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OPPE 1

OPPE 1 covers Weeks 1–5 of the Programming in Python course. It tests foundational Python - strings, lists, functions, conditionals, loops, and basic I/O.

Exam Structure

Section Questions Marks each Total
Section 1 3 10 30
Section 2 2 15/20 30/40
Section 3 2 20/15 40/30
Total 7 - 100

Syllabus (Weeks 1–5)

  • Week 1 - Python basics, variables, data types, expressions, print(), input()
  • Week 2 - Strings - indexing, slicing, methods (split, join, upper, lower, etc.)
  • Week 3 - Conditionals (if, elif, else), loops (for, while), range()
  • Week 4 - Functions - defining, calling, arguments, return values, scope
  • Week 5 - Lists, tuples, basic list methods, iteration over sequences

Know Your Exam - Section-wise Patterns

Section 1 (10 marks each)

Standard function-writing problems. Expect string manipulation, dictionary operations, or simple list tasks. These are the most straightforward - always start here.

Section 2 (15 marks each)

  • S2P1 - Function-writing, slightly harder than Section 1. Often involves loops with a condition (e.g. find the last/first element matching something).
  • S2P2 - Almost always a full I/O problem (no function signature given - you write the entire program with input() and print()). Typically involves string processing: reading multiple lines, transforming them, and printing the result. Read all lines first before processing.

Section 3 (20 marks each)

  • S3P1 - Function-writing, hardest of the set. May involve nested loops, 2D lists, or dictionary comprehensions.
  • S3P2 - Almost always a pattern printing problem (full I/O). You print a shape made of * or digits, centred or aligned. Master str.center(), f"{s:^{w}}", and the 2i-1 stars formula.

General strategy

Attempt in order of confidence, not section order. S1 problems are safest marks. If S3P2 is a pattern you recognise, do it early - it can be very quick.

Exam Sets

2026

OPPE 1 - 2026

January session

See Solutions
2025

OPPE 1 - 2025

January, May sessions

See Solutions
2024

OPPE 1 - 2024

September sessions

See Solutions

Slide downloads

All slide decks are in the GitHub repository.