PCAP list Practice Question
Exhibit
Consider the following Python code: s = 'Python Programming' print(s.split())
Consider the following code: print(type('apple,banana,cherry'.split(','))) What type of value is printed?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates may incorrectly think that `split()` returns a tuple or that the type of a list literal is printed as 'list' due to confusion with brackets. However, `split()` always returns a list, so `type()` outputs `<class 'list'>`.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
list
The `split()` method of a string returns a list of substrings. Thus, `type()` on that result returns `<class 'list'>`, indicating that the value is a list.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
list
Why this is correct
When you call split() on a string, Python parses the string and returns a list of substrings, using whitespace or a specified separator as the delimiter. This list is mutable, so you can modify, index, or iterate over it. For example, 'a,b'.split(',') yields the list ['a', 'b'].
- ✗
tuple
Why it's wrong here
Unlike a tuple, which is an immutable sequence enclosed in parentheses, split() constructs a mutable list with square-bracket semantics. The method does not produce a tuple at any time; even if you use tuple(s.split()), you still must convert the list. Attempting to call tuple methods on the result would fail because the return type is list, not tuple.
- ✗
string
Why it's wrong here
A string is a single immutable sequence of characters, but split() breaks the original string into multiple substrings stored in a collection. The result is never one string; it is an ordered container of strings. If it returned a string, you would lose the boundaries between words and be unable to access individual pieces by index as separate entities. Therefore, the correct type is a list containing each piece as a separate string element.
- ✗
dict
Why it's wrong here
A dictionary stores key–value pairs and is accessed by unique keys, but split() produces an unkeyed, positionally ordered collection of strings. There is no hash mapping or key association in the output; each element is simply a substring. To get a dict, you would have to manually construct one, for example by enumerating the list from split() and assigning keys.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.