Introduction

Python is a versatile and widely used programming language, celebrated for its simplicity and
readability. As one of the top choices in the tech industry, Python frequently appears in technical
interviews across various roles, including software development, data science, and automation.

In this guide, we’ll dive into a wide array of Python interview questions and answers, covering
essential topics such as:

• Data Structures: Master lists, dictionaries, sets, and more.

• Algorithms: Understand sorting, searching, and optimization techniques.

• Problem-solving: Sharpen your skills with real-world coding challenges.

These questions are designed to test your grasp of Python's core features, including:

• String Manipulation

• List Operations

• Recursion

• And much more!

Whether you're a beginner just starting your coding journey or an experienced developer brushing
up on your skills, this guide will help you prepare effectively for your next Python interview.

Get ready to boost your confidence and showcase your Python prowess!

Beginner Level

In this section, we cover the basics of Python, which is ideal for those just starting their programming
journey. You'll explore:

• Basic Syntax: Understand Python's simple and intuitive syntax.

• Data Types: Understand integers, strings, lists, and more.

• Basic Operations: Learn arithmetic operations, string manipulations, and list handling.

• Control Structures: Master loops, conditionals, and basic flow control.

• Simple Functions: Start writing your functions to organize and reuse code.

This level builds a strong foundation, ensuring you're well-prepared to move on to more advanced
topics.

1. What is Python?

Python is an interpreted, high-level, general-purpose programming language. It emphasizes code

readability with its use of significant indentation. Python supports multiple programming paradigms,
including structured (particularly procedural), object-oriented, and functional programming.
2. How is Python interpreted?

Python code is executed line by line at runtime. Python internally converts the source code into an
intermediate form called bytecode, which is then executed by the Python virtual machine (PVM).

3. What are Python's key features?

• Easy to learn and use

• Interpreted language

• Dynamically typed

• Extensive libraries

• Object-oriented

• Portable

4. What is PEP 8?

PEP 8 is the Python Enhancement Proposal that provides guidelines and best practices for writing
Python code. It covers various aspects such as naming conventions, code layout, and indentation.

5. How do you manage memory in Python?

Python uses automatic memory management and a garbage collector to handle memory. The
garbage collector recycles memory when objects are no longer in use.

6. What are Python's data types?

• Numeric types: int, float, complex

• Sequence types: list, tuple, range

• Text type: str

• Set types: set, frozenset

• Mapping type: dict

• Boolean type: bool

• Binary types: bytes, bytearray, memoryview

7. What is the difference between a list and a tuple?

• List: Mutable, can be changed after creation.

• Tuple: Immutable, cannot be changed after creation.

8. How do you handle exceptions in Python?

Using the try-except block:

try:

# code that may raise an exception

except SomeException as e:

# code to handle the exception

9. Converting an Integer into Decimals

import decimal

integer = 10

print(decimal.Decimal(integer))

print(type(decimal.Decimal(integer)))

> 10

> <class 'decimal.Decimal'>

10. Converting a String of Integers into Decimals

import decimal

string = '12345'

print(decimal.Decimal(string))

print(type(decimal.Decimal(string)))

> 12345

> <class 'decimal.Decimal'>

11. Reversing a String using an Extended Slicing Technique

string = "Python Programming"

print(string[::-1])

> gnimmargorP nohtyP

12. Counting Vowels in a Given Word

vowel = ['a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u']

word = "programming"

count = 0

for character in word:

if character in vowel:

count += 1

print(count)

>3

13. Counting Consonants in a Given Word

vowel = ['a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u']

word = "programming"

count = 0

for character in word:

if character not in vowel:

count += 1

print(count)

>8

14. Counting the Number of Occurrences of a Character in a String

word = "python"

character = "p"

count = 0

for letter in word:

if letter == character:

count += 1

print(count)
>1

15. Writing Fibonacci Series

fib = [0,1]

# Range starts from 0 by default

for i in range(5):

fib.append(fib[-1] + fib[-2])

# Converting the list of integers to string

print(', '.join(str(e) for e in fib))

> 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8

16. Finding the Maximum Number in a List

numberList = [15, 85, 35, 89, 125]

maxNum = numberList[0]

for num in numberList:

if maxNum < num:

maxNum = num

print(maxNum)

