FC0-U71 Software Development Concepts Practice Question
A developer is writing a program that reads a list of numbers and must repeatedly divide a running total by each number in the list. Some list entries may be zero. Which approach BEST prevents the program from crashing while still producing correct results for the non-zero entries?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is treating any change that avoids the crash, such as resetting the total, as a valid fix even though it corrupts the results.
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
✓
Check each value before dividing and skip or otherwise handle entries equal to zero
Division by zero is an invalid operation that halts execution or raises an exception, so the divisor must be validated before the operation runs. Checking each value and skipping or specially handling zeros keeps the loop alive and preserves correct results for all non-zero entries. Terminating the program, converting to strings, or resetting the total all fail to meet both stated goals.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Check each value before dividing and skip or otherwise handle entries equal to zero
Why this is correct
Validating each divisor before the division prevents the invalid operation while allowing the loop to continue processing the remaining values. Skipping or specially handling zeros keeps the running total meaningful for all non-zero entries. This directly satisfies both goals: no crash and correct results for valid data.
- ✗
Replace the running total with zero whenever a zero appears in the list
Why it's wrong here
Resetting the running total to zero discards accumulated results and yields incorrect output for the valid entries that follow. It avoids the crash but violates the requirement to produce correct results. The proper fix is to guard the division, not to corrupt the calculation.
- ✗
Convert every number in the list to a string before dividing
Why it's wrong here
Converting numbers to strings does not remove the zero values and makes numeric division impossible or nonsensical. The program would either fail to compile or produce concatenated text instead of a numeric result. This changes the data type without addressing the actual division-by-zero condition.
- ✗
Ignore the problem and let the program terminate when a zero is encountered
Why it's wrong here
Allowing the program to terminate on a zero abandons all remaining entries and produces no useful output for the valid values. This does not meet the requirement of correct results for non-zero entries. Unhandled division by zero typically raises an exception or fault, so the program stops rather than continuing safely.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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