Python · Senior · Theory

Explain what the GIL is and how it affects the choice between threads, processes and asyncio. What does the free-threaded build of CPython change?

~4 min by voice

How to approach it

They're checking whether the candidate understands what exactly the GIL restricts (parallel execution of bytecode, not I/O and not thread safety), whether they can use that to choose deliberately between threads, processes and asyncio, and whether they follow how CPython is evolving (PEP 703, the free-threaded build).

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gil concurrency

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The interviewer will ask this question and listen. Think out loud and ask for a hint if you need one. When you're done, pause or tap “That's my answer”. In about a minute, your score and the points you covered show up here.

Best with headphones · ~4 min