There are 2 ordered layers in a policy with 20 rules each.

The correct answer is C. Ordered Layers are evaluated sequentially, but a Drop action is final for the packet or connection. When the packet matches rule 5 in the first Ordered Layer and the action is Drop, the Security Gateway drops the traffic and does not continue evaluating later rules or later Ordered Layers for that connection. This is different from an Accept in an Ordered Layer, where additional Ordered Layers may still need to be evaluated before the final allow decision is reached. Option A is wrong because ordered layers are not evaluated simultaneously. Option B is wrong because the second layer is not checked after a definitive Drop action in the first layer. Option D is incorrect because the action already determines the outcome; the gateway does not continue into an Inline Layer after a Drop action as though the connection were still eligible for deeper rule matching. The exam objective is rulebase enforcement order: Drop is terminating, while Accept may allow continued evaluation across layers depending on policy structure. Reference topics: Ordered Layers, Inline Layers, Access Control Policy enforcement, Drop action behavior.