NSE7 Advanced Networking and SD-WAN Practice Question
What is the function of a route map in FortiGate routing?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse route maps with policy-based routing (PBR) or SD-WAN rules, but route maps are specifically for redistribution filtering and attribute manipulation, not for direct traffic steering or load balancing.
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
✓
To filter and modify routing information during redistribution.
A route map in FortiGate routing is primarily used to filter and modify routing information during route redistribution between different routing protocols (e.g., OSPF, BGP, RIP). It allows granular control over which routes are accepted, advertised, or tagged with attributes like metric or community values, ensuring policy-based routing decisions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
To configure load balancing between multiple WAN links.
Why it's wrong here
Route maps apply match and set logic to routing updates, not to per-session WAN link selection. It tempts because both influence path selection, but load balancing across WAN links is handled by SD-WAN rules or ECMP, not route-map policy.
- ✓
To filter and modify routing information during redistribution.
Why this is correct
Route maps apply match and set clauses to routes as they are redistributed between protocols or routing instances, permitting filtering of unwanted prefixes and modification of attributes such as metric, tag or community during that exchange.
- ✗
To enable BFD on a specific interface.
Why it's wrong here
Route maps match and set attributes on routes redistributed or filtered between routing protocols; they cannot toggle Bidirectional Forwarding Detection, which is configured per interface or per neighbour under the routing protocol itself. BFD is tempting here because both features sit in the routing configuration, but BFD detects link failures, not route policy.
- ✗
To create a static route for a specific destination.
Why it's wrong here
Route maps match and manipulate routing information during redistribution or policy application; they do not themselves install a destination route. It tempts because route maps can set attributes influencing route selection, but a static route is created directly, not via a route map.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 718 original NSE7 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.