Kaggle Learn: Python review
Kaggle · kaggle
Kaggle Learn: Python is the best free first Python course for anyone who wants to go on to Kaggle's data courses. Colin Morris teaches 7 lessons in about 5 hours, each with a tutorial and an exercise notebook. Our Kaggle Learn Python review: it costs nothing, and Kaggle gives a free completion certificate for every course you finish.
What does it take?
| Difficulty | 1 out of 5 |
|---|---|
| Hours | About 5 hours |
| Format | Interactive exercises, Code notebooks |
| Maths needed | No maths |
| Coding needed | Yes, you will write code |
| Hardware needed | A browser is enough |
| Certificate | Free certificate |
| Free to audit | Yes |
| Pace | Self-paced |
| Last updated by the provider | Not checked yet |
| Instructor | Colin Morris |
| Time to complete | 5 hours (Kaggle's estimate) |
| Lessons | 7, each a tutorial plus an exercise notebook |
| Cost | No cost |
| Builds on | Intro to Programming |
| Certificate | Free completion certificate |
| Prepares for | Intro to Machine Learning, Pandas, Intro to SQL, Intro to Game AI and Reinforcement Learning |
Who should take it, and who should skip it?
Take it if you are
- Learners who want a first Python course that ends with working code, not only videos or slides
- Anyone about to take Kaggle's Intro to Machine Learning, Pandas or Intro to SQL
- People coming from AI For Everyone who now want to build something
Skip it if you are
- Anyone who already writes Python with functions, loops and dictionaries: go straight to Intro to Machine Learning
- True first-timers who have never written code: Kaggle lists Intro to Programming before this course
- Learners who want a big project to finish: the format is a tutorial and an exercise notebook per lesson
What will you be able to do after it?
- Write Python with variables, numbers and function calls, and use the built-in help
- Branch your code with booleans and conditionals
- Work with lists, including indexing, slicing and changing them
- Loop over data with for and while loops and list comprehensions
- Use strings, dictionaries and external libraries
What's in each module?
| Module | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Hello, Python | A quick introduction to Python syntax, variable assignment and numbers. |
| Functions and Getting Help | Calling functions, defining your own, and using Python's built-in documentation. |
| Booleans and Conditionals | Using booleans for branching logic. |
| Lists | Indexing, slicing and changing lists. |
| Loops and List Comprehensions | For and while loops, and list comprehensions. |
| Strings and Dictionaries | Two fundamental Python data types. |
| Working with External Libraries | Imports, operator overloading and survival tips. |
What we liked, and what we didn't
What we liked
- It costs nothing, and Kaggle says the same of all Kaggle Learn courses
- Each of the 7 lessons is a tutorial plus an exercise notebook
- About 5 hours by Kaggle's own estimate, short enough to finish in a week of evenings
- Kaggle gives a free completion certificate for every course you finish
- It leads straight on to Intro to Machine Learning, Pandas, Intro to SQL and Intro to Game AI and Reinforcement Learning
What we didn't
- Kaggle lists Intro to Programming before it, so true first-timers may need that course first
- Depth is limited: 7 lessons in about 5 hours cover the basics and stop there
- No large project is listed: every lesson is a tutorial plus an exercise notebook
- The 5 hours is Kaggle's estimate, so your own time may differ
- The certificate is a completion certificate, so it shows you finished rather than how well you did
What's the catch?
Kaggle says this course builds on its Intro to Programming course. We rate this one never-coded because it starts from Python syntax, but if you have never written a line of code, take Intro to Programming first and expect the first lessons here to go quickly. The reverse also holds: if you already know Python syntax, the 7 lessons add little, and Intro to Machine Learning is the better start.
Is it still current?
Python basics such as functions, lists, loops and dictionaries change slowly, so the 7 lessons age well. Kaggle's course page was checked on 4 October 2026 and still lists all 7, with Intro to Programming as the course it builds on and Intro to Machine Learning, Pandas, Intro to SQL and Intro to Game AI and Reinforcement Learning as the ones it prepares you for.
What should you take before it?
- AI For Everyone
Andrew Ng's non-technical primer on what AI is good for and how to plan around it at work. It takes 7 hours on Coursera, and the certificate is paid.
What should you take after it?
- Kaggle Intro to Machine Learning
Kaggle's 7-lesson first machine learning course takes about 3 hours, costs nothing and ends with a competition. Kaggle gives a free completion certificate.
How we rated it: 8.2 out of 10
| Criterion | Score out of 10 |
|---|---|
| Clarity | 8 |
| Hands-on practice | 9 |
| Up to date | 8 |
| Depth | 5 |
| Truly free | 10 |
Questions people ask
Is Kaggle Learn: Python free?
Yes. Kaggle lists the cost as no cost, like all Kaggle Learn courses, and the certificate is free too. There is nothing to pay for.
Does Kaggle Learn: Python give a certificate?
Yes. Kaggle says you earn a completion certificate for every course you finish. You find it under Courses, on the Completed tab, with View Certificate, and you can share it on LinkedIn or Twitter.
How long does Kaggle Learn: Python take?
Kaggle estimates 5 hours to earn the certificate, across 7 lessons. Each lesson is a tutorial plus an exercise notebook, so most of that time is spent writing code.
Do I need to know how to code before Kaggle Learn: Python?
No, but Kaggle lists Intro to Programming as the course this one builds on. If you have never written code, take that first. If you are curious about code and have a few spare evenings, you can start here.
What should I take after Kaggle Learn: Python?
Kaggle lists Intro to Machine Learning, Pandas, Intro to SQL and Intro to Game AI and Reinforcement Learning as the courses this prepares you for. For an AI route, take Kaggle Intro to Machine Learning next, which Kaggle lists as 7 lessons and about 3 hours. If your goal is data analysis rather than machine learning, Pandas is the natural alternative.
Who teaches Kaggle Learn: Python?
Colin Morris is the instructor listed on Kaggle's course page. His 7 lessons run from Hello, Python to Working with External Libraries.
So should you take it?
Take Kaggle Learn: Python if you want to write code you can run today and then move on to data work. It scores 8.2: hands-on is 9 because every lesson has an exercise notebook, and truly free is 10 because it costs nothing and the certificate is free, but depth is 5 because 7 lessons in about 5 hours stop at the basics. If you have never written any code, Kaggle itself lists Intro to Programming before this course.
Where to go next
- Python for AI, from zero
A learning path that includes Kaggle Learn: Python.
- From data analysis to AI
A learning path that includes Kaggle Learn: Python.
- Kaggle Learn: our platform review
What else it offers, and what costs money.
- CS50's Introduction to AI with Python
CS50's Introduction to AI with Python runs 7 weeks with 12 projects, costs nothing and gives a free CS50 Certificate if you score 70% on every project.
- CS50's Introduction to Programming with Python
Harvard's Python course for people who have never programmed. The cleanest route from zero to writing real code.
Last checked : hours, cost, instructor, lesson list and certificate wording.
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