Implementing Cisco Service Provider Advanced Routing Solutions (SPRI) Practice Exam
Prepare confidently for the Implementing Cisco Service Provider Advanced Routing Solutions (SPRI) exam with Exam Sage’s comprehensive practice test. This expertly crafted practice exam helps networking professionals and service provider engineers master advanced routing concepts critical for Cisco Service Provider certifications.
What is the SPRI Exam?
The SPRI exam validates your skills in designing, configuring, and troubleshooting advanced service provider routing solutions. It focuses on key technologies including MPLS, BGP, Segment Routing, VPNs, QoS, and traffic engineering — essential for building scalable, secure, and efficient service provider networks.
What You Will Learn
Our SPRI practice exam covers all major topics you need to master to pass the real exam:
Advanced BGP features and policies
MPLS Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPN architectures
Segment Routing fundamentals and implementation
RSVP-TE and MPLS Traffic Engineering
QoS techniques tailored for service provider environments
Route Reflectors, Route Targets, and Route Distinguisher concepts
Fast reroute and high availability strategies
Troubleshooting advanced routing issues in a service provider context
Why Choose Exam Sage for SPRI Exam Preparation?
Exam Sage is dedicated to providing high-quality, up-to-date, and realistic practice tests designed by networking experts. Our SPRI practice exam includes:
Detailed questions with in-depth explanations
Realistic scenarios reflecting current Cisco exam objectives
Coverage of the latest Cisco service provider technologies and standards
Practice questions to enhance both theoretical knowledge and practical troubleshooting skills
User-friendly interface with instant scoring and feedback to track your progress
Prepare smarter and faster for your Cisco SPRI exam with Exam Sage — your trusted source for reliable and effective exam preparation resources.
Sample Questions and Answers
1. Which BGP attribute is used to prevent routing loops in confederation scenarios?
A. Local Preference
B. AS_PATH
C. Origin
D. Cluster ID
Answer: B. AS_PATH
Explanation: The AS_PATH attribute is crucial in BGP for loop prevention. When a BGP router receives an advertisement, it checks the AS_PATH. If its own AS is listed, it rejects the route to avoid loops—even within confederations.
2. What is the function of the next-hop-self command in BGP configurations?
A. Forces BGP to use a loopback interface
B. Sets the next hop as the router’s loopback
C. Prevents recursive lookups
D. Advertises the local router as the next hop for advertised routes
Answer: D. Advertises the local router as the next hop for advertised routes
Explanation: The next-hop-self command is used to change the BGP next-hop attribute to the local router’s IP address, which is especially useful in iBGP scenarios to ensure reachability.
3. Which IGP metric does IS-IS use by default for route selection?
A. Delay
B. Bandwidth
C. Hop count
D. Cost
Answer: D. Cost
Explanation: IS-IS uses a metric called cost, which is administratively assigned and by default is the same for all interfaces unless modified.
4. In Segment Routing, what does the SRGB (Segment Routing Global Block) represent?
A. MPLS reserved labels
B. Set of global labels available for SR
C. Local segment list
D. Path attributes
Answer: B. Set of global labels available for SR
Explanation: The SRGB defines the label range used for globally significant Segment Routing labels that identify nodes or prefixes across the network.
5. In MPLS, what function does the penultimate hop popping (PHP) serve?
A. Avoids TTL expiration
B. Simplifies routing
C. Removes the top label one hop before the egress
D. Enables Layer 3 forwarding
Answer: C. Removes the top label one hop before the egress
Explanation: PHP is used to remove the MPLS label at the penultimate router to reduce processing on the egress router.
6. What distinguishes IS-IS Level 1 routers from Level 2 routers?
A. Level 1 supports only IPv6
B. Level 2 routers perform inter-area routing
C. Level 1 routers are backbone routers
D. Level 2 cannot carry routing information
Answer: B. Level 2 routers perform inter-area routing
Explanation: In IS-IS, Level 1 routers handle intra-area routing, while Level 2 routers facilitate routing between areas.
7. Which BGP feature ensures fast reroute in case of a failure?
A. BGP Confederation
B. Graceful Restart
C. PIC (Prefix Independent Convergence)
D. Route Reflectors
Answer: C. PIC (Prefix Independent Convergence)
Explanation: PIC enables BGP to converge quickly by precomputing backup paths, ensuring fast reroute during failures.
8. What is the function of the route distinguisher in MPLS VPNs?
A. It encrypts VPN traffic
B. Makes IPv4 prefixes unique
C. Assigns labels dynamically
D. Tags traffic classes
Answer: B. Makes IPv4 prefixes unique
Explanation: Route distinguishers (RDs) are used in MPLS VPNs to make customer IPv4 prefixes unique across different VRFs.
