Nitpicking Names

What this Python naming-convention interview question tests

This is a quick diagnostic question designed to probe your grasp of Python's naming rules and reserved-word handling. It sits at the boundary between language fundamentals and practical coding discipline—the kind of thing that separates careful engineers from those who rely on trial-and-error debugging.

To work through it, you'll need to mentally parse a set of variable assignments and identify which ones violate Python's lexical constraints. This touches on reserved keywords, valid identifier syntax, and the underscore conventions Python respects. The question rewards precision: a single misread character or an uncertain rule can flip your answer.

• Python reserved keywords and their strict enforcement
• Valid and invalid identifier characters
• Underscore prefix/suffix semantics
• Numeric and special-character rules in names