PHP Test

PHP tests are designed to assess a programmer's knowledge and understanding of the PHP programming language.

  • What is a PHP test?

    A PHP developer test assesses a candidate's level of competency in PHP coding. As an open-source scripting language, PHP is widely used for the development of web applications. Assessing PHP coding skills is important, as PHP enables the efficient creation of dynamic websites with complex functionality.

    During a PHP test, candidates will be given a series of questions covering a comprehensive range of PHP knowledge, along with more practical questions that require candidates to interpret code and solve common issues. Comfort with using PHP functions – such as explode(), sort(), and array_map() – is assessed, alongside object-oriented PHP programming skills.

    Several expert programmers work alongside psychometricians to review and revise the questions, ensuring they provide an accurate and challenging assessment of relevant knowledge and skills.

    A PHP test is a good screening tool when hiring intermediate developers to work with PHP frameworks such as Laravel, Symfony, CodeIgniter, Yii, CakePHP, or Zend.

Jump to a section on this page:

  1. What is a PHP test?
  2. Why should you use a PHP test for recruiting?
  3. How our test assesses PHP skills
  4. PHP Test FAQs

About the PHP Test

Originally established back in 1994, PHP was the first programming language created specifically for the web. It previously stood for Personal Home Page due to its core use on early web pages, but it is now known to be a recursive acronym for Hypertext Pre-Processor.

Today, PHP is one of the most popular server-side scripting languages. It can be used to enhance web pages by creating features that HTML alone cannot, such as login functionality, forums, surveys, and photo galleries. It runs effectively on almost all servers and is free to download.

As an example of its extensive use, the popular website/blogging platform WordPress is written using PHP. In fact, over 80% of sites on the web use PHP, including large sites such as Facebook, MailChimp, Wikipedia, Tumblr and Yahoo.

Try for free

  • Why should you use a PHP test for recruiting?

    Using a PHP developer test as part of your recruitment process is a quick and simple method of determining which individuals in your talent pool have the level of PHP experience required for your vacancy.

    Candidates may list their programming competencies on their resume but, without a practical testing process, there's no way of easily differentiating between PHP skill levels. A PHP test is the only way to assess the ability to write high-quality reusable code.

    Test topics covered may include using the command line, single-quoted strings, double-quoted strings, escape sequences, NULL, constant () function, arrays (indexed/numeric, associative, and multidimensional), and declaring variables.

    A PHP test enables objective hiring decisions, based on performance data, to be made. This increases the speed and efficiency of the recruitment process and increases the chosen candidate's chance of excelling when in the role.

    Job roles for which a PHP test may be a useful prerequisite include:

    • PHP Developer
    • PHP Programmer
    • PHP Engineer
    • Backend Developer
    • Software Developer
    • Web Development Consultant
    • Web Architect
    • Programming Tutor

    A PHP test is most effective when combined with other brief coding, cognitive ability and personality tests, to give a fuller picture of a candidate's potential.

More Programming Tests

Sample PHP Test question

Which of the following PHP functions allow you to convert a string to an array?

  • expand()

  • to_array()

  • explode()

  • implode()

Picked Sample Report

View a sample report

Results for the PHP Test along with other assessments the candidate takes will be compiled to produce a candidate report. The report is automatically generated and available both online and as a downloadable pdf so they can be shared with other team members and employees alike.

Download sample report

How our test assesses PHP skills

In Picked's PHP developer test, candidates will need to answer a range of questions targeting an intermediate level of proficiency in the programming language. This includes demonstrating general knowledge about PHP, as well as more challenging questions to distinguish top candidates.

The test is designed to indicate how well a candidate understands PHP based on a final test score, which can then be compared to the scores of other applicants.

The multiple-choice questions consist of one correct answer and two to four distractors. The distractors are mostly generic mistakes or misconceptions, which makes the test challenging and helps measure a candidate's proficiency more accurately.

During the development process, the test was rigorously analysed to maximise reliability and validity in line with industry best practices. It was created and reviewed by programmers and psychometric experts, and field-tested with a representative sample of job applicants who have varying PHP experience, just like you might find in a talent pool.

Each test is reviewed by a panel of individuals representing diverse backgrounds to check for any sensitivity, fairness, face validity and accessibility issues. This ensures each programmer has a fair chance of demonstrating their true level of PHP proficiency and feels the test is high quality.

Our programming tests are monitored to ensure they are up-to-date and optimised for performance.

Try for free

Validated

Predictor of job success

Picked provides evidence-based recommendations for tests to use for over 750 jobs. Our recommendation engine leverages data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).

Start

Access real assessments

Instant access to our full testing suite.

  • safebox icon

    Fully accredited

    All our PHP tests are written by accredited psychologists and fully validated.

  • geometry icon

    For all levels

    We offer PHP tests for all levels so you can assess all roles within your organisation.

Automate

Energize selection process

Streamline hiring with our out-of-the-box tools.

  • patent icon

    Smart automations

    Automated actions such as alerts and reminders ensure a smooth candidate experience.

  • bulb icon

    Instant results

    Receive candidate results in real-time so you can make decisions in hours, not days.

Hire

Make better hires

Improve hiring with bias-free, data-driven decisions.

  • notebook icon

    Analytics dashboard

    Our full array of candidate performance metrics will provide actionable data on each of your candidates.

  • laptop icon

    Candidate comparison

    Simple, easy-to-use candidate comparison reports mean you don’t need to be a psychologist to interpret them.

“We used Picked as part of our Finance Graduate Scheme recruitment and it was just what we needed – really simple to send candidates the link to complete and clear to see how they all compared. And great value for money!”
Christina, HR Director, Cancer Research, UK
Christina, HR Director, Cancer Research, UK
PHP Test expert

Written by a PHP Test expert

Nathan Liu studied computer science at UCL, has over five years of experience as a quantitative developer and is currently a full-time cloud engineer.

“Personality profiling allowed us to perform lookalike modelling of our most successful employees and use this as a blueprint for new hires.”
Nick, HR Operations, Airbus, Spain
Nick, HR Operations, Airbus, Spain

PHP Test FAQs

What is PHP used for?

PHP is an open-source server-side scripting language that can be used for creating dynamic web page content, collecting data from online forms, operating files on a server, managing cookies, controlling access through a login page, encrypting data, and editing data, amongst other things.

As well as HTML, it outputs PDFs, images, videos, and XHTML or XML text.

What other skills are required for PHP?

To use PHP, you need to have an existing knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Most PHP developers will also have knowledge of Ajax JavaScript technology, jQuery JavaScript library, and database management systems such as MySQL.

You'll also need an understanding and experience in PHP web frameworks. The top three are Laravel, CodeIgniter and Symfony.

Can I get a free trial?

Yes, sign up (no credit card required) and we'll give you a 7 day trial completely free. You'll get unlimited access to create as many jobs and test as many candidates as you like. You can cancel any time and you won't be charged anything.

What is the cost for Picked's PHP test?

We believe in simple, transparent pricing. We operate monthly and annual subscriptions so you can pick the perfect plan for you. Don't worry if you're not sure: you can always upgrade or downgrade later, or speak to us to discuss the option of a custom made plan to fit your needs. This is all you ever pay – no set-up or hidden fees.

“Focusing on data reduced the subjective decision making from our hiring process and allowed us to reduce bias and make better hiring decisions.”
Izzie, Head of HR, iZettle, Sweden
Izzie, Head of HR, iZettle, Sweden

Ready to try Picked?

Start building your dream team

Try for free