9. Which Segment Routing component defines a path through a network using a list of segments?
A. SID
B. SRGB
C. Segment List
D. Label Stack
Answer: C. Segment List
Explanation: A Segment List is an ordered list of segments (SIDs) that defines a path from source to destination in SR.
10. What protocol extension is required to support Segment Routing over IS-IS?
A. TE extensions
B. SRv6
C. TLV 138
D. BIER
Answer: C. TLV 138
Explanation: TLV 138 is used in IS-IS to advertise Segment Routing SIDs and SRGB ranges.
11. Which two types of MPLS labels are used in Segment Routing? (Choose two)
A. Static Labels
B. Prefix SID
C. VPN Label
D. Adjacency SID
E. Aggregate SID
Answer: B. Prefix SID, D. Adjacency SID
Explanation: Segment Routing uses Prefix SIDs for node-level forwarding and Adjacency SIDs for specific links.
12. What does LFA (Loop-Free Alternate) aim to improve?
A. VPN traffic isolation
B. Segment routing performance
C. Fast reroute capabilities
D. Route summarization
Answer: C. Fast reroute capabilities
Explanation: Loop-Free Alternates provide a backup path that is pre-calculated and loop-free, used immediately after failure detection.
13. What is the role of a Route Reflector in a BGP topology?
A. Acts as a backup router
B. Stores the entire topology
C. Reduces iBGP mesh complexity
D. Replaces external BGP peers
Answer: C. Reduces iBGP mesh complexity
Explanation: A Route Reflector reduces the number of iBGP peer connections by reflecting routes between clients.
14. Which command verifies IS-IS database content on Cisco devices?
A. show isis topology
B. show clns database
C. show ip isis
D. show isis route
Answer: B. show clns database
Explanation: show clns database shows the IS-IS Link-State Database containing LSPs and associated metrics.
15. In MPLS VPN, which two protocols must be running on PE routers? (Choose two)
A. LDP
B. IS-IS
C. BGP
D. OSPFv3
E. RIP
Answer: A. LDP, C. BGP
Explanation: Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) is required for label distribution, and BGP (MP-BGP) handles route propagation between PEs.
16. Which type of BGP attribute is the Multi-Exit Discriminator (MED)?
A. Optional non-transitive
B. Well-known mandatory
C. Optional transitive
D. Well-known discretionary
Answer: A. Optional non-transitive
Explanation: MED is an optional non-transitive attribute used to influence the preferred entry point to an AS.
17. What is a key characteristic of the IS-IS protocol compared to OSPF?
A. Runs over TCP
B. Requires area 0
C. Encapsulated in IP
D. Operates directly over Layer 2
Answer: D. Operates directly over Layer 2
Explanation: Unlike OSPF, IS-IS operates directly over the Layer 2 data link layer, not encapsulated in IP.
18. In Segment Routing, what is a Node SID?
A. Identifier for a local interface
B. Globally significant SID for a router
C. Label for MPLS TE
D. VRF identifier
Answer: B. Globally significant SID for a router
Explanation: A Node SID is a globally unique Segment ID associated with a router’s loopback address for routing.
19. Which Cisco feature allows using BGP policies based on multiple route attributes?
A. Route maps
B. Prefix lists
C. AS Path filter
D. BGP RPKI
Answer: A. Route maps
Explanation: Route maps offer flexible control for BGP policy by matching multiple attributes like prefix, AS path, communities, etc.
20. What is required for IS-IS routers in different areas to communicate?
A. Area 0 must be present
B. Level 2 capability
C. LDP session
D. Route reflector
Answer: B. Level 2 capability
Explanation: IS-IS requires Level 2 routers to facilitate inter-area communication.
21. What is the purpose of using BGP Add-Path capability in a service provider environment?
A. To reduce the number of BGP peers
B. To advertise multiple paths for the same prefix
C. To filter duplicate routes
D. To summarize route advertisements
Answer: B. To advertise multiple paths for the same prefix
Explanation: BGP Add-Path allows a router to advertise multiple BGP paths for the same prefix, improving route diversity and convergence, especially in MPLS VPN and iBGP environments.
22. When configuring Segment Routing with MPLS, which command enables it globally on a Cisco IOS XR router?
A. mpls segment-routing
B. segment-routing enable
C. mpls label enable
D. segment-routing mpls
Answer: D. segment-routing mpls
Explanation: The segment-routing mpls command is used to enable Segment Routing with MPLS forwarding in Cisco IOS XR.
23. What is the benefit of using BGP Confederations in large-scale service provider networks?
A. Simplifies prefix lists
B. Enhances route filtering
C. Reduces iBGP peer count
D. Increases memory usage
Answer: C. Reduces iBGP peer count
Explanation: BGP Confederations help scale large iBGP networks by breaking them into sub-AS systems, thus reducing the iBGP full-mesh requirement.
