UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

Coding Challenge 2025 - Navigators

In the following examples, the symbol >> is used to illustrate the output when the preceding
line(s) of code is executed.

Input
Getting input
Use the input function to get input data. In the coding challenge you must not include any
user prompts; just use a simple input statement as shown below.

Python

quantity = input()

Some questions will require two lines of input. In this case, use two input prompts.

Python

num1 = input()
num2 = input()

Converting between data types (string ↔ integer ↔ float)

Input data is always received as a string of characters. Even if these characters are
numbers they must be converted to a numeric data type before they can be processed as
numbers. This numeric type can be an integer or a real number (float):

Python

# example 1 - convert input string to an integer

quantity_input = input()
quantity = int(quantity_input)

# example 2 - convert input string to a float (real number)

quantity_input = input()
quantity = float(quantity_input)

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UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

Output
Use the print function to produce output. Ensure the format is exactly as required.

Outputting a string or single value

Python

# example 1
print('This is a string')

>> This is a string

# example 2
amount = 5
print(amount)

>> 5

Outputting two strings separated by a space

Python

# example 1
first_name = 'Sofia'
last_name = 'Petra'
print(first_name + ' ' + last_name)

>> Sofia Petra

# example 2 (produces the same output as example 1)

print(f'{first_name} {last_name}')

>> Sofia Petra

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UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

Outputting a sequence of values separated by commas

Python

# example 1
num1 = 23
num2 = 5
num3 = -7
print(str(num1) + ',' + str(num2) + ',' + str(num3))

>> 23,5,-7

# example 2 (produces the same output as example 1)

print(f'{num1},{num2},{num3}')

>> 23,5,-7

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UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

Strings
Getting the length of a string
Python

my_string = 'crocodile'
my_string_length = len(my_string)
print(my_string_length)

>> 9

String concatenation (joining strings)

Python

# example 1
my_string = 'crocodile'
new_string = 'ccc'+'crocodile'
print(new_string)

>> ccccrocodile

# example 2
my_string = 'crocodile'
new_string = 'crocodile' + 'ccc'
print(new_string)

>> crocodileccc

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UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

Indexing characters in a string

You can access an individual character of a string by specifying its index.

Indexing starts at 0.

Python

my_string = 'crocodile'
first_letter = my_string[0]
print(first_letter)

>> c
my_string = 'crocodile'
sixth_letter = my_string[5]
print(sixth_letter)

>> d

String case conversions

Python

# convert to upper case

my_string = 'crocodile'
upper_case_string = my_string.upper()
print(upper_case_string)

>> CROCODILE

# convert to lower case

my_string = 'DESK'
lower_case_string = my_string.lower()
print(lower_case_string)

>> desk

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UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

Mathematical operators
Examples are shown with the following variables:

a=7

b=2

Operator Meaning Example Result

+ addition a+b 9

- subtraction a-b 5

/ division a/b 3.5

* multiplication a*b 14

Rounding
Use the built in function round to round to a given number of decimal places.

Python

# example - Rounding to 3 decimal places

pi = 3.14159
pi_rounded = round(pi, 3)
print(pi_rounded)

>> 3.142

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UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

Relational operators
Examples are shown with the following variables:

a=7

b=2

Operator Meaning Example Result

== Equal to a == b False

> Greater than a>b True

< Less than a<b False

>= Greater than a >= b True

or equal to

<= Less than or a <= b False

equal to

!= Not equal to a != b True

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UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

Selection
Selection is used to run a block of statements if a condition evaluates as True.

Python

temp = 20
if temp < 16:
​ print('It is chilly out today')

>>

This program will produce no output as the temperature (temp) is >= 16. The condition
evaluates as False so the indented statement is skipped.

An else statement provides one or more statements to be executed if the initial condition
evaluates as False.

Python

temp = 20
if temp < 16:
​ print('It is chilly out today')
else:
​ print('It is warm out today')

>> It is warm out today

You can specify multiple conditions using elif statements.

Python

temp = 20
if temp < 16:
​ print('It is chilly out today')
elif temp > 27:
​ print('It is hot out today')
else:
​ print('It is warm out today')

>> It is chilly out today

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UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

While loops (condition controlled)

A while loop is used to specify that an indented block of statements will be executed while
the loop condition evaluates as True. In the following example the loop condition checks
whether a is greater than b:

Python

a = 7
b = 2

while a > b:
​ print (f'{a} is greater than {b}')
​ b = b + 1

>> 7 is greater than 2

>> 7 is greater than 3

>> 7 is greater than 4

>> 7 is greater than 5

>> 7 is greater than 6

Sometimes you might make a mistake in your code and the while loop condition always
evaluates as True. This is an infinite loop. You can stop your code running in the Python
IDLE by pressing ESC. If you use a different IDE make sure you know how to halt your code.

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UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

For loops (count controlled)

If you know how many times you want the indented block of statements code to run, you
can use a for loop. In the following example, the indented block will be run 3 times
(determined by the value 3 in the line for i in range(3)).

Python

for i in range(3):
​ print ('Hello')

>> Hello

>> Hello

>> Hello

You can keep the output on a single line by using an end of line character:

Python

# example 1 - a blank end of line character

for i in range(3):
​ print ('Hello', end = ' ')

>> Hello Hello Hello

# example 2 - a comma as an end of line character

for i in range(3):
​ print ('Hello', end = ',')

>> Hello, Hello, Hello,

You can use the value of the iterator variable if you need. In the following example the
iterator variable is named i:

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UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

Python

for i in range(3):
​ print(i)

>> 0

>> 1

>> 2

Notice that the sequence of values start at 0 and end at 2. The range function generates
a sequence of values starting at 0 and up to, but not including, the value specified. You
can also specify a specific start value and a step value. For example:

Python

for i in range (2,5):

​ print(i)

>> 2

>> 3

>> 4

Python

for i in range (3,10,2):

​ print(i)

>> 3

>> 5

>> 7

>> 9

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UK Bebras Coding Challenge - Navigators Python hint and tips

Python

for i in range (10,0,-2):

​ print(i)

>> 10

>> 8

>> 6

>> 4

>> 2

Notice that the program stops outputting values after 2 because the range excludes the
specified end value.

Iterating over a string of characters

There is a special type of FOR loop that allows you to iterate over the characters of a string.

Python

motto = 'Be kind'

for character in motto:
​ print(character)

>> B

>> e

>>

>> k

>> i

>> n

>> d

In this example character is a variable. On each iteration of the loop its value is the next
character in the string. You can name this variable whatever you wish.

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