10 Sample Python Interview Questions and Answers

Python applies to a variety of tech careers such as software engineering, data science and analytics, machine learning, and web app development. If you hope to get a job in one of these occupations, you’ll need to prove your competency in Python during your interview. Learn how to impress employers by practicing how you’d answer these 10 common Python interview questions.

Looking for job security? You’ll find many in-demand Python-related jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a significant increase in the number of jobs in these fields over the next decade:

• Web developer and digital designer jobs: 23% increase
• Data scientist jobs: 36% increase
• Software developer jobs: 25% increase

Before meeting with hiring managers, familiarize yourself with the Python interview questions and answers below. Take some time to create, refine, and personalize your responses. Then, practice answering out loud in a mock interview, so you know exactly what to say before your interview.

10 Python Interview Questions

1. Tell Me What You Know About Python.
2. Compare Python to Other Programming Languages.
3. What Are the Python Frameworks?
4. How Is Memory Managed in Python?
5. How Would You Debug a Python Program?
6. Describe the Difference Between a List and a Tuple.
7. Explain How to Create a Tuple From a List.
8. What Is a NumPy Array in Python?
9. Describe What a Namespace Is in Python.
10. What Are Variables in Python?

Python Programming Interview Questions

The following sample Python interview questions will cover the fundamentals of Python to gauge your basic understanding of the programming language.

Question #1: Tell Me What You Know About Python.

At the beginning of an interview, employers will likely ask you to provide a basic overview of Python. When creating your answer, demonstrate your knowledge of Python by including the following details:

• What Python is.
• What it’s used for.
• Its primary features.

How You Could Answer

“Python is a high-level and interpreted object-oriented programming language often used for web and software development, data analysis, data visualization, and automation. Guido van Rossum developed Python in 1991 with a strong emphasis on code readability. It comprises advanced data structures, dynamic semantics, and dynamic typing and binding.

Since Python is a general-purpose programming language and is easy to learn, it’s used across a variety of industries and occupations. That includes science-based occupations and finance.”

Question #2: Compare Python to Other Programming Languages.

By comparing Python with other programming languages, you demonstrate your full understanding of Python and programming in general. When asking this question, employers will be looking for the following details:

• Which similarities Python shares with other programming languages.
• What makes Python stand out from other programming languages.

How You Could Answer

“Like other programming languages such as Java, C++, Lisp, and Perl, Python works with objects, functions, methods, and variables. However, Python has a lot of differences from other programming languages. For example, Python is dynamically typed, whereas Java and C++ are statically typed. Additionally, Python uses simple and predefined languages, whereas Lisp requires programmers to write out their own syntaxes.”

Question #3: What Are the Python Frameworks?

You’ll likely encounter Python interview questions regarding frameworks. Provide employers with an overview of Python frameworks by doing the following:

• Define what frameworks are and what they do.
• Describe the three primary Python frameworks.
• Mention the leading Python frameworks programs.

How You Could Answer

“Python frameworks automate many tasks and provide developers and programmers with a structure for application development. These usually include full-stack, micro, or asynchronous frameworks that come with their own packages and modules. The most popular Python frameworks include Django, Web2Py, Flask, Bottle, and CherryPy.

Full-stack frameworks require the least amount of manual coding and programming from developers. That’s because they come with all of the end-to-end solutions needed for web and app development. Micro frameworks come with minimal features and functionality and require more time and manual effort. Asynchronous frameworks run multiple processes at the same time using the asyncio library.”

Question #4: How Is Memory Managed in Python?

If a hiring manager asks you about Python memory management, formulate your answer by doing the following:

• Describe what Python’s memory manager does.
• Discuss the types of allocation in Python memory management.
• Mention the use of Python’s Garbage Collector.

How You Could Answer

“Python’s memory manager determines where to store application data in memory. The procedure known as “allocation” assigns memory to objects. The memory manager deletes any additional unassigned data.

There are two types of allocation in Python memory management. One is static memory allocation, which occurs at the time of compilation. In static memory allocation, the data becomes unusable for further programming after allocation. The other type of allocation is dynamic memory allocation, which occurs during a program’s runtime. Unlike static memory allocation, the allocated memory remains usable throughout a program.

Python also uses the Garbage Collector to dispose of unnecessary object memory space. This process becomes activated once the reference count reduces to zero.”

Python Coding Interview Questions

When you work with Python, you’ll spend a lot of time coding. The following six Python interview questions will cover coding topics such as debugging, lists, tuples, arrays, and functions.

Question #5: How Would You Debug a Python Program?

Bugs happen often in Python coding. As a Python programmer, you should demonstrate proficiency in identifying and addressing bugs. When asked Python interview questions about bugs and errors, include the following information in your answer:

• A brief definition of a bug.
• How to identify bugs.
• The steps you would take to fix a bug.

