hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
200-901 Practice Question: During a code review, a developer notices that a…
During a code review, a developer notices that a function has multiple nested if-else statements. Which refactoring technique would improve maintainability?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'improving readability' (e.g., Extract Method, Decompose Conditional) and 'fundamentally changing the design to eliminate conditionals' (Replace Conditional with Polymorphism), leading candidates to choose a refactoring that only reorganizes code rather than removing the nested logic.
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
✓
Replace conditional with polymorphism
Replacing complex conditionals with polymorphism aligns with the Open/Closed Principle, allowing each subclass to handle its own behavior without modifying existing code. This refactoring technique directly addresses the maintainability issue of deeply nested if-else statements by delegating decision logic to polymorphic method dispatch, which is a core object-oriented design pattern tested in the 200-901 exam.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Introduce parameter object
Why it's wrong here
This refactoring addresses long parameter lists, not conditional complexity.
- ✗
Decompose conditional
Why it's wrong here
Decompose conditional breaks a complex conditional into separate methods, but it still retains the conditional structure.
- ✓
Replace conditional with polymorphism
Why this is correct
Polymorphism allows each subclass to implement its own behavior, eliminating the need for complex conditionals.
- ✗
Extract method
Why it's wrong here
Extract method reduces duplication but does not remove the conditional logic itself.
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