Master Intermediate Python Interviews: Practice, Prepare, and Succeed!

Essential Python Interview Questions and Answers
Intermediate Python Interview Questions with Answers

1.What is a Python package?
A Python package is a directory that contains multiple Python modules along with an optional __init__.py file, used for organizing and distributing related code.

2.What are strings in Python, and how are they represented?
Strings in Python are sequences of characters enclosed in single ('), double ("), or triple (''' or """) quotes. Example: "Hello".

3.What is a tuple in Python?
A tuple is an ordered collection of elements, similar to a list, but immutable, meaning its contents cannot be modified after creation.

4.What is a set in Python?
A set is an unordered collection of unique elements, meaning it does not allow duplicates.

5.What are built-in functions in Python?
Built-in functions are predefined functions in Python that can be used directly without needing to import any module. Examples include len(), print(), and sum().

6.What is a class in Python?
A class is a blueprint for creating objects in Python. It defines attributes (variables) and methods (functions) that its objects will have.

7.What are files in Python?
Files in Python are objects that allow interaction with external storage, enabling reading from and writing to files on a computer.

8.What are the different file opening modes in Python?
Python provides several modes for opening files:

  • "r" – Read mode (default)
  • "w" – Write mode (overwrites the file if it exists)
  • "a" – Append mode (adds content to the end of the file)
  • "b" – Binary mode (for binary files)
  • "+" – Update mode (allows both reading and writing)

9.What is Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in Python?
OOP is a programming paradigm centered around objects and classes. It promotes principles such as encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism, making code more modular and reusable.

10.What are some popular Python libraries and frameworks, and their uses?

  • NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib – Used for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization
  • Django, Flask – Web development frameworks
  • Scikit-learn, TensorFlow – Machine learning and deep learning
  • Requests, BeautifulSoup – Web scraping and HTTP requests

11.What is garbage collection in Python?
Garbage collection is an automatic memory management process that removes objects that are no longer needed, preventing memory leaks and optimizing performance.

12.What are the assignment operators in Python?
Python’s assignment operators include:
=, +=, -=, *=, /=, //=, %=, **= – used to assign and modify values simultaneously.

13.How do integers and floats differ in Python?

  • Integers (int) – Whole numbers without decimals (e.g., 10, -5)
  • Floats (float) – Numbers with decimal points or scientific notation (e.g., 3.14, 1.2e5)

14.What are bitwise operators in Python?
Bitwise operators perform operations at the binary level:

  • & (AND), | (OR), ^ (XOR), ~ (NOT), << (left shift), >> (right shift)

15.What is list comprehension in Python?
List comprehension is a concise way to create lists using a single line of code, applying expressions and conditions to iterables.

16.What is a list in Python?
A list is a mutable, ordered collection enclosed in square brackets []. It can store multiple data types and supports indexing, slicing, and modification.

17.What are the advantages of Python over other languages?

  • Readable & easy to learn
  • Versatile across multiple domains
  • Extensive standard library & strong community
  • Platform-independent & scalable
  • Seamless integration with other technologies

18.What are conditional statements in Python, and how do they work?
Conditional statements (if, elif, else) control the flow of execution based on conditions. The if block runs if the condition is True, elif checks additional conditions, and else executes if none match.

19.How does Python 2 differ from Python 3?
Key differences:

  • print() requires parentheses in Python 3
  • Division (/) returns a float by default in Python 3
  • Strings are Unicode by default in Python 3
  • Iterators in Python 3 return views instead of lists

20.What are variables in Python?
Variables are named references that store values in memory, allowing data manipulation.

21.How is inheritance implemented in Python?
Inheritance allows a class (child/derived class) to inherit attributes and methods from another class (parent/base class) using the syntax: