300-410 Layer 3 Technologies Practice Question
A network engineer is configuring policy-based routing (PBR) on a Cisco IOS router. The engineer wants to route traffic from subnet 10.1.1.0/24 to a specific next-hop 192.168.1.1, while all other traffic uses the default route. The engineer configures a route map named PBR with a match statement for the subnet and a set statement for the next-hop, and applies it to the inbound interface of the subnet. However, traffic from 10.1.1.0/24 is still following the default route. What is the most likely reason?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that simply creating a route map is enough; it must be explicitly applied to an interface with 'ip policy route-map'.
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 'ip policy route-map' command is missing on the interface.
Policy-based routing requires the route map to be applied to an interface using the 'ip policy route-map' command. Without this command, the route map is not evaluated, and traffic follows the standard routing table. The engineer created the route map but likely did not apply it to the interface. Applying it to the inbound interface is correct for matching traffic from the subnet. The next-hop reachability is important but not the primary cause if PBR is not enabled.
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 next-hop 192.168.1.1 is not reachable, so PBR is ignored.
Why it's wrong here
If the next-hop is unreachable, PBR would not be ignored; the router would attempt to use the next-hop and if unreachable, the packet might be dropped or use default routing depending on configuration. However, the more fundamental issue is that PBR is not applied at all. The next-hop reachability is secondary and not the primary reason for PBR not taking effect.
- ✗
The route map must be applied to the outbound interface instead of the inbound interface.
Why it's wrong here
PBR is typically applied to the inbound interface where traffic enters the router. Applying it to the outbound interface would affect traffic leaving that interface, not the traffic from the subnet. Therefore, applying to the outbound interface would not correctly match the source subnet and would likely not achieve the desired routing.
- ✗
The route map is missing a 'permit' statement, causing all traffic to be denied.
Why it's wrong here
A route map without a permit statement might have an implicit deny, but in PBR, if no route map matches, the traffic is routed normally. However, if the route map is configured with a match and set but no explicit permit, it might still work if the sequence is permit. The more likely issue is that the route map is not properly referenced or the interface command is missing.
- ✓
The 'ip policy route-map' command is missing on the interface.
Why this is correct
To enable PBR, the route map must be applied to the interface using the 'ip policy route-map' command. Without this command, the route map is not used, and traffic follows the normal routing table. The engineer configured the route map but may have forgotten to apply it to the interface, which is a common oversight.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 300-410 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 300-410 exam.