Python · recruiter script
Python screening questions for recruiters
A Python screening script for recruiters. Read the prompt aloud and score the answer against the rubric.
1. What is the difference between a list and a tuple in Python?
- Junior
- Lists are mutable, tuples are not.
- Senior
- Immutability implications: tuples hashable as dict keys, semantic use for fixed records.
- Red flag
- Cannot state that one is mutable and one is not.
2. What does it mean that Python has a Global Interpreter Lock (GIL)?
- Junior
- Only one thread runs Python bytecode at a time.
- Senior
- CPU-bound threads do not parallelize; use multiprocessing or async for I/O; CPython-specific.
- Red flag
- Never heard of it and cannot reason about threading limits.
3. How would you manage dependencies and environments for a Python project?
- Junior
- pip and requirements.txt.
- Senior
- Virtual environments, lockfiles, tools like poetry/uv, reproducibility.
- Red flag
- Installs everything globally and sees no problem.
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These questions are the free version. StepUP runs the full structured Python interview and returns a scored report.