Technical screening questions
Ask for one example per question and listen for specifics.
- How do you prevent SQL injection and XSS? A good answer: Prepared statements and output escaping.
- How does Laravel handle routing and middleware? A good answer: Route definitions and request pipeline.
- What changed in PHP 8? A good answer: Named arguments, union types, attributes or match.
- How do you manage dependencies and autoloading? A good answer: Composer and PSR standards.
- How do you upgrade a legacy PHP app? A good answer: Tests first, then step upgrades.
Quick screening questions
Use these when you have only a few minutes.
- Which PHP version and framework did you ship last?
- How do you secure a PHP application?
- Describe a performance fix you made.
What separates the levels
Match the level to the requirement before you submit.
- Junior: fixes bugs and builds pages.
- Mid: owns modules and tests.
- Senior: leads architecture and modernization.
Red flags
Any of these is a reason to probe further.
- Only older PHP versions.
- Cannot discuss security.
- No framework experience for a framework role.
Tools you should hear mentioned
A PHP developer with real experience usually names several of these without prompting.
- PHP 8
- Laravel or Symfony
- Composer
- MySQL
- PHPUnit
- Redis
Run the call well
Ask for the last project first, then dig into the second or third question. Take notes on versions, team size and outcomes, and record them with the submission so the vendor’s later technical interview does not surprise you.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a PHP developer screening call take?
Fifteen to twenty minutes is enough to cover the project, three technical questions and availability, rate and work authorization.
Do recruiters need to know the technology?
Working vocabulary is enough. Use the sourcing guide for the role and listen for specifics instead of judging technical depth yourself.