Top Python Interview Questions for Freshers (2026)

Python is one of the most popular programming languages used in web development, data science, machine learning, automation, scripting, and software development.

If you’re preparing for your first Python interview, it’s important to understand both basic and intermediate concepts. In this article, we’ll cover the most commonly asked Python interview questions for freshers along with detailed answers.

1. What is Python?

Python is a high-level, interpreted, object-oriented programming language developed by Guido van Rossum and released in 1991.

Features of Python

  • Easy to learn and use
  • Interpreted language
  • Platform independent
  • Object-oriented
  • Large standard library
  • Open source
  • Supports multiple programming paradigms

2. What are the advantages of Python?

Some major advantages include:

  • Simple syntax
  • Easy readability
  • Large community support
  • Extensive libraries and frameworks
  • Cross-platform compatibility
  • Rapid application development
  • Supports automation and scripting

3. What are Python’s built-in data types?

Python provides several built-in data types:

Numeric Types


int
float
complex

Sequence Types


str
list
tuple
range

Mapping Type


dict

Set Types


set
frozenset

Boolean Type


bool

4. What is the difference between List and Tuple?

Feature List Tuple
Mutable Yes No
Syntax [] ()
Performance Slower Faster
Modification Allowed Not Allowed

Example:


my_list = [1, 2, 3]
my_tuple = (1, 2, 3)

5. What is the difference between == and is?

== Operator

Checks whether values are equal.


a = [1, 2]
b = [1, 2]
print(a == b)

Output:

True

is Operator

Checks whether both variables refer to the same object.


print(a is b)

Output:

False

6. What is a Variable in Python?

A variable is a name used to store data.

Example:


name = "John"
age = 25

7. What is Dynamic Typing?

Python automatically determines variable types at runtime.

Example:


x = 10
x = "Python"

No explicit type declaration is required.

8. What is a Python Dictionary?

A dictionary stores data as key-value pairs.

Example:


student = {
    "name": "John",
    "age": 20
}

Access value:


print(student["name"])

9. What is the difference between remove(), pop(), and del?

remove()

Removes a specific value.


numbers.remove(5)

pop()

Removes an element by index.


numbers.pop(0)

del

Deletes an object or element.


del numbers[0]

10. What is a Function in Python?

A function is a reusable block of code.

Example:


def greet():
    print("Hello")

Call:


greet()

11. What are Lambda Functions?

Lambda functions are anonymous functions.

Example:


square = lambda x: x * x
print(square(5))

Output:

25

12. What is Recursion?

Recursion occurs when a function calls itself.

Example:


def factorial(n):
    if n == 1:
        return 1
    return n * factorial(n - 1)

13. What is Exception Handling?

Exception handling manages runtime errors gracefully.

Example:


try:
    num = 10 / 0
except ZeroDivisionError:
    print("Cannot divide by zero")

14. What is the Difference Between Syntax Error and Exception?

Syntax Error Exception
Occurs before execution Occurs during execution
Invalid syntax Runtime problem

Example:


try:
    num = 10 / 0
except ZeroDivisionError:
    print("Cannot divide by zero")


if True

Syntax Error

Example:


10 / 0

Exception

15. What is a Class?

A class is a blueprint for creating objects.

Example:


class Student:
    pass

16. What is an Object?

An object is an instance of a class.

Example:


student = Student()

17. What is a Constructor?

A constructor initializes object data.

Example:


class Student:
    def __init__(self, name):
        self.name = name

18. What is Inheritance?

Inheritance allows one class to acquire properties of another class.

Example:


class Animal:
    pass
class Dog(Animal):
    pass

19. What is Polymorphism?

Polymorphism allows the same method name to behave differently.

Example:


class Bird:
    def sound(self):
        print("Bird Sound")
class Dog:
    def sound(self):
        print("Bark")

20. What is Encapsulation?

Encapsulation hides internal implementation details.

Example:


class Account:
    def __init__(self):
        self.__balance = 1000

21. What is Abstraction?

Abstraction hides unnecessary details and shows only essential features.

Example:


from abc import ABC
class Shape(ABC):
    pass

22. What are Python Modules?

A module is a Python file containing functions and variables.

Example:


import math

23. What is a Package?

A package is a collection of Python modules.

Example:


mypackage/
    module1.py
    module2.py

24. What is the Difference Between Module and Package?

Module Package
Single Python file Collection of modules
.py extension Directory

25. What is the Use of pip?

pip is Python’s package manager.

Install package:


pip install numpy

26. What is the Difference Between Deep Copy and Shallow Copy?

Shallow Copy

Copies references.


import copy
new_list = copy.copy(old_list)

Deep Copy

Copies nested objects completely.


new_list = copy.deepcopy(old_list)

27. What is a Generator?

A generator produces values one at a time using yield.

Example:


def numbers():
    yield 1
    yield 2
    yield 3

28. What is an Iterator?

An iterator is an object that can be traversed one element at a time.

Example:


nums = iter([1, 2, 3])
print(next(nums))

29. What is a Decorator?

A decorator modifies the behavior of a function without changing its code.

Example:


def decorator(func):
    def wrapper():
        print("Before")
        func()
    return wrapper

30. What is Multithreading?

Multithreading allows multiple threads to execute concurrently within a process.

Example:


import threading

Commonly used for:

  • File operations
  • Downloads
  • Web scraping
  • Network requests

31. What is the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL)?

The GIL is a mechanism in Python that allows only one thread to execute Python bytecode at a time.

Because of GIL:

  • Threads are ideal for I/O-bound tasks
  • Multiprocessing is better for CPU-intensive tasks

32. What are *args and **kwargs?

*args

Accepts multiple positional arguments.


def add(*args):
    return sum(args)

**kwargs

Accepts multiple keyword arguments.


def display(**kwargs):
    print(kwargs)

33. What is the Difference Between append() and extend()?

append()

Adds a single element.


a.append([3, 4])

extend()

Adds multiple elements.


a.extend([3, 4])

34. What is the Difference Between sort() and sorted()?

sort()

Modifies original list.


numbers.sort()

sorted()

Returns a new sorted list.


sorted(numbers)

35. Why Should We Learn Python?

Python is widely used in:

  • Web Development
  • Data Science
  • Machine Learning
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Automation
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cloud Computing

Its simplicity and demand make it one of the best programming languages for beginners and professionals.

Final Tips for Python Freshers Interview

  • Practice basic syntax regularly.
  • Understand OOP concepts thoroughly.
  • Learn exception handling.
  • Practice coding problems.
  • Understand lists, tuples, dictionaries, and sets.
  • Learn functions, modules, and packages.
  • Be comfortable with file handling.
  • Know basic SQL and database connectivity.
  • Practice writing clean and readable code.
  • Build small Python projects for practical experience.

Conclusion

Python interviews for freshers generally focus on core programming concepts, data structures, object-oriented programming, functions, exception handling, modules, and basic multithreading. A strong understanding of these topics can significantly increase your chances of clearing technical interviews. Practice these questions, write code regularly, and work on real-world projects to strengthen your Python skills and confidence.

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