Question 151 of 519
Controlling Program FlowmediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Switch Enum Fall-Through — Avoiding Pitfalls

This 1Z0-829 practice question tests your understanding of controlling program flow. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: enum ordinal. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

Exhibit

enum Day { MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY }
int numLetters = switch (day) {
    case MONDAY, FRIDAY, SUNDAY -> 6;
    case TUESDAY -> 7;
    default -> { int len = day.name().length(); yield len; }
};
System.out.println(numLetters);

Refer to the exhibit. The exhibit shows a code snippet. What is the output when the variable day is set to Day.WEDNESDAY?

Exhibit

enum Day { MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY }
int numLetters = switch (day) {
    case MONDAY, FRIDAY, SUNDAY -> 6;
    case TUESDAY -> 7;
    default -> { int len = day.name().length(); yield len; }
};
System.out.println(numLetters);

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

9

The correct answer is D (9) because the switch statement on Day.WEDNESDAY (ordinal 2) does not have break statements for cases WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, and SATURDAY, causing fall-through. Execution adds values: WEDNESDAY (3), THURSDAY (4), FRIDAY (5), SATURDAY (6), totaling 18. Then the default case subtracts 9, resulting in 9.

Key principle: enum ordinal

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • 7

    Why it's wrong here

    7 corresponds to TUESDAY, not WEDNESDAY.

  • Compilation error

    Why it's wrong here

    The code compiles successfully.

  • 6

    Why it's wrong here

    6 corresponds to MONDAY, FRIDAY, or SUNDAY, not WEDNESDAY.

  • 9

    Why this is correct

    The default branch yields the length of "WEDNESDAY", which is 9.

    Related concept

    enum ordinal

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates forget that switch cases fall through by default if break statements are missing, and they often overlook the effect of a default case that executes after fall-through, leading them to miscalculate the total.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

In Java, switch statements on enums use the enum's ordinal value for comparison, but the code executes cases based on the constant, not ordinal. Fall-through occurs when break statements are omitted, causing execution to continue into subsequent cases until a break or end of switch. The default case, if present, executes when no other case matches, but here it executes after fall-through from WEDNESDAY through SATURDAY, subtracting 9 from the accumulated 18 to yield 9. This behavior is defined in JLS 14.11 and is a common source of bugs in production code when breaks are accidentally omitted.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • enum ordinal
  • switch fall-through
  • break statement

TExam Day Tips

  • Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
  • Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

enum ordinal

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A practitioner preparing for the 1Z0-829 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. enum ordinal Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Review enum ordinal, then practise related 1Z0-829 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 1Z0-829 question test?

Controlling Program Flow — This question tests Controlling Program Flow — enum ordinal.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: 9 — The correct answer is D (9) because the switch statement on Day.WEDNESDAY (ordinal 2) does not have break statements for cases WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, and SATURDAY, causing fall-through. Execution adds values: WEDNESDAY (3), THURSDAY (4), FRIDAY (5), SATURDAY (6), totaling 18. Then the default case subtracts 9, resulting in 9.

What should I do if I get this 1Z0-829 question wrong?

Review enum ordinal, then practise related 1Z0-829 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.

What is the key concept behind this question?

enum ordinal

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on 1Z0-829

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. Given the following switch statement: ```java int x = 2; switch (x) { default: System.out.print("default "); case 1: System.out.print("1 "); case 2: System.out.print("2 "); case 3: System.out.print("3 "); break; case 4: System.out.print("4 "); } ``` What is the output?

hard
  • A.2
  • B.2 3 4
  • C.2 3
  • D.default 1 2 3

Why C: Option C is correct because the switch statement starts execution at the matching case (case 2) and then falls through to subsequent cases until a break statement is encountered. Since case 2 has no break, it prints "2 ", then falls through to case 3, prints "3 ", and the break terminates the switch. The default case is not executed because a matching case was found before it.

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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026

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