When learning Python, lists quickly become one of the most useful tools in your coding journey. From storing data in a flexible way to performing operations with ease, lists open the door to countless possibilities. As a beginner, practicing list questions not only improves your problem-solving ability but also strengthens your overall Python foundation. Whether you’re preparing for coding interviews, brushing up for exams, or just polishing your programming logic, these list questions in Python will give you hands-on experience.
In this guide, we’ll cover 20 must-try list questions that range from simple exercises to slightly challenging problems. These will help you understand list creation, indexing, slicing, iteration, searching, sorting, and even integrating with other Python concepts like loops and functions. We’ll also touch on how lists work with string operations, which is a common requirement in many coding tasks. By the end, you’ll not only practice but also gain the confidence to tackle real-world Python problems.
What You’ll Learn in This Guide:
- Basics of list creation and indexing
- How to update, delete, and manipulate list elements
- Common interview-style list questions in Python
- Integration of lists with string handling
- Problem-solving strategies for beginners
- Tips to write clean and efficient list-based solutions
1. Create a list of 5 numbers, replace the 3rd element with 99, and print the list.
numbers = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50] numbers[2] = 99 print(numbers) # Output: [10, 20, 99, 40, 50]
2. Given a list of names, add "Ali" only if it doesn’t already exist.
names = ["Sara", "John", "Maya"]
if "Ali" not in names:
names.append("Ali")
print(names)
# Output: ['Sara', 'John', 'Maya', 'Ali']
3. Reverse a list without using .reverse() or slicing.
nums = [1, 2, 3, 4]
reversed_list = []
for n in nums:
reversed_list.insert(0, n)
print(reversed_list)
# Output: [4, 3, 2, 1]
4. Multiply every element of a list by 2.
nums = [2, 4, 6] doubled = [n*2 for n in nums] print(doubled) # Output: [4, 8, 12]
5. Remove all negative numbers from a list.
nums = [5, -2, 8, -7, 3] positive = [n for n in nums if n >= 0] print(positive) # Output: [5, 8, 3]
6. Find the second largest number in a list.
nums = [10, 25, 7, 40, 32] unique = list(set(nums)) unique.sort() print(unique[-2]) # Output: 32
7. Join two lists element-wise into a new list of tuples.
a = [1, 2, 3] b = ['x', 'y', 'z'] pairs = list(zip(a, b)) print(pairs) # Output: [(1, 'x'), (2, 'y'), (3, 'z')]
8. Count how many times 7 appears in a list.
nums = [7, 2, 7, 3, 7, 5] print(nums.count(7)) # Output: 3
9. Find the difference between the largest and smallest element in a list.
nums = [12, 7, 25, 3, 19] print(max(nums) - min(nums)) # Output: 22
10. Rotate a list by moving the last element to the front.
nums = [1, 2, 3, 4] rotated = [nums[-1]] + nums[:-1] print(rotated) # Output: [4, 1, 2, 3]
11. Remove duplicates from a list while keeping the original order.
nums = [2, 3, 2, 5, 3, 7]
unique = []
for n in nums:
if n not in unique:
unique.append(n)
print(unique)
# Output: [2, 3, 5, 7]
12. Check if a list is sorted in ascending order.
nums = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] print(nums == sorted(nums)) # Output: True
13. Convert a list of strings to a single string separated by commas.
words = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"] result = ", ".join(words) print(result) # Output: apple, banana, cherry
14. Find all even numbers in a list.
nums = [11, 20, 33, 42, 55] evens = [n for n in nums if n % 2 == 0] print(evens) # Output: [20, 42]
15. Create a list of squares from 1 to 10.
squares = [n**2 for n in range(1, 11)] print(squares) # Output: [1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100]
16. Swap the first and last element of a list.
nums = [5, 10, 15, 20] nums[0], nums[-1] = nums[-1], nums[0] print(nums) # Output: [20, 10, 15, 5]
17. Check if two lists have at least one common element.
a = [1, 2, 3] b = [4, 5, 3] print(any(x in a for x in b)) # Output: True
18. Remove all empty strings from a list.
words = ["hi", "", "hello", "", "world"] cleaned = [w for w in words if w != ""] print(cleaned) # Output: ['hi', 'hello', 'world']
19. Get the index of the first occurrence of 50 in a list.
nums = [10, 20, 50, 40, 50] print(nums.index(50)) # Output: 2
20. Merge two lists without using + operator.
a = [1, 2]
b = [3, 4]
for n in b:
a.append(n)
print(a)
# Output: [1, 2, 3, 4]
Conclusion
Lists in Python aren’t just another data type — they are the foundation of problem-solving and coding efficiency. By practicing these 20 must-try list questions in Python, you’ll sharpen your logic, improve your confidence, and be ready to face any coding challenge. If you’re a beginner, this is the perfect place to start. And don’t forget, learning about string manipulation alongside lists will give you a double advantage in coding. Keep practicing, stay consistent, and soon you’ll master one of the most powerful tools Python has to offer.