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350-401 BGP Practice Question

This 350-401 practice question tests your understanding of bgp. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 engineer runs the following command on Router R1:

R1# show bgp ipv4 unicast 10.10.10.0

BGP routing table entry for 10.10.10.0/24, version 20 Paths: (2 available, best #1, table default) Advertised to update-groups: 1 Refresh Epoch 1 65050 65100

10.0.1.2 from 10.0.1.2 (10.0.0.2)

Origin IGP, metric 0, localpref 100, weight 0, valid, external, best rx pathid: 0, tx pathid: 0x0 65050 65100 65200

10.0.1.3 from 10.0.1.3 (10.0.0.3)

Origin IGP, metric 0, localpref 100, weight 0, valid, external rx pathid: 0, tx pathid: 0x0

Based on this output, what can be concluded?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

  • Clue: "best"

    Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

Question 1hardmultiple choice
Open the full BGP breakdown →

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

✓

Path #1 is the best path because it has a shorter AS_PATH length.

B is correct because BGP selects the best path based on the shortest AS_PATH length when all other attributes (weight, local preference, origin) are equal. In the output, Path #1 has an AS_PATH of '65050 65100' (2 AS numbers) while Path #2 has '65050 65100 65200' (3 AS numbers), making Path #1 the best path. The 'best #1' annotation confirms this selection.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • ✗

    Path #2 is the best path because it has a longer AS_PATH, indicating more specific routing.

    Why it's wrong here

    BGP prefers shorter AS_PATH, not longer. Longer AS_PATH is less preferred.

  • ✓

    Path #1 is the best path because it has a shorter AS_PATH length.

    Why this is correct

    Path #1 has AS_PATH length 2 (65050 65100) while path #2 has length 3 (65050 65100 65200). Shorter AS_PATH is preferred.

    Clue confirmation

    The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    Both paths are equally preferred, and BGP uses tie-breaking rules like router ID.

    Why it's wrong here

    The paths are not equal because AS_PATH lengths differ. BGP does not proceed to tie-breaking when AS_PATH is different.

  • ✗

    Path #1 is the best path because it is received from a higher IP address.

    Why it's wrong here

    The best path selection is based on AS_PATH length, not neighbor IP address.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Cisco often tests the AS_PATH length comparison by presenting two paths with different AS_PATH lengths but identical other attributes, expecting candidates to know that shorter AS_PATH is preferred, not longer.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

BGP path selection follows a deterministic order of attributes: highest weight, highest local preference, locally originated, shortest AS_PATH, lowest origin type, lowest MED, eBGP over iBGP, lowest IGP metric to next-hop, and finally lowest router ID. In this scenario, all attributes up to AS_PATH are equal, so the shorter AS_PATH (2 ASNs vs. 3) determines the best path. The 'rx pathid' and 'tx pathid' fields are used for BGP add-path and are not relevant to best-path selection.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
  • Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
  • Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.

TExam Day Tips

  • Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
  • Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 350-401 question test?

BGP — This question tests BGP — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Path #1 is the best path because it has a shorter AS_PATH length. — B is correct because BGP selects the best path based on the shortest AS_PATH length when all other attributes (weight, local preference, origin) are equal. In the output, Path #1 has an AS_PATH of '65050 65100' (2 AS numbers) while Path #2 has '65050 65100 65200' (3 AS numbers), making Path #1 the best path. The 'best #1' annotation confirms this selection.

What should I do if I get this 350-401 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026

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This 350-401 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 350-401 exam.