hardMultiple Choice
200-201 Practice Question: A company implements a policy where users must…
A company implements a policy where users must authenticate with a password and a one-time code from a token. Which AAA component is strengthened by this policy?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between authentication and authorization, where candidates mistakenly think that adding a token strengthens authorization (access control) rather than the identity verification step.
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
✓
Authentication
Authentication is the AAA component that verifies the identity of a user. By requiring both a password (something you know) and a one-time code from a token (something you have), the policy implements multi-factor authentication (MFA), which directly strengthens the authentication process. This ensures that even if a password is compromised, an attacker cannot authenticate without the token.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Authentication
Why this is correct
Requiring a password plus a one-time token code combines something the user knows with something they possess, which is multi-factor authentication. This directly strengthens the authentication component of AAA, verifying identity more robustly before authorisation and accounting occur.
- ✗
Accounting
Why it's wrong here
Accounting logs session activity, timestamps and resource consumption after access is granted; it does not verify identity. The option is tempting because MFA events are logged, but the policy's mechanism — demanding a password plus a token code — strengthens authentication, the process of proving who the user is.
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Auditing
Why it's wrong here
Auditing records activity after authentication succeeds, so it cannot strengthen the login process itself; the token plus password requirement adds a second verification factor, which is authentication. Auditing would be the right focus when the goal is logging who accessed what, when, and from where for compliance or forensic review.
- ✗
Authorization
Why it's wrong here
Requiring a password plus a one-time token code strengthens authentication — verifying the claimed identity — not authorization, which determines what an authenticated principal may access. Authorization is tempting because MFA gates access to resources, but the mechanism here adds a second verification factor at login, leaving permissions unchanged.
Quick reference
AAA Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port(s) | Encryption | Transport | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RADIUS | 1812 / 1813 | Password only | UDP | Network access control |
| TACACS+ | 49 | Full packet | TCP | Device administration |
| Diameter | 3868 | Full session | TCP / SCTP | Carrier / mobile networks |
| 802.1X | — | EAP-based | Layer 2 | Port-based access control |
TACACS+ encrypts the entire packet; RADIUS only encrypts the password field — a key exam distinction.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-201 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 200-201 exam.