PCEP Control Flow, Loops, Lists and Logic Practice Question
A program needs to print the index and value of each item in a list named 'items'. Which code snippet correctly does this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Python Institute often tests the misconception that `items.index(item)` is a reliable way to get the current index, but it fails with duplicate values and is computationally expensive, leading candidates to incorrectly select option D.
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
✓
Both A and C are correct
Both Option A and Option C are valid code snippets that correctly print the index and value of each item in the list. Option A uses the clean, Pythonic enumerate() function. Option C uses range(len(items)) to iterate by index. Since both are correct, the best answer is B, which correctly identifies that both A and C are correct. Option D is incorrect because items.index(item) can fail with duplicate values and is inefficient.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
for i, item in enumerate(items): print(i, item)
Why it's wrong here
Correct. `enumerate(items)` yields index-value pairs, which are printed correctly.
- ✓
Both A and C are correct
Why this is correct
Incorrect. This option is a meta-statement, not a code snippet. The question asks for the correct code snippet, so it does not qualify.
- ✗
for i in range(len(items)): print(i, items[i])
Why it's wrong here
Correct. Iterating over indices and accessing `items[i]` gives the index and value, achieving the goal.
- ✗
for item in items: print(items.index(item), item)
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. `items.index(item)` returns the first occurrence index, which is unreliable with duplicates and inefficient, so this does not correctly print index and value for all items.
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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.