Why Conditionals Matter

Every non-trivial program needs to make decisions. if/elif/else is Python's way of branching — executing different code depending on whether a condition is True.

Basic If Statement

score = 72
if score >= 50:
    print("Pass")

If / Else

if score >= 50:
    print("Pass")
else:
    print("Fail")

If / Elif / Else — Multiple Branches

if score >= 80:
    grade = "A"
elif score >= 65:
    grade = "B"
elif score >= 50:
    grade = "C"
else:
    grade = "F"
print(grade)

Only the first matching branch runs. Order matters — always go from the most specific/highest to the lowest.

Nested Conditions

if age >= 18:
    if has_licence:
        print("Can drive")
    else:
        print("Get a licence")
else:
    print("Too young")

Ternary Expressions (One-Line If)

status = "adult" if age >= 18 else "minor"
🎯 HKDSE tip: Examiners expect clean grading logic. Always cover every branch explicitly — partial conditions lose marks.

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