> 125

17. Finding the Minimum Number in a List

numberList = [15, 85, 35, 89, 125, 2]

minNum = numberList[0]

for num in numberList:

if minNum > num:

 minNum = num

print(minNum)

>2

18. Finding the Middle Element in a List

numList = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

midElement = int((len(numList)/2))

print(numList[midElement])

>3

19. Converting a List into a String

lst = ["P", "Y", "T", "H", "O", "N"]

string = ''.join(lst)

print(string)

print(type(string))

> PYTHON

> <class 'str'>

20. Adding Two List Elements Together

lst1 = [1, 2, 3]

lst2 = [4, 5, 6]

res_lst = []

for i in range(0, len(lst1)):

res_lst.append(lst1[i] + lst2[i])

print(res_lst)
> [5, 7, 9]

21. Comparing Two Strings for Anagrams

str1 = "Listen"

str2 = "Silent"

str1 = list(str1.upper())

str2 = list(str2.upper())

str1.sort(), str2.sort()

if(str1 == str2):

print("True")

else:

print("False")

> True

22. Checking for Palindrome Using Extended Slicing Technique

str1 = "Kayak".lower()

str2 = "kayak".lower()

if(str1 == str2[::-1]):

print("True")

else:

print("False")

> True

23. Counting the White Spaces in a String

string = "P r ogramm in g "

print(string.count(' '))
>5

24. Counting Digits, Letters, and Spaces in a String

# Importing Regular Expressions Library

import re

name = 'Python is 1'

digitCount = re.sub("[^0-9]", "", name)

letterCount = re.sub("[^a-zA-Z]", "", name)

spaceCount = re.findall("[ \n]", name)

print(len(digitCount))

print(len(letterCount))

print(len(spaceCount))

>1

>8

>2

25. Counting Special Characters in a String

# Importing Regular Expressions Library

import re

spChar = "!@#$%^&*()"

count = re.sub('[\w]+', '', spChar)

print(len(count))

> 10
26. Removing All Whitespace in a String

import re

string = "C O D E"

spaces = re.compile(r'\s+')

result = re.sub(spaces, '', string)

print(result)

> CODE

27. Building a Pyramid in Python

floors = 3

h = 2*floors-1

for i in range(1, 2*floors, 2):

print('{:^{}}'.format('*'*i, h))

> *

***

*****

28. Randomizing the Items of a List in Python

from random import shuffle

lst = ['Python', 'is', 'Easy']

shuffle(lst)

print(lst)

> ['Easy', 'is', 'Python']

29. Find the Largest Element in a List

def find_largest_element(lst):
 return max(lst)

# Example usage:

print(find_largest_element([1, 2, 3, 4, 5]))

>5

30. Remove Duplicates from a List

def remove_duplicates(lst):

return list(set(lst))

# Example usage:

print(remove_duplicates([1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5]))

> [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

31. Factorial of a Number

def factorial(n):

if n == 0:

return 1

return n * factorial(n - 1)

# Example usage:

print(factorial(5))

> 120

32. Merge Two Sorted Lists

def merge_sorted_lists(lst1, lst2):

return sorted(lst1 + lst2)

# Example usage:

print(merge_sorted_lists([1, 3, 5], [2, 4, 6]))

> [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

33. Find the First Non-Repeating Character

def first_non_repeating_character(s):

for i in s:

if s.count(i) == 1:

return i

return None

# Example usage:

print(first_non_repeating_character("swiss"))

>w

Advanced Level

In this section, we dive into more complex Python topics, aimed at those looking to deepen their
expertise. You’ll tackle:

• Advanced Data Structures: Work with sets, tuples, and more complex data types.

• Recursion and Iteration: Solve problems using advanced looping and recursive
techniques.

• Algorithms: Explore sorting, searching, and optimization algorithms in depth.

• Modules and Libraries: Leverage powerful Python libraries for various applications.

• Error Handling and Debugging: Learn to write robust code with effective error handling
and debugging techniques.

• Web Scraping and APIs: Gain experience in extracting data from websites and interacting
with APIs.

• Advanced Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): Master OOP concepts like inheritance,

polymorphism, and design patterns.

This level will challenge you to think critically and apply your knowledge to complex problems,
preparing you for high-level Python applications and interviews.
34. What are Python metaclasses?

