This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of network fundamentals. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 network administrator is troubleshooting BGP path selection for a route received from two different ISPs. The routes have the same local preference and AS-path length, but one route has a shorter MED value. Which route will be preferred?
The route with the most specific prefix length
Why wrong: Prefix length is considered later, but for same prefix, other attributes first.
The route from the ISP with the higher bandwidth
Why wrong: Bandwidth is not a BGP attribute.
The route with the lower MED
Lower MED is preferred.
The route with the higher local preference
Why wrong: Local preference is equal, so not decisive.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The route with the lower MED
In BGP path selection, when routes have the same local preference and AS-path length, the next tiebreaker is the Multi-Exit Discriminator (MED) value. A lower MED value is preferred because it indicates a more desirable entry point into the neighboring AS. Therefore, the route with the shorter MED will be selected.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The route with the most specific prefix length
Why it's wrong here
Prefix length is considered later, but for same prefix, other attributes first.
The route from the ISP with the higher bandwidth
Why it's wrong here
Bandwidth is not a BGP attribute.
The route with the lower MED
Why this is correct
Lower MED is preferred.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The route with the higher local preference
Why it's wrong here
Local preference is equal, so not decisive.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the order of BGP path selection steps, and the trap here is that candidates may confuse MED with local preference or AS-path length, or incorrectly think that prefix length or bandwidth plays a role in BGP best-path selection.
Detailed technical explanation
MED is an optional non-transitive attribute exchanged between neighboring ASes to influence inbound traffic. It is compared only when the routes come from the same neighboring AS (unless the 'bgp always-compare-med' command is used). In real-world scenarios, ISPs may set MED values to steer traffic toward specific peering points, and a lower MED is analogous to a lower IGP metric, making the path more preferred.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Network Fundamentals — This question tests Network Fundamentals — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The route with the lower MED — In BGP path selection, when routes have the same local preference and AS-path length, the next tiebreaker is the Multi-Exit Discriminator (MED) value. A lower MED value is preferred because it indicates a more desirable entry point into the neighboring AS. Therefore, the route with the shorter MED will be selected.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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