40 Viva Questions for Python Programming:
Basics (8 questions):
1. Explain the origin and need for Python programming.
Ans. Origin & Need: Developed for beginners, general-purpose, efficient, widely used.
2. Discuss the key features that make Python popular.
Ans. Key Features: Easy syntax, interpreted, object-oriented, extensive libraries.
3. Differentiate between identifiers and reserved words in Python.
Ans. Identifiers vs. Reserved Words: Identifiers are user-defined names; Reserved words are pre-
defined keywords with specific meaning.
4. Explain the use of escape sequences with examples.
Ans. Escape Sequences: Special characters preceded by \, used for non-standard formatting.
5. Compare and contrast IDLE and Jupyter Notebook as Python development environments.
Ans. IDLE vs. Jupyter Notebook: IDLE is simple, Jupyter is interactive with visualizations.
6. Describe the difference between assignment, unary, and binary operators.
Ans. Operator Types: Assignment, Unary (negate, invert), Binary (arithmetic, relational, logical,
bitwise).
7. Explain the concept of operator precedence and how parentheses affect it.
Ans. Operator Precedence: Defined by order of operations; parentheses override default order.
8. Discuss the importance of whitespace and indentation in Python code.
Ans. Whitespace & Indentation: Crucial for code structure and readability.
Data Types and Operators (8 questions):
9. Explain the different data types supported in Python .
Ans. Data Types: Numeric (integers, floats, complex), Boolean (True/False), String, Sequence
(list, tuple), Mapping (dictionary).
10. Compare and contrast mutable and immutable data types.
Ans. Mutable vs. Immutable: Mutable data can be changed (lists, dictionaries); Immutable data
cannot (strings, tuples).
11. Differentiate between arithmetic, relational, logical, and bitwise operators.
Ans. Operator Types: Arithmetic, Relational (comparison), Logical (and/or/not), Bitwise
(manipulate bits).
12. Explain the use of the in and not in operators for membership checking.
Ans. Membership Check: in checks if element exists, not in checks if it doesn't.
13. Demonstrate the use of string formatting techniques in Python.
Ans. String Formatting: f-strings, format() method, % formatting.
14. Explain the concept of string methods like count, find, and replace.
Ans. String Methods: count, find, replace, split, upper, lower, etc.
15. Discuss the advantages and limitations of using lists for data storage.
Ans. Lists: Dynamically sized collections of ordered elements, mutable.
16. Describe the functionality of common list methods like append, extend, and sort.
Ans. List Methods: append, extend, sort, remove, index, etc.
Control Flow and Functions (8 questions):
17. Explain the use of if statements and nested conditional structures.
Ans. if Statements: Conditional execution based on boolean condition.
18. Compare and contrast while and for loops for controlling program flow.
Ans. Loops: while iterates while condition is true; for iterates over a sequence.
19. Discuss the purpose of break and continue statements within loops.
Ans. break & continue: break exits loop, continue skips to next iteration.
20. Explain the concept of functions in Python and how to define and call them.
Ans. Functions: Reusable blocks of code with defined inputs and outputs.
21. Differentiate between formal and actual arguments in function calls.
Ans. Formal vs. Actual Arguments: Formal arguments are defined in function signature, actual
arguments are passed during call.
22. Discuss the scope and lifetime of variables in functions.
Ans. Scope & Lifetime: Variables defined inside functions are local and disappear when function
exits.
23. Explain the use of keyword arguments and default argument values.
Ans. Keyword Arguments: Arguments named explicitly when calling a function.
24. Describe the concept of recursion and its applications in Python.
Ans. Recursion: Function calls itself, can be powerful but needs careful design.
Modules and Packages (6 questions):
25. Explain the benefits of using modules and packages in your code.
Ans. Modules & Packages: Organize code, avoid repetition, improve maintainability.
26. Demonstrate how to import and use modules like math and random in your program.
Ans. Importing Modules: import statement to access functionality from other modules.
27. Explain the concept of namespace packages and their organization.
25. Ans. Namespace Packages: Packages with sub-packages for organized structure.
28. Discuss the security considerations when importing modules from third-party sources.
Ans. Security: Only import from trusted sources, avoid potential vulnerabilities.
29. Explain the difference between modules and packages and how they are structured.
Ans. Modules vs. Packages: Modules are single files, packages contain multiple modules.
30. Describe the process of creating your own custom module in Python.
Ans. Custom Modules: Create your own modules to share code and functionality.
NumPy and File Handling (8 questions):
31. Explain the advantages of using NumPy for scientific computing.
Ans. NumPy: Efficiently handle large datasets with multi-dimensional arrays and powerful
functions.
32. Demonstrate how to create and manipulate one-dimensional arrays in NumPy.
Ans. 1D Arrays: Create and manipulate arrays of single data type.
33. Describe the concept of element-wise and aggregate operations in NumPy arrays.
Ans. Element-wise & Aggregate Operations: Apply operations to individual elements or entire
arrays.
34. Explain array indexing and slicing techniques for accessing elements in NumPy.
Ans. Array Indexing & Slicing: Access and manipulate specific elements or sub-arrays.
35. Discuss the different types of files you can handle in Python and their uses.
Ans. File Types: Text, binary, CSV (comma-separated values).
36. Explain how to open, read, write, and close files in Python code.
Ans. File Operations: Open, read, write, append, close files.
37. Describe the concept of file modes and their impact on file operations.
Ans. File Modes: Read-only, write-only, append, etc.
38. Discuss the advantages of using libraries like csv for handling structured data files.
Ans. Libraries: csv for reading/writing CSV files, others for specific formats.
Bonus Questions:
39. Explain the role of unit testing in Python development and how to implement it.
Ans. Unit Testing: Write test cases to verify code functionality and identify errors.
40. Discuss the importance of documentation and best practices for writing comments in
Python code.
Ans. Documentation: Comments and docstrings explain code purpose and functionality.