100+ Free Cisco SPCOR 350-501 Practice Questions

Pass your Cisco 350-501 SPCOR — Implementing and Operating Cisco Service Provider Network Core Technologies (v1.1) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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VNF Manager (VNFM)

NFV Orchestrator (NFVO)

Virtual Infrastructure Manager (VIM)

Element Management System (EMS)

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Key Facts: Cisco SPCOR 350-501 Exam

100

Practice Questions

Aligned to SPCOR v1.1 weights

120 min

Exam Time

Pearson VUE delivery

$400

Exam Fee

Per attempt

5 domains

Blueprint Areas

Architecture, Networking, MPLS/SR, Services, Automation

3 yrs

Certification Validity

CCNP Service Provider

16000-23999

Default SRGB

Cisco IOS XR/XE default

The Cisco 350-501 SPCOR (v1.1) is a 120-minute, ~90-110 question Cisco professional-level exam costing $400 through Pearson VUE. It validates implementation of service-provider core technologies, including SP architecture and transport, IS-IS/OSPF/BGP, MPLS and Segment Routing (including SRv6 and TI-LFA), EVPN/L3VPN/Carrier Ethernet services, and automation with Cisco NSO, YANG, gNMI, and NetFlow. Cisco does not publish a fixed passing score; candidates receive a pass/fail result with a section-level score report. SPCOR satisfies the CCNP Service Provider core requirement and serves as the qualifying written for the CCIE Service Provider lab; the credential is valid for 3 years.

Sample Cisco SPCOR 350-501 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Cisco SPCOR 350-501 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which Cisco service provider transport technology multiplexes many wavelengths of light onto a single fiber to maximize long-haul fiber capacity?

A.DOCSIS

B.DWDM

C.TDM

D.xPON

Explanation: Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) places dozens to hundreds of wavelengths on a single fiber strand, each carrying an independent client signal at 100/200/400G+, dramatically increasing long-haul backbone capacity without laying new fiber.

2In a Routed Optical Networking (RON) architecture, which design change distinguishes RON from a traditional IPoDWDM deployment?

A.Coherent optics are placed directly into the router on pluggable form factors (QSFP-DD ZR/ZR+) eliminating a separate transponder layer

B.All MPLS labels are replaced with SRv6 micro-SIDs

C.BGP is replaced by IS-IS for label distribution

D.Optical amplifiers are moved into the customer CPE

Explanation: Routed Optical Networking collapses the IP and DWDM layers by placing 400G ZR/ZR+ coherent pluggables (QSFP-DD) directly in the router. This removes the standalone transponder shelf and simplifies operations into a single converged IP+optical layer.

3Which 5G mobile core function terminates the user-plane GTP-U or PFCP-controlled tunnel and forwards subscriber traffic toward the data network?

A.AMF

B.SMF

C.UPF

D.NRF

Explanation: The User Plane Function (UPF) is the 3GPP 5GC element that terminates GTP-U tunnels from the gNB, applies QoS, and forwards subscriber traffic to the data network. The SMF controls the UPF over the N4 reference point using PFCP.

4An operator wants to enforce QoS so the customer-facing EXP marking is preserved end-to-end across the MPLS core regardless of any provider-side remarking. Which MPLS QoS tunneling mode achieves this?

A.Pipe mode

B.Short Pipe mode

C.Uniform mode

D.DiffServ-only mode

Explanation: Short Pipe mode preserves the customer IP precedence/DSCP end-to-end and uses the IP precedence/DSCP (not EXP) for egress PE classification. Pipe mode also keeps IP DSCP unchanged but uses EXP at egress; Uniform mode synchronizes IP DSCP with the topmost EXP, modifying customer markings.

5Which Cisco IOS XR feature protects the route processor from excessive control-plane traffic by policing punted packets per protocol with a built-in flow classifier?

A.CoPP

B.LPTS

C.uRPF

D.RTBH

Explanation: Local Packet Transport Services (LPTS) is the IOS XR control-plane protection mechanism. LPTS uses a pre-built and dynamically updated policer per flow type (BGP, OSPF, ICMP, SSH, etc.) to rate-limit traffic punted to the route processor and prevent control-plane overload.

6What is the primary security purpose of configuring 'neighbor 10.1.1.2 ttl-security hops 1' on an EBGP session between two directly connected SP routers?

A.Encrypt the BGP session with TLS

B.Drop incoming BGP packets whose IP TTL is below 254 to prevent off-path spoofing

C.Disable the BGP session if the link is congested

D.Authenticate the peer using TACACS+

Explanation: The Generalized TTL Security Mechanism (GTSM, RFC 5082) sets the outgoing TTL to 255 and accepts incoming BGP packets only if TTL >= 255 - hops + 1 (e.g., 254 for one hop). Off-path attackers cannot reach the router with a high enough TTL, hardening the EBGP session.

7Which Cisco IOS XR commit option leaves the configuration in the candidate buffer so additional changes can be merged before activation?