24. What is the main difference between OSPF and IS-IS when handling topology changes?
A. IS-IS recalculates faster due to lower SPF timers
B. OSPF supports ECMP by default
C. IS-IS handles IPv6 natively
D. OSPF uses link-local updates
Answer: A. IS-IS recalculates faster due to lower SPF timers
Explanation: IS-IS typically recalculates faster due to more aggressive default SPF tuning, making it preferred in some service provider environments.
25. In MPLS L3 VPNs, what uniquely identifies customer routes?
A. VPN label
B. Route Target
C. Route Distinguisher
D. Loopback address
Answer: C. Route Distinguisher
Explanation: The Route Distinguisher (RD) is used to make customer routes unique in the provider’s routing table by adding a unique prefix to each route.
26. What is required for a router to advertise Segment Routing Prefix-SID in IS-IS?
A. Enabling RSVP
B. Enabling LDP synchronization
C. Configuring Segment Routing extensions
D. Assigning a BGP policy
Answer: C. Configuring Segment Routing extensions
Explanation: Prefix-SIDs are advertised through IS-IS when Segment Routing is enabled with proper SR-related TLVs (e.g., TLV 135 or 235).
27. How does BGP PIC Core improve network stability?
A. By increasing route convergence timers
B. By enabling per-packet load balancing
C. By precomputing backup paths in the core
D. By forcing full topology recalculation
Answer: C. By precomputing backup paths in the core
Explanation: PIC (Prefix Independent Convergence) Core precomputes alternate paths to ensure fast recovery without needing a full RIB recalculation.
28. What happens when a router receives an LDP label binding for a prefix it already has a label for?
A. It discards the new binding
B. It updates the label with the new value
C. It uses both labels for load balancing
D. It logs an LDP error
Answer: B. It updates the label with the new value
Explanation: LDP updates existing label bindings with the latest received values unless explicitly configured otherwise.
29. Which type of IS-IS router can form adjacencies with both Level 1 and Level 2 routers?
A. Level 1 router
B. Level 2 router
C. Level 0 router
D. Level 1-2 router
Answer: D. Level 1-2 router
Explanation: A Level 1-2 router participates in both intra-area and inter-area routing, bridging Level 1 and Level 2 domains.
30. Which BGP path attribute is used for loop prevention and is mandatory in all BGP updates?
A. ORIGIN
B. AS_PATH
C. MED
D. LOCAL_PREF
Answer: B. AS_PATH
Explanation: AS_PATH is a well-known mandatory BGP attribute and plays a crucial role in loop prevention by listing all the ASes a route has traversed.
31. Which protocol is commonly used in a Cisco MPLS Layer 3 VPN for exchanging VPNv4 routes between PE routers?
A. OSPF
B. BGP
C. IS-IS
D. EIGRP
Answer: B. BGP
Explanation: MP-BGP is used in MPLS Layer 3 VPNs to exchange VPNv4 and VPNv6 routes between provider edge routers.
32. In Segment Routing MPLS, what does the Prefix-SID represent?
A. A globally unique node identifier
B. A specific interface SID
C. An identifier for a prefix in the IGP
D. A unique label for LDP
Answer: C. An identifier for a prefix in the IGP
Explanation: The Prefix-SID is bound to a loopback address (or another prefix) in IGP, allowing segment routing based on prefixes.
33. What is the main role of Route Target (RT) in MPLS L3 VPNs?
A. Identifies customer equipment
B. Enables route uniqueness
C. Controls VPN route import/export policies
D. Allocates MPLS labels
Answer: C. Controls VPN route import/export policies
Explanation: Route Targets determine which routes are imported into and exported from a VPN routing and forwarding (VRF) instance.
34. How does BGP Cost Community help in traffic engineering?
A. Selects the shortest AS path
B. Rewrites local preference values
C. Influences IGP metrics directly
D. Alters BGP best-path selection by introducing a numeric cost
Answer: D. Alters BGP best-path selection by introducing a numeric cost
Explanation: The BGP Cost Community is a non-transitive attribute that can influence path selection by ranking paths with numeric cost values.
35. In MPLS, what is the function of the Penultimate Hop Popping (PHP)?
A. Avoids the need for label distribution
B. Allows core routers to remove the top label
C. Instructs the second-to-last router to pop the label
D. Ensures label stacking for VRF
Answer: C. Instructs the second-to-last router to pop the label
Explanation: PHP optimizes MPLS forwarding by having the penultimate router remove the label before forwarding to the egress router.
36. Which command verifies SRGB configuration in Cisco IOS XR?
A. show segment-routing mpls srgb
B. show mpls label range
C. show isis segment-routing prefix-sid-map
D. show mpls forwarding-table
Answer: A. show segment-routing mpls srgb
Explanation: This command shows the Segment Routing Global Block (SRGB) configuration, essential for label allocation.
