easyMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: Which default administrative distance is assigned…
Which default administrative distance is assigned to routes learned via the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol?
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
✓
110
OSPF routes have a default administrative distance of 110, as defined by Cisco IOS.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
90
Why it's wrong here
90 is the default administrative distance for EIGRP, not OSPF. It is tempting because EIGRP is a widely deployed Cisco interior gateway protocol, making its distance easy to mix up with OSPF's; 90 would be correct if the question asked about EIGRP-learned routes.
- ✓
110
Why this is correct
OSPF's default administrative distance is 110, making it preferred over IS-IS (115) and RIP (120) but less trusted than EIGRP (90) or static routes (1). This value determines route selection when multiple protocols offer a path to the same destination.
- ✗
115
Why it's wrong here
115 is the default administrative distance for IS-IS, not OSPF. It is tempting because both are link-state interior gateway protocols with similar behaviour, so their distances are easily confused; 115 would be the answer if the question asked about integrated IS-IS routes instead.
- ✗
120
Why it's wrong here
120 is the default administrative distance for RIP, not OSPF. It is tempting because RIP is another common interior gateway protocol, so its distance is frequently memorised alongside OSPF's; 120 would be correct if the question concerned Routing Information Protocol routes.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Routing Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Metric | Max Hops | Algorithm | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIP v2 | Hop count | 15 | Bellman-Ford | Distance vector |
| OSPF | Cost (bandwidth) | Unlimited | Dijkstra (SPF) | Link state |
| EIGRP | Composite metric | Unlimited | DUAL | Hybrid |
| IS-IS | Cost | Unlimited | Dijkstra | Link state |
| BGP | Policy / attributes | Unlimited | Path vector | Path vector |
RIP's 15-hop limit makes it unsuitable for large networks. OSPF and EIGRP dominate modern enterprise deployments.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.