Python Interview Questions and Answers
1. What are the key features of Python?
- Easy to learn and use
- Interpreted and dynamically typed
- Object-oriented
- Extensive standard libraries
- Cross-platform compatibility
2. What is the difference between list and tuple?
- List is mutable (modifiable), tuple is immutable.
- Lists use more memory, while tuples are memory efficient.
- Lists have more built-in functions compared to tuples.
3. What is the difference between 'is' and '=='?
- 'is' compares object identity (memory location).
- '==' compares values.
4. Explain *args and **kwargs in Python.
- *args allows passing multiple positional arguments.
- **kwargs allows passing multiple keyword arguments.
5. What are Python's mutable and immutable data types?
- Mutable: list, set, dictionary
- Immutable: int, float, string, tuple
6. How do you implement a stack using a list?
class Stack:
def __init__(self):
self.stack = []
def push(self, item):
self.stack.append(item)
def pop(self):
return self.stack.pop() if self.stack else None
7. How do you find the second largest number in a list?
nums = [10, 20, 4, 45, 99]
nums.remove(max(nums))
print(max(nums))
8. Write a Python function to check if two strings are anagrams.
def is_anagram(str1, str2):
return sorted(str1) == sorted(str2)
print(is_anagram('listen', 'silent')) # True
9. Write a Python program to remove duplicates from a list.
lst = [1, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 5]
lst = list(set(lst))
print(lst)
10. How do you reverse a string without using [::-1]?
def reverse_string(s):
return ''.join(reversed(s))
print(reverse_string('hello'))
11. What is method overloading and method overriding?
- Method Overloading: Same method name but different parameters (not directly supported in
Python).
- Method Overriding: Child class redefines a method from the parent class.
12. What is the difference between class variables and instance variables?
- Class variables are shared across instances.
- Instance variables are unique to each object.
13. What is multiple inheritance?
- A class can inherit from more than one parent class.
14. What is the use of the super() function?
- Used to call a parent class method inside a child class.
15. Explain encapsulation in Python.
- Encapsulation restricts access to certain attributes using private/protected members.
16. How to read and write a file in Python?
with open('file.txt', 'r') as f:
content = f.read()
with open('file.txt', 'w') as f:
f.write('Hello World')
17. What is the difference between raise and assert?
- 'raise' is used to throw exceptions manually.
- 'assert' is used for debugging to check conditions.
18. What are try, except, and finally used for?
- Used for handling exceptions in Python.
19. How to open a file in different modes in Python?
- 'r' (read), 'w' (write), 'a' (append), 'r+' (read/write)
20. How to handle multiple exceptions in Python?
try:
x=1/0
except ZeroDivisionError:
print('Cannot divide by zero')
except Exception as e:
print(f'Error: {e}')
21. How to read a CSV file using Pandas?
import pandas as pd
df = pd.read_csv('data.csv')
print(df.head())
22. How do you filter rows based on a condition in Pandas?
df_filtered = df[df['column_name'] > 10]
23. How to group data in Pandas?
df.groupby('column_name').sum()
24. How to remove missing values in Pandas?
df.dropna()
25. How do you convert SQL query results into a Pandas DataFrame?
import pandas as pd
import sqlite3
conn = sqlite3.connect('database.db')
df = pd.read_sql_query('SELECT * FROM table_name', conn)
26. How to schedule a Python script to run automatically?
- Use Task Scheduler (Windows) or Cron Jobs (Linux).
27. How do you extract data from an Excel file using Python?
import pandas as pd
df = pd.read_excel('file.xlsx')
28. What are lambda functions in Python?
- Anonymous functions written using the `lambda` keyword.
29. What is list comprehension in Python?
squared = [x**2 for x in range(10)]
30. How do you optimize a script that processes large CSV files?
- Use `chunksize` in Pandas, Dask, or multiprocessing.
