PCPP2 Design Patterns Practice Question
You are implementing a Proxy pattern to provide lazy initialization for a resource-heavy object. Which technique is most effective for checking if the real object exists without triggering its constructor prematurely?
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 if the object attribute is None before calling the constructor
The Proxy should hold a reference to the real object and only instantiate it when a method is called that requires the real object's functionality.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use the @property decorator to trigger instantiation immediately upon object creation
Why it's wrong here
This would trigger initialization immediately, defeating the purpose of lazy loading.
- ✗
Overload the __del__ method to release the resource
Why it's wrong here
The __del__ method manages cleanup, not initialization.
- ✗
Use a try-except block around the Proxy's constructor
Why it's wrong here
The constructor should remain lightweight; the heavy object is loaded on demand.
- ✓
Check if the object attribute is None before calling the constructor
Why this is correct
Lazy initialization typically uses a check against None to instantiate the heavy object only when accessed.
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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official Python Institute exam blueprint
This PCPP2 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 PCPP2 exam.