mediumMultiple Select
VTP Pruning and Manual VLAN Pruning on Trunks
Which three statements about trunking and VLAN pruning are true? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is conflating VTP pruning with VTP version support and with unrelated trunk commands—candidates often assume pruning is a VTPv3-only feature or mistake the native VLAN command for a pruning mechanism.
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
✓
VTP pruning dynamically removes VLANs from a trunk if the VLAN is not present on the remote switch.
Option A is correct because VTP pruning dynamically removes a VLAN from a trunk link when the neighboring switch has no access ports in that VLAN, preventing unnecessary flooded traffic. Option B is correct because manual pruning is accomplished by explicitly limiting the VLANs allowed on a trunk with the 'switchport trunk allowed vlan' interface command. Option C is correct because VTP pruning is a VTP feature and therefore requires VTP to be enabled and the switches to share the same VTP management domain. Option D is incorrect because VTP pruning is supported in VTP versions 1 and 2 as well as version 3, not only version 3. Option E is incorrect because 'switchport trunk native vlan' sets the native VLAN for untagged traffic on a trunk; it does not prune VLANs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
VTP pruning dynamically removes VLANs from a trunk if the VLAN is not present on the remote switch.
Why this is correct
VTP pruning suppresses flooding for a VLAN on a trunk only when the downstream switch reports no active ports in that VLAN, based on VTP advertisements. This matches the stem's constraint about dynamic removal tied to remote switch membership.
- ✓
Manual pruning can be achieved using the 'switchport trunk allowed vlan' command.
Why this is correct
The 'switchport trunk allowed vlan' interface command explicitly defines which VLANs may traverse a trunk, so removing entries prunes them manually. This satisfies the stem's manual pruning constraint, unlike VTP pruning, which is automatic and domain-wide.
- ✓
VTP pruning requires VTP to be enabled on the switches in the management domain.
Why this is correct
VTP pruning propagates prune eligibility through VTP advertisements, so every switch participating in pruning must belong to the same VTP management domain with VTP enabled. Without VTP active, no pruning messages are exchanged, satisfying the stem's dependency constraint.
- ✗
VTP pruning is only supported in VTP version 3.
Why it's wrong here
VTP pruning operates in VTP versions 1 and 2 as well as 3; version 3 merely adds extended VLAN and token support. It is tempting because version 3 is the newest, but pruning eligibility is not gated on it.
- ✗
The 'switchport trunk native vlan' command is used to prune VLANs from a trunk.
Why it's wrong here
The native VLAN command defines the untagged VLAN on an 802.1Q trunk; it does not remove VLANs from the allowed list. Pruning is achieved with 'switchport trunk allowed vlan remove' or VTP pruning, which is the correct tool for that task.
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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 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.