Summing first 2 elements in a Python list when the length of the list is unknown

Question

I am working on the following Python list exercise from codingbat.com:

Given an array of ints, return the sum of the first 2 elements in the array.

Answer 1

If you can't use sum, one possible solution uses exceptions:

totalsum = 0
try:
  totalsum += nums[0]
  totalsum += nums[1]
except IndexError:
  pass
return totalsum

Catch the error and short-circuit the summation if an element doesn't exist. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission, as they say.