Python Interview Questions for Data Analyst Jobs: 5 Tips

Python Interview Questions for Data Analyst Jobs: Starting your career in data analytics can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re preparing for your very first interview. And if you ask any recruiter, they’ll tell you one thing straight: Python is non-negotiable for a data analyst.

In fact, according to a report by NASSCOM, Python remains the most preferred programming language for analytics because of its simplicity and versatility. Whether it’s cleaning messy data, generating reports, or doing quick visualisations, Python is the backbone of most entry-level analytics work.

This blog is exclusively written by us for freshers, helping you prepare for your interviews. You’ll find a mix of python interview questions and answers for freshers, basic interview questions on Python, and even the most asked python interview questions that come up again and again in fresher-level interviews.

Along the way, we’ll also talk about the career in data analytics, whether data science is a good career, and even highlight the best data science courses and data science courses in Bangalore that can help you prepare better.

So, are you ready to crack that job interview?!

Why Python Skills Matter for Freshers in Data Analytics

When companies hire freshers, they’re not expecting you to know every machine learning algorithm out there. What they’re really looking for is:

• Can you handle data files like CSV or Excel using Python?
• Do you know how to clean, filter, and manipulate datasets?
• Can you generate basic visualisations to make sense of data?
• Do you understand Python libraries like Pandas and NumPy at a beginner level?

If you can answer these confidently, you already stand out.

And here’s the good news, Python is beginner-friendly. You don’t need years of coding experience to start applying it in analytics. That’s why many people taking data analytics training or enrolling in the best data science courses begin their journey with Python.

To put it simply, if you want to build a solid career in data analytics, start with Python.

Read More: Top 50 SQL Interview Questions for Data Analyst Roles in 2025

Basic Interview Questions on Python for Data Analyst Freshers

As a fresher, the interviewer will test your basics first. Let’s go through some of the most common basic interview questions on Python that you must know:

What is Python and why is it used in Data Analytics?
Python is an open-source, high-level programming language that’s popular because it’s easy to learn and has libraries like Pandas, NumPy, and Matplotlib. In analytics, it’s used to clean, process, and analyse data.

What are Python Lists and Tuples?

• A List is mutable (you can change it).
• A Tuple is immutable (you can’t change it once created).
  Example:

• my_list = [1,2,3]
• my_tuple = (1,2,3)

What are Dictionaries in Python?
Dictionaries store data in key-value pairs. They’re useful when you want to quickly access values using keys.

What is Pandas, and why is it important?
Pandas is a library in Python used for data manipulation. It provides DataFrame objects, which make it easy to handle structured data.

What is NumPy?
NumPy stands for Numerical Python. It’s used for numerical computations and works with multi-dimensional arrays.

How do you handle missing data in Python?
Using Pandas, you can use methods like:

• dropna() to remove missing rows.
• fillna() to replace missing values with a default.

What is the difference between .loc and .iloc in Pandas?

• .loc[] is label-based indexing.
• .iloc[] is integer position-based indexing.

How do you read a CSV file in Python?
Using Pandas:

import pandas as pd
df = pd.read_csv("file.csv")

What is the difference between Python 2 and Python 3?
Most companies use Python 3, which has better syntax and support. For freshers, just be familiar with Python 3.

Why is Python preferred over Excel for Data Analytics?
Excel works for small data, but Python can handle large datasets, automate tasks, and perform complex operations much faster.

These python interview questions and answers for freshers form the foundation. Mastering them ensures you can confidently handle the first stage of interviews.

Most Asked Python Interview Questions for Freshers

Now let’s look at some of the most asked python interview questions that recruiters commonly test:

1. Explain the difference between NumPy arrays and Python lists.
   NumPy arrays are faster and more efficient for mathematical operations compared to lists.
2. What are DataFrames in Pandas?
   DataFrames are 2-dimensional labelled data structures, similar to Excel sheets. They are used heavily in analytics.
3. How do you merge two datasets in Pandas?
   You can use the merge() or concat() functions.
4. How do you find duplicate rows in a dataset? df[df.duplicated()]
5. How do you calculate summary statistics of a dataset?
   Using df.describe(), you can get mean, median, std, min, max, etc.
6. What is the use of Matplotlib?
   It is a library for creating static, animated, and interactive visualisations.

These questions are among the top python interview questions asked repeatedly.

Top Python Interview Questions with Simple Answers

Here are some additional top python interview questions that freshers often face:

• What is the difference between shallow copy and deep copy in Python?
  • Shallow copy creates a new object but references the original elements.
  • Deep copy creates a new object with a new copy of elements.
• What is slicing in Python?
  Slicing allows you to extract parts of lists, tuples, or strings using [start:end:step].
• What is type casting in Python?
  Converting one data type into another, e.g., int("5") converts a string to integer.
• How do you handle outliers in Python?
  By using statistical techniques such as IQR (Interquartile Range) or Z-score.

These are simple but powerful examples of python interview questions and answers for freshers that can make a difference.

Scenario-Based Python Questions for Freshers

Apart from theory, companies also test problem-solving. Here are some fresher-friendly scenario-based questions:

• You have a dataset with missing salary values. How would you handle it?
  Answer: Use df.fillna(df['Salary'].mean()) to replace missing values with the average.
• How would you count the number of employees in each department?
  Answer: Using groupby():

df.groupby('Department')['EmployeeID'].count()

• How would you merge customer details with transaction details?
  Answer: Use Pandas merge() function on a common key like CustomerID.

These most asked python interview questions check if you can apply Python to business.

Extra Career Guidance for Freshers by ZELL

Now that you’ve seen the questions, let’s talk about what lies ahead. Many freshers ask: is data science a good career?

The answer is yes. Data analytics and data science are booming in India, with Naukri.com listing over 50,000+ fresher-friendly jobs every month.

To prepare, you can:

• Enrol in data analytics training programs.
• Explore data science courses in Bangalore, which is considered India’s IT hub.
• Compare the best data science courses online or offline based on your career goals.

Remember, technical skills like Python combined with the right training can give you a big edge.

5 Tips to Crack a Fresher’s Data Analyst Interview

• Revise Python Basics: Lists, tuples, dictionaries, DataFrames.
• Practice Coding: Try simple problems on platforms like HackerRank.
• Do Mini Projects: Showcase a project on analysing sales data or survey results.
• Learn SQL Along with Python: SQL is equally important for analytics roles.
• Stay Confident: As a fresher, attitude matters as much as technical answers.

On A Final Note…

We’ve walked through the most important python interview questions for data analyst freshers, covering everything from basic interview questions on python to most asked python interview questions and python interview questions and answers for freshers.

If you’re serious about building a career in data analytics, mastering these questions and supplementing them with data analytics training or enrolling in the best data science courses will help you stand out. For those in India, especially, exploring data science courses in Bangalore can be a game-changer.

As the saying goes: “The expert in anything was once a beginner.” Start small, practise consistently, and soon enough, Python will feel like second nature.

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