Question 88 of 498
PCEP Practice Question: Functions, Tuples, Dictionaries and Exceptions
Which TWO of the following are true about function arguments in Python? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The PCEP exam often tests the distinction between *args (positional) and **kwargs (keyword) and the timing of default argument evaluation, hoping candidates confuse the asterisk syntax or assume defaults are re-evaluated on each call.
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
✓
Arguments can be passed by position or keyword.
Python allows function arguments to be passed either by position (matching the order of parameters in the function definition) or by keyword (using the parameter name explicitly). This flexibility is a core feature of Python's function call semantics, enabling clearer and more flexible code.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Arguments can be passed by position or keyword.
Why this is correct
Correct: Python supports both positional and keyword arguments.
- ✗
Default arguments are evaluated each time the function is called.
Why it's wrong here
They are evaluated only at definition time.
- ✗
*args collects keyword arguments.
Why it's wrong here
*args collects positional arguments into a tuple.
- ✗
**kwargs collects positional arguments.
Why it's wrong here
**kwargs collects keyword arguments into a dictionary.
- ✓
Default arguments are evaluated at function definition time.
Why this is correct
Correct: Default values are computed once when the function is defined.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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