This Python certification practice test course includes 390 questions designed to help you prepare for the PCEP – Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer exam, currently aligned with exam version PCEP-30-02.
This course is currently aligned with the PCEP-30-02 Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer exam syllabus. Python Institute has announced that PCEP-30-02 is active and scheduled for retirement on August 31, 2026, while PCEP-30-03 is currently in development. Once the PCEP-30-03 syllabus is officially released, this course will be reviewed and updated where needed.
The PCEP-30-02 certification exam has 30 questions distributed across 4 syllabus blocks, as mentioned below –
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Exam Block #1: Computer Programming and Python Fundamentals (18%)
Objectives covered by the block: 7 exam items
Topics include:
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fundamental concepts: interpreting and the interpreter, compilation and the compiler, lexis, syntax, and semantics
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Python logic and structure: keywords, instructions, indentation, and comments
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literals: Boolean, integer, floating-point numbers, scientific notation, and strings
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numeral systems: binary, octal, decimal, and hexadecimal
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variables and naming conventions
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Basic PEP 8 recommendations
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numeric operators: **, *, /, %, //, +, –
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string operators: * and +
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assignment and shortcut operators
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unary and binary operators
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operator priorities and binding
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bitwise operators: ~, &, ^, |, <<, >>
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Boolean operators: not, and, or
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Boolean expressions
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relational operators: ==, !=, >, >=, <, <=
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floating-point accuracy
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type casting
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basic input and output using print(), input(), int(), and float()
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formatting print() output with sep= and end=
2. Exam Block #2: Control Flow – Conditional Blocks and Loops (29%)
Objectives covered by the block: 8 exam items
Topics include:
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conditional statements: if, if-else, if-elif, and if-elif-else
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multiple conditional statements
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nested conditional statements
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the pass instruction
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building loops using while, for, range(), and in
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iterating through sequences
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while-else and for-else
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nested loops and nested conditions
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controlling loop execution using break and continue
3. Exam Block #3: Data Collections – Tuples, Dictionaries, Lists, and Strings (25%)
Objectives covered by the block: 7 exam items
Topics include:
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lists: constructing vectors, indexing, slicing, and using len()
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list methods: append(), insert(), index(), and related methods
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list functions such as len() and sorted()
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the del instruction
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iterating through lists using for loops
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the in and not in operators
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list comprehensions
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copying and cloning lists
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lists inside lists: matrices and cubes
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tuples: indexing, slicing, building, and immutability
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tuples vs. lists: similarities and differences
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lists inside tuples and tuples inside lists
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dictionaries: building, indexing, adding and removing keys
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iterating through dictionaries, keys, and values
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checking whether a key exists
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dictionary methods: keys(), items(), and values()
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strings: constructing, indexing, slicing, and immutability
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escaping characters using \
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quotes and apostrophes inside strings
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multi-line strings
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basic string functions and methods
4. Exam Block #4: Functions and Exceptions (28%)
Objectives covered by the block: 8 exam items
Topics include:
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defining and invoking user-defined functions and generators
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the return keyword and returning results
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the None keyword
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recursion
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parameters vs. arguments
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positional, keyword, and mixed argument passing
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default parameter values
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name scopes, name hiding/shadowing, and the global keyword
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Python built-in exception hierarchy:
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BaseException
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Exception
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SystemExit
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KeyboardInterrupt
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abstract exceptions
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ArithmeticError
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LookupError
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IndexError
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KeyError
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TypeError
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ValueError
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basics of Python exception handling:
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try-except
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ordering except branches
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propagating exceptions through function boundaries
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delegating responsibility for handling exceptions
PCEP Certification: Exam Information
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PCEP Certification: Exam Information
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Exam Name: PCEPâ„¢ – Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer
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Current Exam Code: PCEP-30-02
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Status: Active, scheduled for retirement on August 31, 2026
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Next Version: PCEP-30-03 is currently in development
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Exam Level: Entry
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Prerequisites: None
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Duration: 40 minutes exam + approximately 5 minutes for NDA/tutorial
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Number of Questions: 30
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Format: Single-select and multiple-select questions, drag & drop, gap fill, sort, code fill, code insertion, interactive and scenario-based items
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Passing Score: 70%
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Exam Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Japanese
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Course Language: English
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Exam Price: From USD 69, based on the current Python Institute/OpenEDG listing
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Delivery Channel: OpenEDG Testing Service – TestNow™
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Testing Policies: Available on the official Python Institute/OpenEDG website
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Exam Syllabus: Available on the official Python Institute PCEP syllabus page
PCEP certification is a professional Entry-Level Python Programmer Exam to test a person’s ability to understand basic coding related to the Fundamentals of Python Programming. The candidate should have basic knowledge of Python Programming, its syntax, semantics, and basic concepts like the following –
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Basic concepts like literals, print(), input(), numbers, strings, etc.
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Basic knowledge of operators – unary, binary, bitwise, boolean, relational operators, simple strings, data type, evaluation, I-O, etc.
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Control Flow – Loops, If, While, for, break, continue, pass
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Basic data collections – Lists, tuples, dictionaries, strings
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Functions and Exceptions – arguments, parameters, recursion, scope, global keyword, positional and keyword arguments, None, return, yield, default parameters, exception hierarchy, and basic try-except handling.
Other benefits of the PCEP course
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This course will strengthen your Python fundamentals, which can help you write small Python programs and projects with more confidence.
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This course can also help you check whether you are ready to move toward PCAP-level Python preparation.
