PCNSA Policy Evaluation and Management Practice Question
Which TWO factors affect the order in which security rules are evaluated?
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
✓
Whether the rule is intra-zone or inter-zone.
Correct: C and D. Security rules are evaluated in a specific order: first, intra-zone rules are evaluated separately from inter-zone rules, and within each zone type, rules are evaluated from top to bottom based on their position in the rulebase. Therefore, both the rule's zone type (intra-zone vs inter-zone) and its position (top-down) affect evaluation order. A is incorrect because the application does not determine evaluation order; it is a match criterion. B is incorrect because rule hit count is a statistic, not a factor in ordering. E is incorrect because the action (allow or deny) does not affect the order of evaluation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Application used in the rule.
Why it's wrong here
Application is a matching criterion, not a factor in evaluation order.
- ✗
Rule hit count.
Why it's wrong here
Hit count is a statistic, not a factor in evaluation order.
- ✓
Whether the rule is intra-zone or inter-zone.
Why this is correct
Intra-zone rules are evaluated before inter-zone rules in the same policy set.
- ✓
Rule position in the rulebase (top-down).
Why this is correct
Evaluation starts from the first rule and proceeds until a match is found.
- ✗
Rule action (allow or deny).
Why it's wrong here
Action does not affect order; all rules are evaluated in the same sequence.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCNSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free Palo Alto 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 PCNSA exam.