This JNCIA-JUNOS practice question tests your understanding of routing fundamentals. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
What is the default preference of a direct route in Junos?
0
Direct routes have preference 0.
10
Why wrong: OSPF internal routes have preference 10.
5
Why wrong: Static routes have preference 5.
15
Why wrong: No standard protocol uses preference 15.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
0
Direct routes in Junos have a default preference of 0, which is the highest possible preference (lowest numerical value). This ensures that directly connected routes are always preferred over any other route type, including static routes (preference 5) and OSPF internal routes (preference 10). The preference value is used by Junos to select the best route when multiple routes exist to the same destination.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
0
Why this is correct
Direct routes have preference 0.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
10
Why it's wrong here
OSPF internal routes have preference 10.
5
Why it's wrong here
Static routes have preference 5.
15
Why it's wrong here
No standard protocol uses preference 15.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Junos route preferences with Cisco administrative distances, where directly connected routes have an AD of 0 in Cisco as well, but Junos uses the term 'preference' and the values differ for other route types (e.g., static is 5 in Junos vs. 1 in Cisco).
Detailed technical explanation
The route preference in Junos is a 32-bit value where lower numbers indicate higher preference. Direct routes with preference 0 are installed in the routing table with the 'Direct' flag and are always preferred over other route types for the same prefix. This is critical for loop prevention and ensuring that directly attached subnets are never overridden by dynamic routing protocols, even if a protocol advertises the same prefix with a lower metric.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Routing Fundamentals — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Routing Fundamentals practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All JNCIA-JUNOS questions
514 questions across all exam domains
Juniper Networks Certified Associate Junos JNCIA-Junos study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
JNCIA-JUNOS practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise JNCIA-JUNOS questions linked to User Interfaces.
Practise JNCIA-JUNOS questions linked to Junos Configuration Basics.
Practise JNCIA-JUNOS questions linked to Operational Monitoring and Maintenance.
Practise JNCIA-JUNOS questions linked to Routing Fundamentals.
Practise JNCIA-JUNOS questions linked to Networking Fundamentals.
Practise JNCIA-JUNOS questions linked to Junos OS Fundamentals.
Practise JNCIA-JUNOS questions linked to JNCIA-JUNOS fundamentals.
Practise JNCIA-JUNOS questions linked to JNCIA-JUNOS scenario.
Practise JNCIA-JUNOS questions linked to JNCIA-JUNOS troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Routing Fundamentals — This question tests Routing Fundamentals — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: 0 — Direct routes in Junos have a default preference of 0, which is the highest possible preference (lowest numerical value). This ensures that directly connected routes are always preferred over any other route type, including static routes (preference 5) and OSPF internal routes (preference 10). The preference value is used by Junos to select the best route when multiple routes exist to the same destination.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This JNCIA-JUNOS practice question is part of Courseiva's free Juniper Networks 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 JNCIA-JUNOS exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.