- A
SSL decryption is not enabled for the session.
Encrypted payload cannot be inspected for application identification.
- B
The firewall CPU is too slow to process packets.
Why wrong: Processing delay may cause drops, not incomplete classification.
- C
The content-ID engine has not been licensed.
Why wrong: Content-ID is for threat prevention, not App-ID.
- D
Asymmetric routing where the firewall sees only one direction of traffic.
Can prevent complete reassembly of session.
- E
A deny rule that blocks the traffic.
Why wrong: Deny would drop traffic, not classify as incomplete.
Question 444 of 516
PCNSE Securing Traffic and App-ID Practice Question
This PCNSE practice question tests your understanding of securing traffic and app-id. 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.
Which TWO factors can cause traffic to be classified as 'incomplete' by App-ID? (Choose two.)
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
✓
SSL decryption is not enabled for the session.
App-ID classifies a session as 'incomplete' when it cannot identify the application because it sees only partial traffic. SSL decryption not being enabled prevents the firewall from inspecting encrypted payloads, so App-ID cannot complete its signature-based or heuristic analysis, leaving the session marked as incomplete.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
SSL decryption is not enabled for the session.
Why this is correct
Encrypted payload cannot be inspected for application identification.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The firewall CPU is too slow to process packets.
Why it's wrong here
Processing delay may cause drops, not incomplete classification.
- ✗
The content-ID engine has not been licensed.
Why it's wrong here
Content-ID is for threat prevention, not App-ID.
- ✓
Asymmetric routing where the firewall sees only one direction of traffic.
Why this is correct
Can prevent complete reassembly of session.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A deny rule that blocks the traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Deny would drop traffic, not classify as incomplete.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'incomplete' with 'blocked' or 'error' states, assuming a slow CPU or licensing issue would cause incomplete classification, when in fact incomplete specifically means the firewall lacks sufficient traffic data to identify the application.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, App-ID uses multiple identification methods in sequence: protocol decoding, signature matching, and behavioral analysis. For encrypted traffic without SSL decryption, the firewall can only see the initial TCP handshake and TLS ClientHello, which lacks the application-layer data needed for signature matching, forcing the session into an 'incomplete' state. Asymmetric routing exacerbates this because the firewall may only see one direction of the flow (e.g., SYN but not SYN-ACK), preventing the session from being fully established and identified.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCNSE question test?
Securing Traffic and App-ID — This question tests Securing Traffic and App-ID — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: SSL decryption is not enabled for the session. — App-ID classifies a session as 'incomplete' when it cannot identify the application because it sees only partial traffic. SSL decryption not being enabled prevents the firewall from inspecting encrypted payloads, so App-ID cannot complete its signature-based or heuristic analysis, leaving the session marked as incomplete.
What should I do if I get this PCNSE question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCNSE 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 PCNSE exam.
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