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.
A developer writes the following code: result = (5 + 3) * 2 ** 3 // 4. What is the value of result?
8
Why wrong: Incorrect: this would result from (5+3)*2**3/4 without floor division.
16
Correct: follows precedence and left-associativity.
13
Why wrong: Incorrect: wrong order of operations.
64
Why wrong: Incorrect: this would result if multiplication was done before exponentiation.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
16
Option B is correct because Python follows the operator precedence rules: exponentiation (**) is evaluated before multiplication and division, and multiplication/division are evaluated before addition/subtraction. The expression evaluates as: 2 ** 3 = 8, then (5 + 3) = 8, then 8 * 8 = 64, then 64 // 4 = 16. The integer division (//) yields an integer result of 16.
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.
8
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: this would result from (5+3)*2**3/4 without floor division.
16
Why this is correct
Correct: follows precedence and left-associativity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
13
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: wrong order of operations.
64
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: this would result if multiplication was done before exponentiation.
Common exam traps
Python Institute often tests the combination of exponentiation and floor division with parentheses, where candidates forget that ** binds tighter than * and //, leading them to compute (5+3)*2 = 16, then 16**3 = 4096, then 4096//4 = 1024, or they ignore the // and just compute 8*8=64.
Detailed technical explanation
Python's operator precedence is defined in the language specification (PEP 308 and the official documentation), where exponentiation (**) has higher precedence than multiplication (*), division (/), floor division (//), and modulo (%), which in turn have higher precedence than addition (+) and subtraction (-). The floor division operator (//) always returns an integer result, truncating toward negative infinity, which is critical in mixed-type expressions. In real-world scenarios, such as calculating pixel positions or resource allocation, misordering operations can lead to off-by-one errors or incorrect integer results.
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: 16 — Option B is correct because Python follows the operator precedence rules: exponentiation (**) is evaluated before multiplication and division, and multiplication/division are evaluated before addition/subtraction. The expression evaluates as: 2 ** 3 = 8, then (5 + 3) = 8, then 8 * 8 = 64, then 64 // 4 = 16. The integer division (//) yields an integer result of 16.
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 30, 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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