PHP Interview Questions (2026) — 15 Real Questions + AI Mock Interview
PHP interviews in 2026 are far more rigorous than the language's reputation suggests — modern PHP is typed, fast, and security-conscious. Loops for web and backend roles cover comparison rules, security, OOP and traits, and the request lifecycle, plus a coding round. Frameworks like Laravel and Symfony often feature too. Below are the PHP questions asked most, with what a senior interviewer is grading for in your answer.
15 PHP interview questions you'll actually get asked
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1. == vs === in PHP.
How a senior interviewer scores this: Loose comparison with coercion vs strict type+value; defaults to === to avoid coercion bugs.
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2. include vs require (and the _once variants).
How a senior interviewer scores this: require fails fatally on missing file; _once prevents double inclusion.
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3. How do you prevent SQL injection?
How a senior interviewer scores this: Prepared statements with PDO/MySQLi bound parameters — never string interpolation.
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4. How do you prevent XSS?
How a senior interviewer scores this: Escapes output with htmlspecialchars and context-aware encoding; validates input separately.
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5. isset vs empty vs is_null.
How a senior interviewer scores this: Knows isset is false for null, empty treats 0/''/'0' as empty, and the edge cases between them.
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6. Sessions vs cookies.
How a senior interviewer scores this: Server-side state with a client id vs client-stored data; flags security/size implications.
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7. Indexed vs associative arrays, and how PHP arrays work.
How a senior interviewer scores this: Understands PHP arrays are ordered maps under the hood, not classic arrays.
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8. What problem do traits solve?
How a senior interviewer scores this: Horizontal code reuse without multiple inheritance; aware of method-collision rules.
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9. Explain the common magic methods.
How a senior interviewer scores this: __construct, __get/__set, __call; uses them judiciously, not as a crutch.
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10. What are PSR standards and Composer for?
How a senior interviewer scores this: Shared conventions (PSR-4 autoloading) and dependency management; signals modern PHP.
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11. Pass by value vs pass by reference.
How a senior interviewer scores this: Default is by value (objects pass a handle); uses & deliberately and knows the gotchas.
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12. Error vs Exception in PHP 7+.
How a senior interviewer scores this: Both implement Throwable; catches Throwable when needed and knows the hierarchy.
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13. What is late static binding (static::)?
How a senior interviewer scores this: static:: resolves to the called class at runtime, unlike self:: — explains a real use.
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14. How is PHP typed in modern versions?
How a senior interviewer scores this: Scalar type hints, return types, nullable types, and declare(strict_types=1).
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15. Walk through the request lifecycle of a PHP page.
How a senior interviewer scores this: Request → routing/front controller → execution → response; mentions FPM and statelessness.
How PHP answers are scored
Strong candidates aren't just correct — they're graded on five dimensions a real interviewer weighs: technical correctness, communication, problem-solving, depth, and culture fit. For PHP specifically, the fastest score jump is narrating your reasoning and trade-offs out loud before you write code. Each question above lists what the interviewer is actually listening for.
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PHP interview FAQ
What level are these PHP interview questions for?
Junior through senior web and backend roles. Screens cover comparison rules, arrays, and security; senior loops add OOP design, traits, and framework architecture. Modern, typed PHP and security awareness are expected throughout.
Do PHP interviews cover security?
Almost always. SQL injection, XSS, and CSRF prevention are near-guaranteed because PHP powers so much of the web. Knowing prepared statements and output escaping cold is non-negotiable for any backend role.
How should I prepare for a PHP interview in 2026?
Show you write modern PHP — strict types, PDO, Composer, PSR standards — not legacy patterns. Practise explaining security defences out loud, and brush up on Laravel or Symfony if the role names a framework.