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FC0-U71 Practice Question: Which THREE of the following are characteristics…
Which THREE of the following are characteristics of object-oriented programming (OOP)? (Select THREE).
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between OOP principles (encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism) and procedural or structured programming concepts (top-down design, sequential execution), so candidates mistakenly select familiar-sounding terms like 'top-down design' without recognizing they belong to a different paradigm.
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
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Polymorphism
Polymorphism (A) is a core OOP characteristic: it lets objects of different classes respond to the same method call in their own way, typically via method overriding or interfaces, so one interface can represent multiple underlying forms. Encapsulation (B) is also fundamental to OOP because it bundles data (attributes) and the methods that operate on that data within a class, exposing only what is necessary through public members while hiding internal state with access modifiers like private or protected. Inheritance (C) is the third defining OOP pillar, allowing a subclass to derive fields and methods from a parent class, promoting code reuse and an is-a relationship (e.g., a Car class extending a Vehicle class). Top-down design (D) is a structured-programming/functional decomposition approach, not an OOP characteristic, and sequential execution (E) simply describes procedural code running statement by statement, which is unrelated to the object-oriented paradigm.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Polymorphism
Why this is correct
Polymorphism lets objects of different classes respond to the same method call in their own way, typically through overriding or overloading. It is one of the four core OOP pillars, alongside encapsulation, inheritance and abstraction, enabling flexible, interchangeable code.
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Encapsulation
Why this is correct
Encapsulation bundles data and the methods that operate on it within a class, exposing only a controlled interface and hiding internal state. This restricts direct access to fields, protecting integrity and supporting the other OOP pillars of inheritance and polymorphism.
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Inheritance
Why this is correct
Inheritance allows a class to derive fields and methods from a parent class, promoting code reuse and establishing an is-a relationship. It is a defining OOP pillar, letting subclasses extend or override inherited behaviour without duplicating shared logic.
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Top-down design
Why it's wrong here
Top-down design is a structured or procedural decomposition technique, not an OOP characteristic; OOP instead models systems as interacting objects with encapsulated state. It is tempting because top-down design is a recognised software development approach, but it belongs to procedural methodology.
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Sequential execution
Why it's wrong here
Sequential execution describes procedural or imperative flow, whereas OOP organises behaviour around objects and message passing rather than a linear instruction sequence. It is tempting because sequential execution is a genuine programming concept, but it is not one of the four OOP pillars.
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