hardMultiple Choice
350-401 Practice Question: Issues the following command on Router R8: R8#…
A network engineer issues the following command on Router R8:
R8# show policy-map interface gigabitethernet 0/1
GigabitEthernet0/1
Service-policy output: SHAPE-1M Class-map: class-default (match-any) 0 packets, 0 bytes 5 minute offered rate 0 bps, drop rate 0 bps Match: any queue limit 64 packets (queue depth 0) (congestion occurrences) shape (average) cir 1000000, bc 10000, be 10000 target shape rate 1000000
Based on this output, what is true about the traffic shaping policy?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between shaping and policing; the trap here is that candidates see 'cir 1000000' and assume policing, but shaping uses the same CIR terminology and the 'shape' keyword is the giveaway.
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 policy is shaping traffic to an average rate of 1 Mbps.
The output shows 'shape (average) cir 1000000', which configures traffic shaping to an average rate of 1 Mbps. Shaping buffers excess traffic and smooths it out over time, unlike policing which drops or marks packets. The 'target shape rate 1000000' confirms the shaped rate is 1 Mbps.
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 policy is policing traffic to 1 Mbps.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because the configuration uses the 'shape average cir 1000000' command, not the 'police' command. Policing relies on the 'police' keyword and typically drops or re-marks packets that exceed the rate, whereas shaping queues excess traffic for later transmission. The output explicitly shows 'shape (average)', confirming that the policy performs shaping rather than policing.
- ✓
The policy is shaping traffic to an average rate of 1 Mbps.
Why this is correct
The configuration 'shape (average) cir 1000000' indicates a committed information rate (CIR) of 1,000,000 bits per second, which equals 1 Mbps. Shaping averages the traffic rate over time by buffering bursts and draining them through a token bucket, so the long-term average matches the CIR. This is the correct interpretation of the policy's behavior.
- ✗
The policy is dropping all traffic because the queue is full.
Why it's wrong here
The output shows the queue depth at 0 and the drop rate at 0 bps, so there is no evidence of a full queue or any packet loss. Shaping does not drop packets indiscriminately; it holds them in a queue and can discard only when the buffer overflows under extreme conditions. Since no drops are indicated, this statement is false.
- ✗
The policy is applied in the input direction.
Why it's wrong here
The output line 'Service-policy output: SHAPE-1M' clearly specifies that the policy is attached in the egress/outbound direction on the interface. If it were inbound, the line would read 'Service-policy input: SHAPE-1M'. Shaping is typically only supported on egress, as it manages packets leaving an interface to smooth bursts and prevent downstream congestion.
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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.