Recently, I completed a TestGorilla technical assessment covering two core backend areas:
- β WordPress (Core, Plugins, Hooks, Security, Database)
- β MySQL (Queries, Joins, Subqueries, Triggers, Functions)
In this article, Iβll walk through the key concepts tested and the correct approaches used to solve them.
π¦ Part 1: WordPress Assessment
The WordPress section focused heavily on core architecture concepts, not just basic usage.
1οΈβ£ Default Post Formats
- Aside
- Gallery
- Chat
- Review
Understanding post formats is important when building themes.
2οΈβ£ Default WordPress Taxonomies
categorypost_tagpost_formatlink_category
These are essential when working with custom post types.
3οΈβ£ Performing Database Queries
global $wpdb;
$wpdb->query('SQL query here');
WordPress uses the $wpdb global object for database interaction.
4οΈβ£ Securing wp-config.php
For security best practices, wp-config.php should be protected using
.htaccess to prevent direct access to credentials.
5οΈβ£ Backup Support
- File backups
- Database backups
6οΈβ£ Anti-Spam Configuration
Stricter comment moderation rules can be configured under:
Settings β Discussion
7οΈβ£ Default Database Tables
wp_commentmetawp_postmetawp_term_relationships
8οΈβ£ Plugin Header Comments
Only the main plugin file requires a header comment β not all PHP files.
9οΈβ£ Plugin Utility Functions
plugin_dir_path()plugin_basename()plugins_url()
π Options API
update_option('option_name', $value);
The Options API is the standard way to store plugin settings.
1οΈβ£1οΈβ£ Settings API
register_setting();
1οΈβ£2οΈβ£ WordPress Hooks
- πΉ Action Hooks
- πΉ Filter Hooks
These power WordPress extensibility.
π© Part 2: MySQL Assessment
The MySQL section tested practical, real-world query logic and relational database understanding.
1οΈβ£ Primary & Foreign Keys
Used to enforce referential integrity between related tables.
2οΈβ£ OR vs AND
WHERE color = 'blue' OR color = 'white'
3οΈβ£ Second Highest Salary
SELECT MAX(salary)
FROM employees
WHERE salary < (
SELECT MAX(salary) FROM employees
);
4οΈβ£ Triggers
- AFTER INSERT
- AFTER DELETE
5οΈβ£ ALTER TABLE
ALTER TABLE stu_data ADD ssn CHAR(10);
ALTER TABLE emp_data MODIFY email VARCHAR(127);
6οΈβ£ AUTO_INCREMENT
country_id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY;
7οΈβ£ LIKE Operator
WHERE emp_name LIKE 'A%';
8οΈβ£ DELETE with Conditions
DELETE FROM world_population
WHERE (country_name = 'USA' OR country_name = 'UK')
AND population < 5000;
9οΈβ£ LIMIT in DELETE
DELETE FROM stu_data LIMIT 10;
π Correlated Subqueries
WHERE goals_scored < (
SELECT AVG(goals_scored)
FROM players
WHERE player_team = p.player_team
);
1οΈβ£1οΈβ£ NOT EXISTS
WHERE NOT EXISTS (
SELECT 1 FROM products_sold
WHERE product_id = p.product_id
);
1οΈβ£2οΈβ£ Comparing with MAX()
WHERE emp_salary > (
SELECT MAX(emp_salary)
FROM emp
WHERE dept_id = 10
);
π― Key Skills This Assessment Tested
- WordPress Core Architecture
- Plugin Development
- Hooks & Extensibility
- Database Structure Understanding
- SQL Query Optimization
- Subqueries & Aggregates
- Triggers & Functions
- Logical Thinking
π‘ Final Thoughts
This wasnβt a beginner-level assessment. It required:
- Strong understanding of SQL logic
- Solid WordPress internal knowledge
- Clear thinking under time pressure
If you're preparing for a WordPress + MySQL technical test:
- β Master subqueries
- β Understand hooks deeply
- β Practice real-world SQL conditions
- β Know WordPress core APIs