PCEP Practice Question: Functions, Tuples, Dictionaries and Exceptions
A developer wants to create a tuple containing a single integer value 5. Which code snippet correctly creates such a tuple?
⚠ Common exam trap
The PCEP exam often tests the misconception that parentheses alone create a tuple, leading candidates to choose `(5)` instead of `(5,)`.
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
✓
t = (5,)
A tuple with a single element requires a trailing comma to disambiguate it from a parenthesized expression. Without the comma, Python treats parentheses as grouping operators, not tuple syntax. Thus, `(5,)` creates a tuple containing the integer 5, while `(5)` is just the integer 5.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
t = [5]
Why it's wrong here
Square brackets build a list, so t = [5] yields a mutable list rather than a tuple. It is tempting because both are ordered sequences, but the requirement specifies a tuple. Tuple syntax uses parentheses with a trailing comma for a single element: t = (5,).
- ✗
t = (5)
Why it's wrong here
t = (5) evaluates the parenthesised expression to the integer 5, so t holds an int, not a tuple. Parentheses group here rather than construct. It is tempting because multi-element tuples accept parentheses, but a one-element tuple needs the trailing comma: t = (5,).
- ✗
t = 5
Why it's wrong here
Assigning t = 5 binds an int, not a tuple; parentheses, not bare assignment, create tuple literals. It is tempting because tuples are often written without brackets, but that shorthand applies only to multi-element tuples. A single-element tuple requires a trailing comma: t = (5,).
- ✓
t = (5,)
Why this is correct
The trailing comma is what makes this a tuple rather than an integer in parentheses. Python's grammar requires that comma to disambiguate a single-element tuple from a grouped expression, so `(5,)` satisfies the stem's constraint of holding exactly one integer, 5. Without it, `t = (5)` binds an int.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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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.