mediumMultiple Choice
350-401 Practice Question: Runs the following command on Router R4: R4# show…
A network engineer runs the following command on Router R4:
R4# show policy-map interface GigabitEthernet0/1
GigabitEthernet0/1
Service-policy input: SHAPE_POLICY
Class-map: class-default (match-any) 1000 packets, 100000 bytes 5 minute offered rate 100000 bps, drop rate 0 bps Match: any Queueing shape (average) cir 500000, bc 5000, be 5000 target shape rate 500000
Based on this output, what can be concluded?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between shaping and policing, where candidates confuse the 'shape' keyword with 'police' or misinterpret the 'input' direction as output, especially when the interface is GigabitEthernet0/1 and the policy is named SHAPE_POLICY.
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
✓
Traffic is being shaped to an average rate of 500 kbps.
The output shows a shape (average) cir 500000 with a target shape rate of 500000, which is 500,000 bps (500 kbps). Shaping buffers excess traffic to enforce an average rate, unlike policing which drops or marks. The 'drop rate 0 bps' confirms no drops are occurring, so traffic is being shaped to 500 kbps.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Traffic is being shaped to an average rate of 500 kbps.
Why this is correct
The `shape` command with a CIR of 500000 bits per second configures a token-bucket shaper that limits the long-term average transmit rate to 500 kbps. Unlike policing, shaping smooths traffic by buffering excess packets in a queue, then sending them at the configured rate, so the output is a regulated, even flow rather than bursty with drops. This is exactly what the policy-map does for the matched traffic.
- ✗
Traffic is being policed to 500 kbps.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because the mechanism used is `shape` not `police` — these are two distinct QoS tools. A policer also uses a token bucket but, instead of buffering, it immediately drops or re-marks traffic that exceeds the committed burst; the configuration shown clearly contains the `shape` command and no `police` statement, so the action is shaping, not policing.
- ✗
The policy is applied to output traffic.
Why it's wrong here
The router output explicitly states `Service-policy input`, meaning the policy map is attached to the ingress interface. Shaping is usually associated with egress because it smooths traffic before it leaves a router, but it can also be applied to input traffic (e.g., to rate-limit traffic received from an upstream provider). Therefore, the claim that the policy is applied to output traffic contradicts the visible direction.
- ✗
The offered rate exceeds the shaping rate, causing drops.
Why it's wrong here
This is not the reason for drops — the offered rate is 100 kbps, far below the 500 kbps shaping rate, so the shaper's queue never fills and no traffic is dropped. In fact, shaping rarely drops; it buffers excess traffic, whereas policing drops. Since the offered rate is under the CIR, the traffic passes through without any shaping-induced drops, so the statement is factually incorrect.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.