Python PCEP Certification Preparation Guide: Exam Details & Syllabus

PCEP Certification Practice Test - Questions, Answers and Explanations

Python is a versatile programming language that opens numerous career opportunities. Mastering Python equips you for various roles across multiple industries.

The PCEP^TM - Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer certification (Exam PCEP-30-02) assesses a candidate's ability to perform essential Python programming tasks. It verifies knowledge of core programming concepts, Python syntax and semantics, and the ability to solve common implementation challenges using the Python Standard Library.

PCEP^TM certification is valuable for:

• Aspiring programmers and hobbyists.
• Learners aiming for entry-level roles as software developers, data analysts, or testers.
• Industry professionals exploring Python-related technologies.
• Team leaders and project managers seeking to understand software development terminology and processes for better management and communication.

PCEP^TM: Exam Information

Exam name: PCEP^TM - Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer

Validity: Lifetime

Format: Single- and multiple-select questions, drag & drop, gap fill, sort, code fill, code insertion | Python 3.x

Number of Questions: 30

Passing Score: 70%

Languages: English, Spanish

Note: Here you will find detailed information.

Here is the PCEP^TM - Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer exam syllabus. Each section covers various topics and includes a set of MCQs to ensure you understand the key concepts. This will help you thoroughly prepare for the exam.

Section 1: Computer Programming and Python

Objectives covered by the block (7 exam items).

Understand fundamental terms and definitions:

• interpreting and the interpreter, compilation and the compiler
• lexis, syntax, and semantics

Understand Python's logic and structure

• keywords
• instructions
• indentation
• comments

Introduce literals and variables into code and use different numeral systems

• Boolean, integers, floating-point numbers
• scientific notation
• strings
• variables
• naming conventions
• binary, octal, decimal, and hexadecimal numeral systems
• implementing PEP-8 recommendations

Choose operators and data types adequate to the problem

• numeric operators: ** * / % // + -
• string operators: * +
• assignment and shortcut operators
• unary and binary operators
• priorities and binding
• bitwise operators: ~ & ^ | << >>
• Boolean operators: not, and, or
• Boolean expressions
• relational operators ( == != > >= < <= )
• the accuracy of floating-point numbers
• type casting

Perform Input/Output console operations

• the print() and input() functions
• the sep= and end= keyword parameters
• the int() and float() functions

Section 2: Control Flow - Conditional Blocks and Loops

Objectives covered by the block (8 exam items).

Make decisions and branch the flow with the if instruction:

• conditional statements: if, if-else, if-elif, if-elif-else
• multiple conditional statements
• nesting conditional statements

Perform different types of iterations

• the pass instruction
• building loops with while, for, range(), and in
• iterating through sequences
• expanding loops with while-else and for-else
• nesting loops and conditional statements
• controlling loop execution with break and continue

Section 3: Data Collections - Tuples, Dictionaries, Lists, and Strings

Objectives covered by the block (7 exam items).

Collect and process data using lists:

• constructing vectors
• indexing and slicing
• the len() function
• list methods: append(), insert(), index(), etc.
• functions: len(), sorted()
• the del instruction
• iterating through lists with the for loop
• initializing loops
• the in and not in operators
• list comprehensions
• copying and cloning
• lists in lists: matrices and cubes

Collect and process data using tuples

• tuples: indexing, slicing, building, immutability
• tuples vs. lists: similarities and differences
• lists inside tuples and tuples inside lists

Collect and process data using dictionaries

• dictionaries: building, indexing, adding and removing keys
• iterating through dictionaries and their keys and values
• checking the existence of keys
• methods: keys(), items(), and values()

Operate with strings

• constructing strings
• indexing, slicing, immutability
• escaping using the \ character
• quotes and apostrophes inside strings
• multi-line strings
• basic string functions and methods

Section 4: Functions and Exceptions

Objectives covered by the block (8 exam items).

Decompose the code using functions:

• defining and invoking user-defined functions and generators
• the return keyword, returning results
• the None keyword
• recursion

Organize interaction between the function and its environment

• parameters vs. arguments
• positional, keyword, and mixed argument passing
• default parameter values
• name scopes, name hiding (shadowing), and the global keyword

Python Built-In Exceptions Hierarchy

• BaseException
• Exception
• SystemExit
• KeyboardInterrupt
• abstract exceptions
• ArithmeticError
• LookupError
• IndexError
• KeyError
• TypeError
• ValueError

Basics of Python Exception Handling

• try-except / the try-except Exception
• ordering the except branches
• propagating exceptions through function boundaries
• delegating responsibility for handling exceptions