This PCAP practice question tests your understanding of modules and packages. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A developer is troubleshooting an ImportError: 'No module named 'config''. The config module is located in a subdirectory 'utils' relative to the script. The script's current working directory is the parent of 'utils'. Which of the following lines, added to the script, will resolve the issue?
sys.path.append('utils/config.py')
Why wrong: append expects a directory, not a file path.
sys.path.append('utils')
This adds the utils directory to the module search path.
sys.path = os.path.join(sys.path, 'utils')
Why wrong: os.path.join returns a string, not a list.
os.chdir('utils')
Why wrong: Changing directory does not add the directory to sys.path.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
sys.path.append('utils')
The ImportError occurs because Python's module search path (sys.path) does not include the 'utils' subdirectory. Adding 'utils' to sys.path via sys.path.append('utils') tells Python to look inside that directory for modules, resolving the import. Option B is correct because it extends the search path to include the directory containing the config module, without altering the script's working directory or incorrectly appending a file path.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
sys.path.append('utils/config.py')
Why it's wrong here
append expects a directory, not a file path.
sys.path.append('utils')
Why this is correct
This adds the utils directory to the module search path.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
sys.path = os.path.join(sys.path, 'utils')
Why it's wrong here
os.path.join returns a string, not a list.
os.chdir('utils')
Why it's wrong here
Changing directory does not add the directory to sys.path.
Common exam traps
Python Institute often tests the distinction between modifying sys.path with a directory versus a file path, and the trap here is that candidates mistakenly think appending the full file path (option A) or using os.path.join on a list (option C) will work, when only a directory path appended to the list is correct.
Detailed technical explanation
When Python encounters an import statement, it iterates over each directory in sys.path (which includes the script's directory, PYTHONPATH, and site-packages) until it finds a matching module or package. Adding a directory to sys.path modifies the search path at runtime, but this change is temporary and does not persist across interpreter restarts. In real-world projects, developers often use relative imports or set PYTHONPATH in the environment to avoid hardcoding path modifications.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
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FAQ
Modules and Packages — This question tests Modules and Packages — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: sys.path.append('utils') — The ImportError occurs because Python's module search path (sys.path) does not include the 'utils' subdirectory. Adding 'utils' to sys.path via sys.path.append('utils') tells Python to look inside that directory for modules, resolving the import. Option B is correct because it extends the search path to include the directory containing the config module, without altering the script's working directory or incorrectly appending a file path.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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