PCEP Practice Question: Functions, Tuples, Dictionaries and Exceptions
Which THREE of the following are characteristics of Python tuples?
⚠ Common exam trap
The PCEP exam often tests the distinction between mutable and immutable types by pairing 'ordered' and 'hashable' as correct for tuples, while candidates mistakenly think tuples support item assignment or are mutable because they confuse them with lists.
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
✓
They are hashable
Tuples are immutable sequences, and immutability is a key requirement for an object to be hashable in Python. A hashable object must have a hash value that never changes during its lifetime, which allows it to be used as a dictionary key or set member. Since tuples cannot be modified after creation, they satisfy this requirement, provided all their elements are also hashable.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
They are hashable
Why this is correct
Tuples are hashable if all their elements are hashable, allowing them to be used as dictionary keys.
- ✓
They are ordered
Why this is correct
Tuples maintain the order of elements as they were defined.
- ✗
They are mutable
Why it's wrong here
Tuples are immutable; their elements cannot be changed once created.
- ✗
They support item assignment
Why it's wrong here
Tuples do not support item assignment because they are immutable.
- ✓
They can contain duplicate values
Why this is correct
Tuples can have repeated values; duplicates are allowed.
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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.