easyMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: The default action for a packet that does not…
What is the default action for a packet that does not match any route-map entry in a PBR policy?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is conflating the implicit deny behavior of route-maps in redistribution (where unmatched routes are filtered) with PBR (where unmatched packets fall through to normal routing) — candidates who assume 'implicit deny = drop' pick option A.
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 packet is forwarded using the routing table.
Policy-Based Routing (PBR) via route-maps uses an implicit deny at the end of the route-map, but 'deny' in a route-map used for PBR means 'do not policy-route this packet' — the packet is then forwarded normally using the routing table. This differs from route-maps used for route redistribution, where an implicit deny means the route is not redistributed. The key distinction is the context: PBR route-maps fall through to normal destination-based forwarding.
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 packet is dropped.
Why it's wrong here
Unmatched packets are not dropped; PBR is not an implicit deny, so the router forwards them using the normal routing table. It is tempting because ACLs do drop unmatched traffic, but route-maps used for policy routing behave differently.
- ✓
The packet is forwarded using the routing table.
Why this is correct
Policy-based routing evaluates route-map entries sequentially; if no entry matches the packet, PBR yields and normal destination-based forwarding resumes. The packet is therefore routed via the routing table, which is the default behaviour when no policy statement applies.
- ✗
The packet is sent to the CPU for processing.
Why it's wrong here
PBR does not punt unmatched packets to the CPU; the route-map is evaluated, and if no entry matches, normal destination-based routing proceeds. It is tempting because CPU punting occurs for control-plane or exception traffic, not for policy-routing misses.
- ✗
The router sends an ICMP unreachable message.
Why it's wrong here
No ICMP unreachable is generated on a route-map miss; the packet simply falls through to the routing table. It is tempting because unreachables are emitted when no route exists at all, which is a different condition from a policy entry not matching.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
ACL-Based Traffic Filtering and Policy-Based Routing
Key term
Policy Based Routing
Policy Based Routing (PBR) is a technology that allows network traffic to be forwarded based on user-defined policies rather than just the destination IP address in the routing table.
Key term
Route Redistribution Between Protocols
Route redistribution between protocols is the process of taking routes learned from one routing protocol and injecting them into another routing protocol so that networks using different protocols can communicate.
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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.