A Short Introduction to Computer Programming Using Python

This reading material serves as a preparation for an aptitude test for several MSc programs at Birkbeck, University of London. This test is an online test that one can take via a web browser, and it only assumes the content presented in this document. The questions on the test are similar in style to those in Section 5.

This booklet is designed to be self-contained. However, we will point you to several external resources which we recommend if you are interested in further explanations, additional background, and (also interactive) exercises.

We recommend two electronic textbooks in particular: “Python for Everybody – Exploring Data Using Python 3” by Charles R. Severance and “Think Python – How to Think Like a Computer Scientist” by Allen Downey.  There are also interactive editions that can be used online, which will give you immediate feedback.