This PCAP practice question tests your understanding of object-oriented programming. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. 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.
A programmer wants to ensure that a class attribute is the same for all instances and can be accessed via the class name. Which type of variable should be defined?
Global variable
Why wrong: Global variables are defined outside any class and not encapsulated.
Instance variable
Why wrong: Instance variables are unique to each instance, not shared.
Local variable inside a method
Why wrong: Local variables are not class attributes.
Class variable
Class variables are shared and accessed via class name.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Class variable
Option D is correct because a class variable in Python is defined directly within the class body (outside any method) and is shared across all instances. It can be accessed via the class name (e.g., `ClassName.var`) or through any instance, ensuring the same value for all objects.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Global variable
Why it's wrong here
Global variables are defined outside any class and not encapsulated.
Instance variable
Why it's wrong here
Instance variables are unique to each instance, not shared.
Local variable inside a method
Why it's wrong here
Local variables are not class attributes.
Class variable
Why this is correct
Class variables are shared and accessed via class name.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Python Institute often tests the misconception that a class variable can be safely modified via an instance, but the trap is that doing so creates an instance variable that shadows the class variable, leaving the original class variable unchanged for other instances.
Detailed technical explanation
In Python, class variables are stored in the class's `__dict__` and are looked up via the method resolution order (MRO) when accessed through an instance. A subtle behavior is that modifying a class variable via an instance actually creates a new instance variable that shadows the class variable, which can lead to unexpected results if not understood. In real-world scenarios, class variables are used for constants (e.g., `MAX_SPEED`) or counters shared across all instances, such as tracking the number of objects created.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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FAQ
Object-Oriented Programming — This question tests Object-Oriented Programming — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Class variable — Option D is correct because a class variable in Python is defined directly within the class body (outside any method) and is shared across all instances. It can be accessed via the class name (e.g., `ClassName.var`) or through any instance, ensuring the same value for all objects.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This PCAP practice question is part of Courseiva's free Python Institute 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 PCAP exam.
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