F5-CTS-LTM BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager Practice Question
Which health monitor should be used to verify that a web application is not just responding to TCP connections, but is actually serving the correct content?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates frequently select TCP monitors because they are simpler to configure, forgetting that a TCP handshake only confirms the port is open and not that the application is actually functional.
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
✓
HTTP Monitor
An HTTP or HTTPS monitor is required to verify the content of the response. Unlike a simple TCP monitor, which only checks for a successful three-way handshake, an HTTP monitor sends a GET request to a specific URI and checks the response for a 'Receive String'. This ensures the application layer is functioning and the web server is actually serving the expected site content.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
TCP Monitor
Why it's wrong here
A TCP monitor only performs the initial connection handshake. It confirms that the port is open and the server is listening, but it cannot verify if the web application is actually responding to requests, serving files, or returning the correct status codes like 200 OK.
- ✗
ICMP Monitor
Why it's wrong here
An ICMP monitor (ping) only checks for network connectivity. It verifies that the server's IP address is reachable from the BIG-IP. It provides no information about the status of the services, applications, or even the TCP ports running on the target host, making it insufficient for web monitoring.
- ✓
HTTP Monitor
Why this is correct
An HTTP monitor sends a specific request to the server and checks the response against a predefined 'Receive String'. This validates that the web server is correctly processing HTTP requests and returning the expected application data, which is the only way to confirm full application availability at L7.
- ✗
External Monitor
Why it's wrong here
While an external monitor (a script) can perform complex checks, it is overkill for this scenario. An standard HTTP monitor provides the necessary functionality to check response content without the administrative overhead and potential security/performance risks associated with creating and maintaining custom shell scripts for every single server pool.
Visual reference
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every F5-CTS-LTM question from scratch — 119 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 F5 exam blueprint
This F5-CTS-LTM practice question is part of Courseiva's free F5 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 F5-CTS-LTM exam.