: Optional nontransitive attribute used for inbound traffic influence
Why this is correct
MED (Multi-Exit Discriminator) is an optional nontransitive attribute that influences inbound traffic to an AS.
AS Path: Well-known mandatory attribute used for loop prevention and path selection
Why this is correct
AS Path is a well-known mandatory attribute that lists the AS numbers traversed, used for loop detection and path selection.
Next Hop: Well-known mandatory attribute indicating the next hop IP address
Why this is correct
Next Hop is a well-known mandatory attribute that specifies the next hop IP address to reach a destination.
Local Preference: Optional transitive attribute used to tag routes
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect — Local Preference is well-known discretionary, not optional transitive; it influences outbound traffic, not tagging.
AS Path: Optional nontransitive attribute used for inbound traffic influence
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect — AS Path is well-known mandatory, not optional nontransitive; it is used for loop prevention and path selection, not inbound traffic influence.
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About these practice questions
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.