This PCEP practice question tests your understanding of data types, variables, basic i/o and operators. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. Output of command: python3 -c "print(type(3.14))" <class 'float'>
A developer runs the command and sees the output. Which statement about the data type is correct?
Refer to the exhibit. Output of command: python3 -c "print(type(3.14))" <class 'float'>
3.14 is a decimal.Decimal type.
Why wrong: Not unless explicitly converted.
3.14 is a float, but Python also treats it as a double.
Why wrong: Python's float is double precision, but the type is simply called float.
3.14 is a float in Python.
Correct; the type is float.
3.14 is a string.
Why wrong: It is a numeric literal.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
3.14 is a float in Python.
Option C is correct because in Python, numeric literals with a decimal point, such as 3.14, are always interpreted as the built-in float type. Python does not have a separate 'double' type; its float is implemented as a C double (64-bit IEEE 754), but the language itself refers to it as float. This is a fundamental rule of Python's data type system.
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.
3.14 is a decimal.Decimal type.
Why it's wrong here
Not unless explicitly converted.
3.14 is a float, but Python also treats it as a double.
Why it's wrong here
Python's float is double precision, but the type is simply called float.
3.14 is a float in Python.
Why this is correct
Correct; the type is float.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
3.14 is a string.
Why it's wrong here
It is a numeric literal.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that Python has separate 'float' and 'double' types, similar to languages like C or Java, when in fact Python's float is always double-precision and there is no distinct double type.
Detailed technical explanation
Python's float type is backed by a C double, providing approximately 15–17 decimal digits of precision and a range of about 1e-308 to 1e+308. This means that operations like 0.1 + 0.2 may produce unexpected results (0.30000000000000004) due to binary floating-point representation, which is a common pitfall in financial or scientific computing. Understanding that Python's float is a double-precision IEEE 754 value helps developers anticipate precision issues.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the PCEP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Data Types, Variables, Basic I/O and Operators — This question tests Data Types, Variables, Basic I/O and Operators — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: 3.14 is a float in Python. — Option C is correct because in Python, numeric literals with a decimal point, such as 3.14, are always interpreted as the built-in float type. Python does not have a separate 'double' type; its float is implemented as a C double (64-bit IEEE 754), but the language itself refers to it as float. This is a fundamental rule of Python's data type system.
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 25, 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.
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