Question 20 of 498
PCEP Practice Question: Data Types, Variables, Basic I/O and Operators
A beginner writes: x = '10'; y = 20; print(x + y). What happens?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often expect Python to behave like JavaScript or PHP, which implicitly coerce types, but Python strictly requires explicit type conversion for mixed-type operations.
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
✓
Raises TypeError
Python's type system does not allow implicit concatenation of a string and an integer. The variable `x` is a string (`'10'`), and `y` is an integer (`20`). The `+` operator with these types triggers a `TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for +: 'int' and 'str'` (or vice versa), as Python refuses to guess the programmer's intent.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Raises TypeError
Why this is correct
Incompatible types for +.
- ✗
Prints 30
Why it's wrong here
No implicit conversion.
- ✗
Prints 10 + 20
Why it's wrong here
Not a string representation.
- ✗
Prints 1020
Why it's wrong here
Only if both were strings.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This PCEP 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 PCEP exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.