In Python 3, what is the value of 7 / 2?
Correct answer C. 3.5
Topic / 88 questions
Python MCQs
Python MCQs test your understanding of the Python 3 language, from basic syntax and data types to functions, object-oriented programming, exceptions and the standard library. Many questions show a short code snippet and ask for its exact output, which is the format used in campus placements, IT job tests and programming interviews. Every answer comes with an explanation of the rule behind it.
When does the finally clause of a try statement execute?
Correct answer D. Always, whether or not an exception occurred in the try block
Which mode should be passed to open() to add text to the end of an existing file without erasing it?
Correct answer C. 'a'
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What happens when open(‘data.txt’, ‘x’) is called and data.txt already exists?
Correct answer C. FileExistsError is raised
What does opening an existing file with mode ‘w’ do to its current contents?
Correct answer D. The contents are erased because the file is truncated
What is the main advantage of using with open(…) as f: to work with a file?
Correct answer A. The file is closed automatically when the block ends, even if an exception occurs
Which two special methods must an object implement to be used as a context manager in a with statement?
Correct answer D. __enter__ and __exit__
In a Python method definition, what does the first parameter, conventionally named self, refer to?
Correct answer B. The instance on which the method was called
What is the role of the __init__ method in a Python class?
Correct answer C. It initialises a newly created instance, typically setting its attributes
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How does a @staticmethod differ from a @classmethod in Python?
Correct answer B. A static method receives no implicit first argument, while a class method receives the class as cls
Inside class Account, an attribute is named __balance. Under which name is it actually stored?
Correct answer D. _Account__balance
Which algorithm does Python 3 use to compute the method resolution order (MRO) for multiple inheritance?
Correct answer B. C3 linearisation
What is the effect of decorating a method with @property?
Correct answer B. The method can be accessed like an attribute, without parentheses
Which exception does an iterator raise from __next__ to signal that it has no more items?
Correct answer D. StopIteration
What turns an ordinary Python function into a generator function?
Correct answer B. Using the yield keyword in its body
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Which values can random.randint(1, 6) return?
Correct answer D. Any integer from 1 to 6, including both 1 and 6
Which collections class is designed for fast appends and pops at both ends of a sequence?
Correct answer D. deque
What does collections.Counter(“banana”) evaluate to?
Correct answer B. 3
What does itertools.chain(, ) produce when iterated?
Correct answer A. 1, 2, 3
Which special method should a class define so that the built-in len() works on its instances?
Correct answer A. __len__
About Python MCQs
The set starts with fundamentals: identifiers and keywords, indentation, comments, dynamic typing and the core built-in types. It then covers operators and precedence, including floor division, the modulus operator with negative numbers, identity versus equality and short-circuit evaluation.
Further questions look at strings and slicing, lists, tuples, sets and dictionaries, comprehensions, loops with else clauses, and the match statement added in Python 3.10. Functions are covered in depth: default arguments, the mutable default pitfall, *args and **kwargs, the LEGB scope rule, global and nonlocal, lambda and recursion.
The final group covers modules and packages, exceptions and the exception hierarchy, file modes and the with statement, classes, inheritance, name mangling, properties, static and class methods, iterators and generators, and useful standard-library tools such as collections and itertools. Code questions were run on Python 3 to confirm the answers.
Key facts to remember
- Python was created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991.
- Python 2 reached end of life on 1 January 2020.
- Dictionaries preserve insertion order as a language guarantee from Python 3.7.
- The / operator always returns a float in Python 3; // is floor division.
- PEP 8 recommends 4 spaces per indentation level and lines of at most 79 characters.
Exams that include Python MCQs
Pakistan
- NTS
- PPSC Computer Science Lecturer
- FPSC IT posts
- University entry tests
India
- Campus placements
- GATE CS (programming basics)
- UGC NET Computer Science
- IT company aptitude tests
Bangladesh
- BCS (technical cadre)
- Bank IT officer tests
- Government programmer posts
How to prepare for Python MCQs
- For output questions, trace the code line by line and write down each variable's value.
- Remember which types are mutable (list, dict, set) and which are immutable (int, str, tuple).
- Watch for default arguments that are lists or dicts: they are created once, not on every call.
- Learn the difference between / and //, and between is and ==.
Frequently asked questions
Are these Python MCQs based on Python 2 or Python 3?
All questions use Python 3 behaviour, the version taught and used today. Python 2 reached end of life on 1 January 2020, and differences such as print being a function and / returning a float are explained where they matter.
Which Python topics are asked most in job tests?
Recruitment tests and placement papers most often ask about data types, string slicing, list and dictionary methods, operator precedence, functions and scope, exceptions, and simple code-output questions. Object-oriented topics such as inheritance and special methods are common in interviews.
Last reviewed October 2026