NSE7 Advanced Networking and SD-WAN Practice Question
An administrator is troubleshooting an SD-WAN deployment where traffic is not being forwarded according to the configured SD-WAN rules. The FortiGate has two WAN interfaces, port1 and port2, both members of an SD-WAN zone. A performance SLA is configured and both members are within SLA. The administrator suspects that the SD-WAN rules are not being evaluated correctly. Which two statements about SD-WAN rule evaluation are correct? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that SD-WAN rules are evaluated after firewall policies or that unmatched traffic is dropped, when in fact routing decisions precede policy enforcement and fallback to the routing table occurs.
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
✓
SD-WAN rules are evaluated in the order they appear in the configuration, and the first matching rule is applied.
SD-WAN rules are evaluated in a top-down order, and the first matching rule determines the path selection. They can match on various criteria, including applications identified by application control. If no rule matches, the FortiGate uses the regular routing table. SD-WAN rules are part of the routing decision and are evaluated before firewall policies. They are not limited to outbound traffic; they can apply to any traffic that matches the criteria.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
SD-WAN rules are evaluated in the order they appear in the configuration, and the first matching rule is applied.
Why this is correct
SD-WAN rules are processed sequentially from top to bottom. The first rule that matches the traffic's criteria (source, destination, application, etc.) is used for path selection. Subsequent rules are not evaluated. Therefore, rule order is critical; a broad rule placed before a specific one can prevent the specific rule from ever being matched.
- ✗
If no SD-WAN rule matches, traffic is dropped by default.
Why it's wrong here
If no SD-WAN rule matches, the FortiGate falls back to the regular routing table to forward the traffic. It does not drop the traffic by default. This fallback ensures that traffic not explicitly covered by SD-WAN rules still follows standard routing. Dropping would occur only if no route exists in the routing table.
- ✓
SD-WAN rules can match traffic based on the application identified by the application control profile.
Why this is correct
SD-WAN rules can use application awareness to match traffic. When an application control profile is applied, the FortiGate can identify applications and use that information in SD-WAN rules. This allows for application-based path selection, such as sending VoIP over a low-latency link. The application must be recognized by the FortiGate's application signature database.
- ✗
SD-WAN rules are evaluated only after a firewall policy has allowed the traffic.
Why it's wrong here
SD-WAN rules are evaluated as part of the routing decision, which occurs before firewall policy enforcement. The FortiGate first determines the outgoing interface via SD-WAN rules or routing, then applies firewall policies. Therefore, SD-WAN rules are not dependent on a firewall policy allowing the traffic first. This order is important for understanding the processing flow.
- ✗
SD-WAN rules are applied only to outbound traffic initiated from the internal network.
Why it's wrong here
SD-WAN rules can be applied to both inbound and outbound traffic, depending on the configuration. They are not limited to outbound traffic initiated from the internal network. For example, SD-WAN rules can be used for inbound load balancing or for traffic originating from the FortiGate itself. The scope depends on the match criteria and interfaces involved.
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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 Fortinet exam blueprint
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.