Theme selection and installation in Wordpress - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ component_behavior

intermediate

What happens after activating a new WordPress theme?

You activate a new theme in WordPress. What is the immediate visible effect on your website?

A The website layout and design change to match the new theme's style.

B All your posts and pages are deleted automatically.

C The WordPress dashboard is reset to default settings.

D Your website goes offline until you configure the theme.

💡 Hint

Think about what a theme controls in WordPress.

Activating a new theme changes the look and layout of your website immediately. Your content remains intact.

📝 Syntax

intermediate

Which file must a WordPress theme contain to be recognized?

A WordPress theme folder must have a specific file with a header comment for WordPress to recognize it. Which file is it?

A index.html

B style.css

C functions.php

D theme.json

💡 Hint

This file contains theme information and styles.

The style.css file must include a theme header comment. WordPress uses it to identify the theme.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Why does this uploaded theme not appear in the WordPress dashboard?

You uploaded a theme zip file via the dashboard but it does not show up in the theme list. What is the most likely cause?

A The theme uses PHP code that is incompatible with your WordPress version.

B The theme folder is missing the index.php file.

C The theme's style.css header comment is missing or malformed.

D The zip file contains an extra parent folder, so WordPress can't find the theme files.

💡 Hint

Check the folder structure inside the zip file.

If the zip contains a parent folder wrapping the theme folder, WordPress won't detect the theme properly.

❓ state_output

advanced

What is the effect of switching themes on widget settings?

You switch from Theme A to Theme B in WordPress. What happens to your widgets in sidebars?

A Widgets cause the site to crash until reassigned.

B All widgets are deleted permanently.

C Widgets assigned to Theme A's sidebars become inactive but are saved for later use.

D Widgets automatically move to Theme B's sidebars with no changes.

💡 Hint

Think about how WordPress handles widget areas per theme.

Widgets assigned to sidebars of the old theme become inactive but are saved in the database. You can reassign them later.

🧠 Conceptual

expert

Why is a child theme recommended for customizing a WordPress theme?

You want to customize a WordPress theme without losing changes after updates. Why should you use a child theme?

A A child theme inherits the parent theme and keeps custom changes separate, so updates don't overwrite them.

B A child theme runs faster because it loads fewer files than the parent theme.

C A child theme disables the parent theme to prevent conflicts.

D A child theme automatically updates the parent theme with your changes.

💡 Hint

Think about how WordPress updates themes and preserves custom code.

Child themes allow you to add custom code safely. The parent theme can update without erasing your changes.