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FC0-U71 Practice Question: A program crashes with a 'division by zero' error
A program crashes with a 'division by zero' error. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between runtime errors caused by invalid data (like division by zero) and errors caused by code structure (like infinite loops or index bounds), so candidates mistakenly associate any crash with a loop or array issue rather than input validation.
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
✓
An unvalidated user input that results in a zero divisor
A 'division by zero' error occurs when a program attempts to divide a number by zero, which is mathematically undefined and typically raises a runtime exception. The most likely cause is unvalidated user input that supplies a zero as the divisor, because the program does not check or sanitize the input before performing the arithmetic operation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
An unvalidated user input that results in a zero divisor
Why this is correct
If user input is not validated and a zero is used as divisor, division by zero occurs.
- ✗
A misspelled variable name
Why it's wrong here
Misspelled variable names cause 'NameError' or 'undefined variable' errors, not division by zero.
- ✗
An infinite loop
Why it's wrong here
Infinite loops cause the program to hang, not a division by zero error.
- ✗
An array index out of bounds
Why it's wrong here
Index errors occur when accessing an element outside the array's range, not division.
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Courseiva writes every FC0-U71 question from scratch — 988 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This FC0-U71 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the FC0-U71 exam.