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Python OPPE 1 — preparation map
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Python OPPE 1 — preparation map
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2026-08-01
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Now · 1. Values, expressions, and strings
Python OPPE 1 — preparation map
Preparation only. IITM's 12 June 2026 policy says that using an LLM in an OPPE or programming assignment is prohibited. Use this before the assessment to learn and practise independently; do not open Learning OS during the exam.
The official scope recorded in that email is Weeks 1–5. Work through each loop: orient → retrieve → practise → reflect.
1. Values, expressions, and strings
You should be able to explain: the difference between a value, variable, expression, and statement;
int versus float; conversion with int(), float(), and str(); string indexing and slicing.Retrieve without notes: Predict the type and output of five expressions involving
//, %, /, comparisons, and string repetition. Then run them and explain every mismatch.Common traps:
input() gives a string; / returns a float; negative indexing starts at the right; slicing excludes its stop index.2. Decisions
You should be able to explain: Boolean expressions, truth tables, branch order, and when nested
if is clearer than a compound condition.Practise: Write a fresh program that classifies a temperature as freezing, cool, warm, or hot. Test exactly at each boundary, one value below it, and one above it.
Common traps: writing
if score >= 90 or <= 100; using = instead of ==; putting a broad condition before a narrower one.3. Iteration
You should be able to explain: when
while is better than for, how range(start, stop, step) ends, and what must change in a terminating while loop.Practise: Given a positive integer, independently write a loop that computes a digit property you choose (sum, count, or product). Trace it by hand using a three-column table: current number, extracted digit, accumulator.
Common traps: an update outside the loop, an off-by-one
range, and resetting an accumulator inside the loop.4. Loop control and pattern construction
You should be able to explain:
break, continue, pass, nested loops, counters, accumulators, and how output position is controlled by indentation.Practise: Print an original rectangle or staircase pattern. Before running it, state what the outer loop counts, what the inner loop counts, and which
print keeps output on the same line.Common traps: an accidental infinite loop after
continue; break only exiting the innermost loop; putting the newline-producing print() at the wrong indentation level.45-minute rehearsal loop
- Spend 10 minutes recalling the four areas above from a blank page.
- Spend 20 minutes solving two original, unseen mini-programs on paper or in a plain editor.
- Spend 10 minutes tracing each program line by line with concrete inputs.
- Spend 5 minutes writing one error pattern you will check first next time.
If you bring a doubt here, include your reasoning and the smallest code fragment you wrote. I can explain the concept and give an analogous check without doing a live graded task for you.