Python Interview Questions and Preparation Guide

Python interviews are common for technical positions in North America, especially for international students. It’s important not only to know how to write code but also to understand Python itself and how to apply it in practice. Typical interviews cover data types, control flow, function design, object-oriented programming, exception handling, and knowledge of commonly used Python libraries.

Data structures form the foundation, with lists, tuples, dictionaries, and sets frequently tested. You might need to use dictionaries for data lookup or handle list deduplication. Understanding the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of these structures helps you choose the right tool and write more efficient code. For example, dictionary lookups are fast, while lists are better for sequential access — these details matter.

Functions are another focus area. Interviewers often ask about defining functions, using default parameters, anonymous functions (lambdas), closures, and decorators. Decorators add functionality to functions, and you might be asked to write a simple decorator or explain how it works.

Object-oriented programming (OOP) is also important. You should know how to write classes, use inheritance and method overriding, and understand special methods like init (constructor) and str (string representation). These questions help interviewers gauge your grasp of Python’s OOP features.

Exception handling cannot be overlooked. You need to know how to use try-except blocks to catch errors, when to raise exceptions, and how to use the with statement to manage resources, ensuring your program runs reliably.

Familiarity with Python’s built-in libraries is crucial as well. Modules like collections (with Counter and defaultdict), itertools for iteration tools, and datetime for time management make your code cleaner and more efficient.

Overall, Python interviews don’t test how complex your code is but rather how you solve problems. Your code should be clear, logically correct, and handle exceptions and edge cases, which leaves a good impression on interviewers. Besides practicing coding problems, working on projects helps you gain experience and speak confidently during interviews.