Where Can I Find Good Python List Exercises?

Do you feel like you forgot everything you ever knew about Python lists? Wish you could find good practice Python list exercises? This article will share our top picks.

Here is the thing… Practice makes perfect! This is especially true when talking about programming. It’s not enough to watch some videos without putting your newly-acquired skills into practice. Python can be learned quickly, but you still need to solidify your knowledge and practice your coding skills. At LearnPython.com, we offer a plethora of interactive Python courses for beginners. If you’re just getting started with Python, this is the perfect learning platform for you.

Where to Practice Lists in Python

Lists are one of the most important topics to master in Python. A list is one of Python’s four built-in data types for storing a collection of data in one variable. (The other three of these data types are dictionaries, sets, and tuples.)

A Python list stores a sequence of other objects; its elements are ordered and numbered and can be changed. In other words, lists are mutable.

There are many ways to manipulate lists in Python. In fact, you cannot afford to ignore lists; it’s a fundamental component of computer programming in general. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find practice exercises, especially for beginners. So, we’ve collected our favorite resources for practicing Python lists (and other topics).

Online Courses: LearnPython.com

First, I would like to share two interactive courses from LearnPython.com: Python Data Structures in Practice and Built-In Algorithms in Python.

Python Data Structures in Practice covers common Python data structures like lists, tuples, dictionaries, and sets. It contains 118 exercises and will take you about 24 hours to complete. The course goes through each Python data structure and shows typical use cases; interactive exercises to help you solidify your knowledge. It will also give you the opportunity to practice typical coding patterns for lists and other data structures in Python. This is a great start for beginners who do not know how a Python list is typically used. It’s also a good reference for those who are preparing for a Python job interview.

Next, the Built-in Algorithms in Python course will teach you functions commonly used with Python data structures. You’ll learn to find the minimum and maximum value, sum all values, count the number of items, and sort items. In real-world programming, you do not write these functions from scratch; you use the built-in versions in the Python standard library. The 67 exercises fully cover using built-in functions with lists.

Books: 101 Python Challenges  and 101 Extra Python Challenges

101 Python Challenges and101 Extra Computing Challenges by Philippe Kerampran is a series of two Python exercise books.

The first volume, 101 Python Challenges, is divided into ten chapters. It covers a wide range of Python programming concepts, such as loops, recursions, object-oriented programming, and lists.  

The second volume, 101 Extra Python Challenges, contains another set of 101 exercises. The topics are similar to the first book, but at a more advanced level. It will help you  move beyond the basics.

Website: PracticePython.org

Practice Python is a website that offers 39 (and counting) Python list exercises ranging from simple to complex. The exercise difficulty is expressed in chilis to add some spice to your learning. This site offers a variety of exercises, giving you the opportunity to practice your skills in several areas.

Book: Python Workout

Python Workout by Reuven M.Lerner is an excellent book that includes 50 exercises for Python beginners. It uses a series of small projects to help you implement previously-learned concepts like dictionaries, functions, comprehensions, and lists. This is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn more about when to use lists and other Python data structures.

Book: Learn Python the Hard Way

Learn Python the Hard Way teaches you the basics of the Python programming language through 52 easy-to-follow exercises. The book's focus is on teaching you how to think like a programmer and use Python to solve real-world problems. As a nice touch, it includes links to videos that demonstrate the solution to each exercise

One of the great things about Learn Python the Hard Way is its very well-designed exercises. Each exercise builds on the previous ones; by the end of the book, you will have a strong foundation in Python lists and other data structures.

Book: The Python Workbook: A Brief Introduction with Exercises and Solutions

The Python Workbook by Ben Stephenson is a collection of exercises designed to hone your Python skills. It covers lists, tuples, dictionaries, and more advanced topics like object-oriented programming and recursions.

Each exercise includes a brief description of what you’ll accomplish and a hint if you get stuck. It also includes the solutions to each exercise in a separate section at the end of the book.

Whether you are just getting started with Python or looking for some extra practice, this is an excellent resource.

Bonus Book: Python One-Liners: Write Concise, Eloquent Python Like a Professional

Python One-Liners by Christian Mayer shows how to use one-liners (e.g. concise, single-line pieces of code) to solve Python list exercises and more. This is an advanced coding technique, and it’s often faster than other Python iteration methods. It’s very desirable for professional developers.

Among other things, this book contains excellent list exercises. It features tips and tricks, regular expressions, machine learning, core data science topics, and other useful algorithms. You’ll also learn advanced Python features like list comprehension, slicing, lambda functions, regular expressions, map and reduce functions, and slice assignments.

By the end of the book, you will be able to solve Python list exercises (and more) in an elegant one-liner.

Bonus Book: Cracking the Coding Interview

Cracking the Coding Interview is a reference book when you want to get ready for your next coding interview. This work by Gayle Laakmann McDowell contains interview questions and answers for various programming languages, including Python lists. It also teaches programming techniques and algorithm design principles.

While this is a great book, it is not for beginners. However, it’s an essential when you’re preparing for data structure and algorithm questions in a Python job interview.

Closing Thoughts on Python List Exercises

In this article, we’ve seen where you can go to practice and sharpen your Python list skills. I hope you will find these resources helpful. If you choose one or two, I do not doubt that you will improve your Python skills quickly.

And if you want some additional ideas for practicing Python, check out these articles:

• What's the Best Way to Practice Python?
• How to Practice Python Online

Last but not least, do not forget to check our Python Data Structures in Practice course and the Built-in Algorithms in Python course. You can also browse our other articles on LearnPython.com to keep learning and quench your thirst for knowledge.

Happy Pythoning!