The answer is that the firewall policy is not allowing traffic to use the PBR. This is because on FortiGate, policy-based routing is evaluated only after a firewall policy match occurs; if the firewall policy does not explicitly permit the traffic, the PBR rule is never consulted, and the traffic falls back to the static default route. In the context of the Fortinet NSE 7 Advanced Security NSE7 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the packet flow order—specifically that PBR is processed after the firewall policy lookup but before routing table lookups, making the firewall policy a gatekeeper for PBR enforcement. A common trap is assuming PBR operates independently of firewall rules, leading candidates to overlook the necessity of a matching permit policy. Remember the memory tip: "PBR needs a permit to proceed"—if the firewall policy blocks or doesn't match, PBR never gets a chance to redirect traffic.
NSE7 Advanced Networking and SD-WAN Practice Question
This NSE7 practice question tests your understanding of advanced networking and sd-wan. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
An administrator configures policy-based routing (PBR) on a FortiGate to route traffic from a specific subnet through an MPLS link. The PBR is configured under config router policy. However, traffic from that subnet is still using the default route. What is the most likely issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The PBR policy does not have a set tos or set dscp value
Why wrong: PBR does not require TOS/DSCP to function.
B
The PBR policy has a higher priority number than the default route
Why wrong: PBR priority is independent of route table; lower number means higher priority. But the issue is likely that PBR is not being matched.
C
The firewall policy is not allowing traffic to use the PBR
PBR requires that the firewall policy has 'set pbr-enable enable' or the policy must be matched before PBR is applied. Without it, PBR may not be applied to the traffic.
D
The MPLS link is down
Why wrong: If the link is down, traffic would still follow the default route, but the question states the traffic uses the default route, not that it fails.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The firewall policy is not allowing traffic to use the PBR
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
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 PBR policy does not have a set tos or set dscp value
The PBR policy has a higher priority number than the default route
Why it's wrong here
PBR priority is independent of route table; lower number means higher priority. But the issue is likely that PBR is not being matched.
✓
The firewall policy is not allowing traffic to use the PBR
Why this is correct
PBR requires that the firewall policy has 'set pbr-enable enable' or the policy must be matched before PBR is applied. Without it, PBR may not be applied to the traffic.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
If the link is down, traffic would still follow the default route, but the question states the traffic uses the default route, not that it fails.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
→Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
→Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
→Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related NSE7 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Advanced Networking and SD-WAN — This question tests Advanced Networking and SD-WAN — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The firewall policy is not allowing traffic to use the PBR
What should I do if I get this NSE7 question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related NSE7 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An administrator wants to use policy-based routing to forward traffic from subnet 192.168.1.0/24 to a specific next-hop via port2. Which TWO configuration elements are needed?
medium
A.An SD-WAN rule overriding the routing decision.
✓ B.A route-map that matches the source subnet and sets the next-hop.
C.A static route with a higher administrative distance.
✓ D.A prefix-list matching 192.168.1.0/24.
E.A firewall policy matching the traffic with action 'accept'.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
Question Discussion
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This NSE7 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Fortinet 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 NSE7 exam.
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