What are some essential Python interview questions I should prepare for?

I’m about to attend my first Python interview and I’ve been compiling a list of possible questions. So far, I’ve gathered topics ranging from easy/intermediate to tricky and subjective questions. Some examples include:

Easy/Intermediate:

  • What are Python decorators and how do you use them?
  • How would you manage multiple projects with different Python versions and dependencies?
  • What is PEP8 and do you follow its guidelines?
  • How are arguments passed – by reference or by value?
  • Do you know list and dict comprehensions? Can you give examples?
  • Differences between lists and tuples, range vs xrange, Python 2 vs 3.
  • Usage of with statement, avoiding cyclical imports, issues with import *.
  • Why is the GIL important?
  • Special methods (__foo__) and first-class functions.

Tricky/Advanced:

  • How to read an 8GB file efficiently in Python.
  • Convert ASCII characters to integers without built-in methods.
  • The difference between class Foo and class Foo(object).

Subjective/Opinion-based:

  • Do you prefer tabs or spaces and why?
  • What don’t you like about Python?

I’m wondering if there are other important python interview questions I should add to make my preparation more comprehensive. I want to cover common, tricky, and practical questions that are typically asked for junior-to-mid-level Python roles.

Are there any other topics, gotchas, or question types I should include before my interview?

Scenario-based questions are common to assess problem-solving and decision-making. Candidates could be asked how they would investigate a critical bug found in production or prioritize testing when deadlines are tight. Interviewers also test knowledge of mobile testing considerations, like real devices versus emulators, handling different screen sizes, and platform-specific behaviors, highlighting practical experience in real-world QA environments.

Follow this detailed guide on Python Interview Questions that are curated for you at different level.