Metaclasses are classes of classes that define how classes behave. A class is an instance of a
metaclass. They allow customization of class creation.

35. Explain the difference between is and ==.

is: Checks if two references point to the same object.

==: Checks if the values of two objects are equal.

36. How does Python's memory management work?

Python uses reference counting and garbage collection. Objects with a reference count of zero are
automatically cleaned up by the garbage collector.

37. What is the purpose of Python's with statement?

The with statement simplifies exception handling by encapsulating common preparation and cleanup
tasks in so-called context managers.

with open('file.txt', 'r') as file:

data = file.read()

38. What are Python's @staticmethod and @classmethod?

@staticmethod: Defines a method that does not operate on an instance or class; no access to self or
cls.

@classmethod: Defines a method that operates on the class itself; it receives the class as an implicit
first argument (cls).

39. How do you implement a singleton pattern in Python?

Using a metaclass

class Singleton(type):

_instances = {}

def __call__(cls, *args, **kwargs):

if cls not in cls._instances:

cls._instances[cls] = super(Singleton, cls).__call__(*args, **kwargs)

return cls._instances[cls]
class MyClass(metaclass=Singleton):

pass

40. Explain Python's garbage collection mechanism

Python uses a garbage collection mechanism based on reference counting and a cyclic garbage
collector to detect and collect cycles (groups of objects that reference each other but are not
accessible from any other object).

41. What are Python's magic methods?

Magic methods (or dunder methods) are special methods with double underscores at the beginning
and end. They enable the customization of behavior for standard operations

• __init__: Constructor

• __str__: String representation

• __add__: Addition operator

42. How do you handle multi-threading in Python?

Using the threading module:

import threading

def print_numbers():

for i in range(10):

print(i)

thread = threading.Thread(target=print_numbers)

thread.start()

thread.join()

43. What are Python's coroutine functions?

Coroutines are a type of function that can pause and resume their execution. They are defined
with async def and use await to yield control back to the event loop.

import asyncio
async def say_hello():

await asyncio.sleep(1)

print("Hello")

asyncio.run(say_hello())

44. Explain Python's Global Interpreter Lock (GIL). How does it affect multithreading?

The Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) is a mutex that protects access to Python objects, preventing
multiple native threads from executing Python bytecodes simultaneously in CPython. This lock
simplifies memory management and ensures thread safety but limits the performance of multi-
threaded Python programs by allowing only one thread to execute at a time. As a result, Python
multithreading is more suitable for I/O-bound tasks rather than CPU-bound tasks. Multiprocessing or
other Python implementations like Jython or IronPython may be preferred for CPU-bound tasks.

45. What are metaclasses in Python, and how are they used?

A metaclass in Python is a class of a class that defines how a class behaves. Classes themselves are
instances of metaclasses. You can customize class creation by defining a metaclass, such as modifying
class properties, adding methods, or implementing design patterns. A common use case for
metaclasses is enforcing coding standards or design patterns, such as singleton, or auto-registering
classes.

46. Can you explain the difference between deepcopy and copy in Python?

The copy module in Python provides two methods: copy() and deepcopy().

• copy.copy() creates a shallow copy of an object. It copies the object's structure but not the
elements themselves, meaning it only copies references for mutable objects.

• copy.deepcopy() creates a deep copy of the object, including recursively copying all objects
contained within the original object. Changes made to the deep-copied object do not affect
the original object.

47. Describe Python’s __slots__ and its benefits.

__slots__ is a special attribute in Python that allows you to explicitly declare data members (slots)
and prevent the creation of __dict__, thereby reducing memory overhead. By using __slots__, you
can limit the attributes of a class to a fixed set of fields and reduce the per-instance memory
consumption. This is particularly beneficial when creating a large number of instances of a class.

48. What is the difference between is and == in Python?

 • is checks for identity, meaning it returns True if two references point to the same object in
memory.

• == checks for equality, meaning it returns True if the values of the objects are equal, even if
they are different objects in memory.

a = [1, 2, 3]

b=a

c = [1, 2, 3]

print(a is b) # True, because both a and b refer to the same object

print(a is c) # False, because a and c refer to different objects

print(a == c) # True, because a and c have the same values