In this case, we'll have to carry out several steps to find the solution. 
Step 01
Data
 5/7y^3+5y^2+y+1
 degree = ? 
Step 02:
5/7y³ + 5y² + y + 1
The degree of a polynomial is equal to the value of the biggest exponent.
degree = 3 
The answer is: 
degree = 3