PCEP Practice Question: Functions, Tuples, Dictionaries and Exceptions

A script counts occurrences of words in a text file. The current code uses: if word in count_dict: count_dict[word] += 1 else: count_dict[word] = 1. Which alternative is more concise and Pythonic?

⚠ Common exam trap

The PCEP exam often tests the distinction between `dict.get()` and direct indexing, trapping candidates who forget that direct access (`dict[key]`) raises `KeyError` for missing keys, while `get()` safely returns a default.

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

✓

count_dict[word] = count_dict.get(word, 0) + 1

`dict.get(word, 0)` returns the current count for `word` (or 0 if missing), then adds 1 and assigns back. This replaces the explicit `if/else` with a single line, making the code more concise and Pythonic while preserving the same logic.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
Use collections.Counter
Why it's wrong here
Counter is a specialized tool, but the question asks for a modification using built-in constructs; also Counter may not be imported.
✗
count_dict[word] = count_dict[word] + 1
Why it's wrong here
This will raise KeyError if the word is not already in the dictionary.
✗
count_dict.setdefault(word, 0); count_dict[word] += 1
Why it's wrong here
This works but is two lines and less efficient than the get() approach.
✓
count_dict[word] = count_dict.get(word, 0) + 1
Why this is correct
The get() method returns the current count or 0 if missing, allowing a one-liner update.

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PCEP Practice Question: Functions, Tuples, Dictionaries and Exceptions

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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