A.commit replace

B.commit best-effort

C.commit confirmed

D.commit show

Explanation: On IOS XR, 'commit best-effort' applies as much of the candidate configuration as possible and reports any failed items, leaving the failed lines in the candidate buffer. This contrasts with the default atomic commit, which rolls back the whole candidate on any failure.

8Which container-based technology lets an operator run third-party applications such as Telegraf or Wireshark directly on Cisco IOS XR routers?

A.Cisco Application Hosting (Docker on XR)

B.VMware ESXi on XR

C.Microsoft Hyper-V on XR

D.OpenStack Nova on XR

Explanation: IOS XR includes a Linux-based application hosting environment that runs Docker containers and native RPMs. Operators commonly host telemetry collectors, packet capture, and monitoring tools directly on the router, isolated from the network OS.

9Which IPv6 header field allows an SP router to load-balance traffic across ECMP paths without inspecting upper-layer headers?

A.Hop Limit

B.Traffic Class

C.Flow Label

D.Payload Length

Explanation: The 20-bit IPv6 Flow Label (RFC 6437) gives intermediate routers a hash input that uniquely identifies a flow, enabling consistent ECMP/LAG load-balancing without parsing TCP/UDP ports — particularly useful when upper-layer headers are encrypted or fragmented.

10Which Cisco platform is positioned for high-density 400G aggregation in the SP core with up to 36-port 400GE QSFP-DD line cards and IOS XR7?

A.NCS 540 Series

B.NCS 560 Series

C.NCS 5500/5700 Series

D.ASR 920 Series

Explanation: The NCS 5500/5700 platforms target high-scale SP aggregation and core with 400GE QSFP-DD line cards, large FIB scale, and IOS XR7. NCS 540/560 are pre-aggregation/edge platforms; ASR 920 is access.

About the Cisco SPCOR 350-501 Exam

The Cisco 350-501 SPCOR exam validates the skills required to implement core service provider network technologies, including SP architectures (Metro Ethernet, MPLS, Unified MPLS, Segment Routing, SRv6), transport and 5G/xhaul, IS-IS and OSPF routing, BGP path selection and policy, MPLS LDP and TE, Segment Routing with TI-LFA and Flexible Algorithm, EVPN and Inter-AS L3VPN services, Carrier Ethernet and multicast, and SP automation with NSO, YANG, gNMI, and NetFlow/IPFIX. SPCOR is a core requirement for the CCNP Service Provider certification and the qualifying written exam for the CCIE Service Provider lab.

Assessment

Approximately 90-110 questions in multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, fill-in-the-blank, and simlet formats covering SP architecture, IS-IS/OSPF/BGP, MPLS, Segment Routing, EVPN/L3VPN/Carrier Ethernet services, and automation/assurance

Time Limit

120 minutes

Passing Score

Cisco does not publish a fixed passing score

Exam Fee

$400 USD (Cisco / Pearson VUE)

Cisco SPCOR 350-501 Exam Content Outline

15%

Architecture

SP architectures (Metro Ethernet, MPLS, Unified MPLS, SR/SR-TE/SRv6), transport (xDSL, DWDM, DOCSIS, TDM, xPON), mobility (5G packet core, vRAN, ORAN xhaul), Routed Optical Networking, IOS/IOS XE/IOS XR, NFV/VNF/containers/app hosting, MPLS QoS Pipe/Short Pipe/Uniform, IPv6 flow label, security (LPTS, CoPP, BGP-TTL, AAA, TACACS, uRPF, ACLs, RTBH, MACsec)

30%

Networking

IS-IS v4/v6 single and multi-topology, OSPFv2/v3 areas and metrics, BGP path selection (Weight, LP, AS_PATH, MED, Origin, IGP cost), BGP IPv4/IPv6 IBGP/EBGP, attributes/AFs/redistribution/PIC/Add-Paths, route-maps and RPL, troubleshooting, IPv6 transition (NAT44/64, CGNAT, MAP-T, DS-Lite), HA (NSF/GR, NSR, BFD, LACP)

20%

MPLS and Segment Routing

MPLS LDP IGP-sync, session protection, neighbors, Unified MPLS, MPLS OAM/LSP Ping; MPLS-TE with IS-IS/OSPF extensions, RSVP, FRR; Segment Routing Node/Adjacency/Anycast/Binding SIDs, default SRGB 16000-23999, SR control plane via BGP/OSPF/IS-IS, SR-TE policies, TI-LFA, PCE-PCC with PCEP, Flexible Algorithm, SRv6 Locator/Function

20%

Services

VPN (EVPN Types 1-5, Inter-AS L3VPN Options A/B/C, CSC, mVPN profiles incl. default and data MDT), L2VPN/Carrier Ethernet (MEF E-Line/Tree/LAN/Access, 802.1ad/ah, G.8032 ERPS, OAM 802.1ag/Y.1731, VLAN tag rewrite), L3VPN intra-AS, shared services, extranet/Internet; multicast PIM-SM/SSM/BIDIR/v6, IGMPv1/v2/v3, MLD; QoS services such as LLQ