How You Could Answer

“Bugs refer to errors in syntax, indentation, type, name, and logic. Fortunately, they’re very easy to detect. Python often displays red-colored error messages in the shell window that tells users which line of code caused the bug. Depending on which Python frameworks I use, I can simply click “Go to File/Line” on the dropdown menu. Otherwise, I would have to find the line manually.

Once I’ve found the line causing the bug, I would begin debugging by ensuring:

• Correct spelling and spacing.
• Proper use of letters and numbers within the code.
• Correct use of lowercase or capital letters within the code.
• All opening parentheses have corresponding closing parentheses.
• Single and double quotes have matching closing quotes.”

Question #6: Describe the Difference Between a List and a Tuple.

When asked Python interview questions about lists and tuples, employers want to know how proficient you are at storing and managing data in Python.

Here are the details you should include in your answer:

• A description of lists and tuples and how they’re similar.
• The primary differences between lists and tuples.
• The advantages and disadvantages of each.

How You Could Answer

“Lists and tuples in Python share many similarities. They are both objects and containers that store data. However, they have some key differences. For example, lists are mutable, which means that they can be changed. Tuples are immutable, which means they cannot be changed once they’re created.

List and tuples use different coding symbols. For example, the symbol [] initiates a list and would typically look something like this in a script: num_list = [1,2,3]. Tuples use the () symbol, which would look like this: num_tuple = (1,2,3).

Tuples have some advantages over lists. For example, they consume less memory and iterations are much faster. But the advantages of lists include more built-in methods and easier item management, deletion, and insertion.”

Question #7: Explain How to Create a Tuple From a List.

The previous question asked you to differentiate between lists and tuples. Employers may also ask you to demonstrate how to convert a list into a tuple. To best answer this question, include the following details:

• Describe the three methods for converting a list into a tuple.
• Mention any advantages or disadvantages of each method.

How You Could Answer

“Creating a tuple from a list is simple and there are generally three ways to do it. One method involves using the tuple () built-in function. I would simply use this function to pass a list as a parameter within the tuple() function. This would output the tuple data type.

The second method involves looping inside the built-in tuple() function. This would involve determining the length of the tuple with the len() function. I would start at 0 and loop through the tuple items by referring to the item indexes. After each iteration, I would increase the index by 1.

The third method involves unpacking the list elements inside the parenthesis. I would create a tuple literal where the list items will be unpacked by adding a comma within the parenthesis. While this method is typically faster than the other two, it can create some readability issues.”

Question #8: What Is a NumPy Array in Python?

Employers may ask you Python interview questions about how you use NumPy to speed up array operations. Be sure to include the following details in your answer:

• A definition of NumPy.
• What NumPy does.
• Which features it comes with.

How You Could Answer

“NumPy stands for “Numerical Python” and is the core library for scientific computing. It provides a multidimensional array object, as well as masked arrays, matrices, and other various derived objects. NumPy also comes with several routines that speed up array operations such as logical, mathematical, sorting, shape manipulation, and much more.

It’s often used to compute efficient and accurate mathematical operations on arrays and matrices. As a result, the arrays are much faster and more compact than lists. Plus, they take up less memory when storing data and its mechanisms specify data types.”

Question #9: Describe What a Namespace Is in Python.

Be prepared to answer questions about how you use namespaces to assign objects unique names. Create your answer by including these details:

• What a namespace is.
• What it does.
• Why it’s used in Python.

How You Could Answer

“A namespace is a system in Python that has a unique name for each object such as a method, function, or variable. It’s also a collection of currently defined symbolic names that contain information about each object. Namespaces organize code into logical groups and prevent object names from conflicting with each other.”

Question #10: What Are Variables in Python?

You’re likely to encounter Python interview questions about variables. Demonstrate your understanding of variables by discussing the following:

• The purpose of variables in Python.
• Types of Python variables.
• How variables in Python differ from those in other programming languages.

How You Could Answer

“In Python, variables are symbolic names that refer to objects. You can refer to an object by a specific name once it has been assigned to a variable. Variables are also containers for storing data values and often include numbers, strings, lists, and tuples. They’re often case-sensitive and start with either a number or an underscore.

Unlike other programming languages, Python doesn’t have a command for declaring variables. To declare a variable in Python, you must assign it a value. The value will then determine a variable’s data type.”

Build the Framework for a Successful Programming Career

Now that you understand how to answer these sample Python interview questions, begin your search for jobs where you’ll use Python on Monster. Simply upload your resume, and we’ll get it seen by job recruiters looking to hire developers, data analysts, and machine learning specialists. Plus, we’ll send you free email alerts when new Python jobs become available.