PCEP Practice Question: Functions, Tuples, Dictionaries and Exceptions

Consider the following code:

def foo(x, y):
    return x * y

result = foo(y=2, 3)

What is the error?

⚠ Common exam trap

The PCEP exam often tests the rule that positional arguments must precede keyword arguments in a function call, and the trap here is that candidates may mistakenly think the error is about missing arguments or invalid keyword usage, rather than the ordering violation.

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

✓

A positional argument follows a keyword argument.

In Python, when calling a function, all positional arguments must appear before any keyword arguments. The call `foo(y=2, 3)` violates this rule by placing a positional argument (`3`) after a keyword argument (`y=2`), which raises a SyntaxError. This is enforced by Python's parser to avoid ambiguity in argument binding.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

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

✗
The function requires at least one argument but none provided.
Why it's wrong here
Arguments are provided; the error is ordering.
✓
A positional argument follows a keyword argument.
Why this is correct
In Python, positional arguments must come before any keyword arguments.
✗
Keyword arguments cannot be used in function calls.
Why it's wrong here
Keyword arguments are allowed, but they must come after positional arguments.
✗
The function definition has too many parameters.
Why it's wrong here
The function definition is fine; it takes two parameters.

Go deeper

PCEP Practice Question: Functions, Tuples, Dictionaries and Exceptions

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

Related to this question