15%

Automation and Assurance

REST APIs, Cisco NSO with YANG NEDs and transactional commits, Ansible playbooks, Terraform IaC, secure ZTP, gRPC/gNMI with TLS/mTLS and SAMPLE/ON_CHANGE/TARGET_DEFINED subscriptions, NetFlow/IPFIX (RFC 7011), NETCONF (RFC 6241)/RESTCONF (RFC 8040), SNMP v2c and v3

How to Pass the Cisco SPCOR 350-501 Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Cisco does not publish a fixed passing score
Assessment: Approximately 90-110 questions in multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, fill-in-the-blank, and simlet formats covering SP architecture, IS-IS/OSPF/BGP, MPLS, Segment Routing, EVPN/L3VPN/Carrier Ethernet services, and automation/assurance
Time limit: 120 minutes
Exam fee: $400 USD

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Cisco SPCOR 350-501 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorize Cisco BGP best-path selection in order: Weight, Local Preference, Local origination, AS_PATH length, Origin, MED, eBGP-over-iBGP, lowest IGP metric to next-hop, oldest eBGP path, lowest router-id, shortest cluster-list, lowest neighbor IP

2Master Segment Routing terms: Node-SID (global, per-loopback Prefix-SID), Adjacency-SID (local, per-link), Anycast-SID (shared by multiple nodes), Binding-SID (label hiding a segment list), and Cisco's default SRGB of 16000-23999

3Drill EVPN route types: Type 1 (Ethernet A-D), Type 2 (MAC/IP), Type 3 (Inclusive Multicast), Type 4 (Ethernet Segment), Type 5 (IP Prefix per RFC 9136) — and know which one drives DF election and fast convergence

4Lab Inter-AS L3VPN Options A (back-to-back VRF), B (VPNv4 between ASBRs), and C (BGP-LU between ASBRs + multihop MP-eBGP between RRs) until you can recognize which option a topology represents

5Practice IOS XR-specific muscle memory: 'commit best-effort/replace/confirmed', 'rollback configuration to <id>', RPL syntax, and 'show mpls ldp neighbor' state machine (NON-EXISTENT, INITIALIZED, OPENSENT/RECEIVED, OPERATIONAL)

6For Automation and Assurance, learn the modern stack end-to-end: NSO with YANG NEDs and transactional commit, gNMI subscriptions (ON_CHANGE/SAMPLE/TARGET_DEFINED) over TLS/mTLS, NETCONF/RESTCONF, NetFlow/IPFIX, and SNMPv3 USM

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Cisco 350-501 SPCOR exam?

The Cisco 350-501 SPCOR (Implementing and Operating Cisco Service Provider Network Core Technologies, v1.1) is the core exam for the CCNP Service Provider certification and the qualifying written exam for the CCIE Service Provider lab. It validates skills in SP architecture, IS-IS/OSPF/BGP, MPLS, Segment Routing (including SRv6 and TI-LFA), EVPN and L3VPN services, Carrier Ethernet, multicast, and automation with Cisco NSO, YANG, and gNMI.

How long is the Cisco 350-501 SPCOR exam and how many questions does it have?

The Cisco 350-501 SPCOR exam is 120 minutes long and contains roughly 90-110 questions in multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, fill-in-the-blank, and simlet formats. The exact number of questions varies per delivery.

How much does the Cisco 350-501 SPCOR exam cost?

The Cisco 350-501 SPCOR exam costs $400 USD per attempt and is delivered through Pearson VUE testing centers or online proctoring. Vouchers from Cisco partners or learning programs may reduce the price.

What topics does the SPCOR exam cover and how are they weighted?

The v1.1 SPCOR blueprint weights the five domains: Architecture 15%, Networking 30%, MPLS and Segment Routing 20%, Services 20%, and Automation and Assurance 15%. Networking and Services together carry half the exam, so BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, EVPN, and L3VPN are the highest-leverage topics.

What is the passing score for the Cisco 350-501 SPCOR exam?

Cisco does not publish a fixed passing score for SPCOR. Score reports are pass/fail with a section-by-section breakdown. Industry guidance commonly suggests aiming for 825/1000 or higher in practice, but Cisco only confirms pass/fail based on its scaled scoring.

How long is the Cisco SPCOR / CCNP Service Provider certification valid?

Cisco professional-level certifications including CCNP Service Provider are valid for 3 years. You can recertify by passing a current professional or expert-level exam, or by accumulating Continuing Education credits through Cisco's CE program.

How should I prepare for the Cisco 350-501 SPCOR exam?

Combine Cisco's official SPCOR v1.1 course or self-study guide with hands-on labs (CML, EVE-NG, dCloud) and the official IOS XR documentation. Drill BGP path selection, IS-IS adjacency states, MPLS LDP states, SR SID types, SRGB defaults, EVPN route types, Inter-AS Option A/B/C, mVPN profiles, and NSO/gNMI/YANG fundamentals. Use practice questions to find weak areas and review Cisco SP design guides.

100+ Free Cisco SPCOR 350-501 Practice Questions

Cisco SPCOR 350-501 (CCNP Service Provider Core)

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