PCEP Control Flow, Loops, Lists and Logic Practice Question
This PCEP practice question tests your understanding of control flow, loops, lists and logic. 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 needs to write a loop that prints all even numbers from a list. They attempt: for num in numbers: if num % 2 == 0: print(num). However, they want a more efficient approach using list comprehension. Which alternative achieves the same result?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
for even in [num for num in numbers if num % 2 == 0]: print(even)
Option C is correct because it uses a list comprehension to generate a list of even numbers, then iterates over that list with a for loop, printing each even number. This achieves the same result as the original loop but with the efficiency of list comprehension for filtering, while still printing each number individually.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
print([num for num in numbers if num % 2 == 0])
Why it's wrong here
This prints the entire list of evens at once, not each number individually.
✗
for num in numbers: print(num if num % 2 == 0 else None)
Why it's wrong here
This prints None for odd numbers, not desired.
✓
for even in [num for num in numbers if num % 2 == 0]: print(even)
Why this is correct
Correct: list comprehension filters even numbers, then loop prints each.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
print([num % 2 == 0 for num in numbers])
Why it's wrong here
This creates a list of booleans, not printing the numbers.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Python Institute often tests the distinction between generating a list of filtered values versus printing them individually, and the trap here is that candidates may think option A is correct because it uses list comprehension, but they overlook that it prints the entire list as a single output, not each element separately.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
List comprehensions in Python are syntactic sugar for building lists from iterables, often more efficient than manual for loops due to internal optimizations in CPython. The expression [num for num in numbers if num % 2 == 0] creates a new list by iterating over numbers and applying the filter condition, which is then iterated by the for loop in option C. This approach is common in data processing pipelines where you need to both filter and process items sequentially.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Control Flow, Loops, Lists and Logic — This question tests Control Flow, Loops, Lists and Logic — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: for even in [num for num in numbers if num % 2 == 0]: print(even) — Option C is correct because it uses a list comprehension to generate a list of even numbers, then iterates over that list with a for loop, printing each even number. This achieves the same result as the original loop but with the efficiency of list comprehension for filtering, while still printing each number individually.
What should I do if I get this PCEP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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