This PCAP practice question tests your understanding of strings. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 wants to check if a string ends with a specific suffix. Which method should be used?
endswith()
endswith() returns True if the string ends with the given suffix.
index()
Why wrong: index() returns the index of a substring or raises ValueError, not a boolean.
find()
Why wrong: find() returns the index of a substring or -1 if not found, not a boolean.
startswith()
Why wrong: startswith() checks the beginning of the string, not the end.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
endswith()
The `endswith()` method is specifically designed to check if a string ends with a given suffix, returning a boolean value. This is the correct and most direct approach for the task described, as it avoids manual slicing or comparison.
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.
endswith()
Why this is correct
endswith() returns True if the string ends with the given suffix.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
index()
Why it's wrong here
index() returns the index of a substring or raises ValueError, not a boolean.
find()
Why it's wrong here
find() returns the index of a substring or -1 if not found, not a boolean.
startswith()
Why it's wrong here
startswith() checks the beginning of the string, not the end.
Common exam traps
Python Institute often tests the distinction between `endswith()` and `startswith()`, trapping candidates who confuse prefix and suffix checks, or who mistakenly use `find()` or `index()` which locate substrings anywhere in the string rather than at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, `endswith()` can accept a tuple of suffixes to check against multiple possibilities, and it supports optional start and end parameters to limit the search range within the string. This method is implemented in C for performance, making it faster than manual slicing or regex for suffix checking in large-scale text processing or validation tasks.
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
Strings — This question tests Strings — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: endswith() — The `endswith()` method is specifically designed to check if a string ends with a given suffix, returning a boolean value. This is the correct and most direct approach for the task described, as it avoids manual slicing or comparison.
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
This PCAP practice question is part of Courseiva's free Python Institute certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PCAP exam.
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