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7 Python Interviews Questions that You May be asked in a Job Interview

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Python is one of the most popular programming languages worldwide. It has been present in the market for about 29 years, and, now, there are 8.2 million developers in the world who code using Python.

With Python jobs continuing to grow at an exponential pace, the demand for experts in this programming language, too, has risen manifold. But before you set out to seek the opportunity to work as a Python expert and carve a niche for yourself in the IT sector, you need to keep in mind a few questions that may be thrown at you during the interview.

We’ve prepared a set of seven questions that you may be asked.

Though this set may not have all the possible scenarios, it’s still smart to brush up on a few.

1. What is Python, and what is PEP 8?

Python is a high-level, general-purpose programming language. By using the right tools, Python can be used to build any type of application. PEP stands for Python Enhancement Proposal. It’s a set of recommendations on making a Python code more readable. PEP 8 is the latest Python coding standard.

2. What are some advantages of using Python over other programming languages?

  • Versatility: The language is feature-rich, and can be used in projects across industries, such as data science, blockchain, machine learning, etc. — technologies that attract a lot of global interest at present.

  • Ease: Python can be learned easily. One can do more with less code, which means prototypes can be built, and ideas tested fast, saving time. Also, it’s interpreted, which, in other words, means it’s translated to the machine code before the program is launched.

  • Flexibility: Python can run on operating systems such as Windows, Mac and Linux, providing developers with flexible solutions to work. It can also be integrated with languages such as PHP, Java, and .NET.

  • Syntax & libraries: Python’s syntax — that reads a lot like a human language — is easy to comprehend. It has extensive libraries for anything one could imagine — web development, game development, machine learning, string operations, etc. Many programming tasks are scripted into the library, which reduce the time spent on coding. This also increases the programmer’s productivity while using languages such as Java, Perl, C, and C++.

3. How is memory managed in Python?

With Python, memory is managed in a private heap space, where all data structures are located. Even the programmer doesn’t have access to this private heap. The python interpreter takes care of this instead.

4. What is the difference between lists and tuples in Python?

Two of the main differences between lists and tuples are: First, lists are mutable, tuples aren’t. Second, lists are enclosed in brackets, while tuples are in parentheses.

5. How can you find bugs in Python?

There are two ways to find bugs, if any, in Python:

  • By using Pylint, you can to find out if the language is up to the coding standard.
  • A person can also use PyChecker, which identifies bugs and also lets the user know their complexity.

6. How many types of functions does Python have? What are those?

Python has two basic kind of functions — user-defined and built-in. While user-defined functions are those that users can define themselves in a program, built-in functions are pre-defined in the libraries.

7. Name a few brands/companies that use Python.

Google, Netflix, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify and Dropbox are among the biggest and most respected players in the tech space that use Python. Netflix states on its tech blog that it uses Python through the full content lifecycle.

Instagram wouldn’t be what it is today had it not been Python. The app’s creators chose Python because it was easy to use, practical, and supported fast development. And, Google has an engineering motto that states: “Python where we can, C++ where we must”.

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