Web Certified Developer

The Web Certified Developer (WCD) credential validates advanced skills in developing custom solutions for websites built on the WordPress® platform. Designed for both career-starters and experienced professionals, WCD confirms the ability to work with the WordPress® codebase, apply development best practices, and build secure, scalable, and high-quality websites.

Assessment combines knowledge-based questions with hands-on development tasks delivered through CodeSkills™ and WebSkills™, where candidates work with real code and live WordPress® installations to demonstrate practical ability alongside technical understanding.

Whether you are preparing for your first development role or strengthening your professional profile, the WCD certification demonstrates technical competence and commitment to professional growth. It is ideal for front-end developers, web architects, and developers specializing in the WordPress® platform.

Purchase Exam

Industry-Recognized

Global Credential — Validate your programming skills for the WordPress® platform with a certification recognized worldwide.

Skill Validation

Validate your knowledge of basic syntax, variables, functions, and control flow, and get ready to apply these skills in real-world scenarios.

Ideal for Professionals

A Software Development exam designed for junior coders eager to test and prove their capabilities in a real coding environment built on the WordPress® platform.

Interactive Learning

Experience a live coding environment featuring interactive Parsons puzzles, drag-and-drop exercises, and multiple-choice questions that make learning and assessment engaging and practical.

Number of questions: 40
Time limit: 45 minutes
Passing score: 75%
Format: Linear

The examination procedure:

Each candidate is provided with their own live environment based on the WordPress® platform (depending on the test being taken).
Candidates must complete all questions within the allotted timeframe.

They may skip or ignore questions and return to them later, as long as it’s within the 45-minute exam window.

All unanswered questions will be automatically marked as incorrect.
When the test is submitted, the examination results are securely transmitted to the Knowledge Pillars server for storage.

Candidates can log back into their account using their credentials to review performance data and view the results associated with each voucher.

Find more information about our Exam Retake Policy and Exam Proctoring options.

Candidates are required to have at least 150 hours of combined instruction and hands-on experience working with the WordPress® platform before taking the exam.

1. PHP for the WordPress® Platform

Creating a new theme
PHP functions
PHP arrays
The famous “Loop” in WordPress®
Conditional tags
Header & footer structure
Converting a static HTML template into a WordPress® theme

2. Pages

Interior page templates
Parent & child pages
To echo or not to echo
Menu of child page links
Navigation menus

3. Blog Section

Blog listing page
Blog archives
Custom queries

4. Template Hierarchy on the WordPress® Platform

Working with style.css
Working with functions.php
Understanding index.php
Using headers and footers in WordPress®
Custom templates and search templates
Adding menus and body_class
Adding markup to a theme
Working with sidebars in WordPress®
Managing archives and page templates

5. Template Tags

General tags
Navigation tags
Post tags
Thumbnail tags
Comment tags
Author tags
Conditional tags

6. REST API and AJAX in WordPress®

Loading content with JavaScript
Generating HTML from JSON
Conditional login within template literals
Synchronous vs. asynchronous processes
REST API: adding custom fields and URLs
Creating JSON data
Using WP_Query and keyword searching
Working with multiple post types

7. Action and Filter Hooks on the WordPress® Platform

Action hooks in WordPress® core
Exploring action hooks
Filter hooks in WordPress®
Exploring filter hooks

8. PHP Plugin Development for the WordPress® Platform

Introduction to plugin development
Setting up the files
Plugin header
Creating a settings page
Settings subpages and links
Plugin file paths
Options API
Settings array options
Settings API
Settings sections
Settings fields

If you’re ready to earn your Web Certified Developer credential for the WordPress® platform, just follow the steps below:

Sign up on Knowledge Pillars and create your exam account.
Purchase your exam voucher from the Knowledge Pillars Store or contact one of our Testing & Training Partners ( TTPs).
Students: Contact your educational institution for exam access or scheduling support.
Check your email for exam instructions — remember to check your spam folder and add Knowledge Pillars to your safe-sender list.

After you pass the Web Certified Developer (WCD) for the WordPress® Platform exam, you’ll receive a confirmation email from Knowledge Pillars with details on your digital transcript and printed certificate.

Please view our Exam Policies for more information.

IMPORTANT: KP Certifications are also available through remote proctoring. Please contact our support for more information: [email protected]

The minimum system requirements are:

Operating System: Windows 7/8/10/11, MacOS X 10.0 or newer, or Linux OS.

RAM Requirement: Minimum 1GB (higher may be required depending on OS).

Processor Requirement: At least 1.0 GHz (higher may be required based on OS and architecture).

Display Requirement: Minimum resolution of 1366×768 pixels.

Browser Requirement: Latest version of Google Chrome.

Internet Access: Stable internet connection required.

System Settings: Disable automatic updates, notifications, and popups to prevent disruptions during the exam.

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