37. Which feature enables fast convergence in the case of a link failure without requiring BGP updates?
A. BGP Flowspec
B. LDP Graceful Restart
C. BGP PIC
D. Route Reflectors
Answer: C. BGP PIC
Explanation: BGP PIC provides fast failover by precomputing backup paths in the RIB and FIB to avoid control-plane delays during convergence.
38. What does MPLS use to identify the forwarding equivalence class (FEC)?
A. Prefix
B. Interface
C. Label
D. IP Address
Answer: C. Label
Explanation: The label in MPLS identifies the FEC, grouping packets that will be forwarded the same way.
39. When redistributing BGP into OSPF in a VRF, what must be considered to avoid routing loops?
A. Route Reflector location
B. Using route maps or tags
C. BGP MED settings
D. Next-hop self configuration
Answer: B. Using route maps or tags
Explanation: Route maps or tags can prevent routing loops when redistributing between BGP and IGP protocols in MPLS VPNs.
40. In a BGP/MPLS L3 VPN, which router adds the VPN label?
A. CE
B. PE
C. P
D. Route Reflector
Answer: B. PE
Explanation: The PE router adds both the outer MPLS label (for LSP forwarding) and the inner VPN label to distinguish between customer routes.
41. Which BGP feature ensures scalability in very large iBGP topologies?
A. Confederations
B. AS-Path Prepending
C. Route Dampening
D. Prefix Limit
Answer: A. Confederations
Explanation: BGP Confederations break up a large AS into sub-AS systems to reduce iBGP mesh complexity and improve scalability.
42. What is the effect of enabling LDP IGP synchronization?
A. Forces OSPF to redistribute LDP labels
B. Prevents IGP from using a path until LDP is operational
C. Enables LDP over GRE
D. Limits MPLS label distribution
Answer: B. Prevents IGP from using a path until LDP is operational
Explanation: LDP IGP sync avoids blackholing by ensuring traffic is not routed through links that lack label distribution.
43. What is an advantage of using IS-IS over OSPF in SP networks?
A. Faster BFD support
B. Simplified area design and scalability
C. Requires more configuration
D. Only supports IPv4
Answer: B. Simplified area design and scalability
Explanation: IS-IS uses a simpler area hierarchy with just Level 1 and Level 2 and is more scalable for service provider topologies.
44. What label does LDP assign to a loopback prefix by default?
A. Implicit Null
B. Explicit Null
C. Pop Label
D. Independent Label
Answer: A. Implicit Null
Explanation: For directly connected prefixes like loopbacks, LDP uses Implicit Null to signal the penultimate hop to pop the label.
45. What does an LFA (Loop-Free Alternate) backup path provide?
A. Active-standby routing
B. Sub-second failover in IGP
C. MPLS TE only
D. Alternate BGP routes
Answer: B. Sub-second failover in IGP
Explanation: LFA is an IGP fast reroute mechanism that provides a backup path to avoid loops during primary path failures.
46. Which component in BGP ensures loop-free routing by tracking AS numbers?
A. Local Preference
B. MED
C. AS_PATH
D. Origin Code
Answer: C. AS_PATH
Explanation: AS_PATH lists the ASes a route has passed through and is used to detect loops and influence route selection.
47. What is the main function of the MPLS forwarding table?
A. Stores IGP topology
B. Maintains LDP neighbor info
C. Maps labels to outgoing interfaces
D. Logs routing decisions
Answer: C. Maps labels to outgoing interfaces
Explanation: The MPLS forwarding table maps incoming labels to outgoing labels and interfaces for label-switched forwarding.
48. What does the IS-IS TLV 135 advertise?
A. IPv4 reachability
B. Segment Routing Prefix-SIDs
C. MPLS labels
D. Authentication keys
Answer: B. Segment Routing Prefix-SIDs
Explanation: TLV 135 is used in IS-IS to advertise Prefix-SIDs when Segment Routing is enabled.
49. Which command enables OSPF process in a VRF in Cisco IOS XE?
A. router ospf 1
B. router ospf 100 vrf NAME
C. router vrf ospf 1
D. ip ospf process vrf
Answer: B. router ospf 100 vrf NAME
Explanation: To run OSPF inside a VRF, you must specify the VRF name explicitly in the router OSPF configuration.
50. What feature allows a router to preserve MPLS labels when redistributing between PE routers?
A. BGP Confederation
B. Route Reflectors
C. BGP Label Unicast
D. OSPF LSA Type 5
Answer: C. BGP Label Unicast
Explanation: BGP Label Unicast enables the exchange of labeled routes between PE routers for seamless MPLS forwarding.
