Public Website WordPress Publisher Skills Self-Assessment

The self-test form below is an educational tool for current and prospective WordPress Publishers. As you work through the questions, you’ll receive immediate feedback when you get an answer correct or incorrect. You can adjust your answers in response to the provided feedback until you get the correct answer.

Section A - WordPress user abilities
A-1: Creation and destruction. A trained WordPress Editor can:
- Create a new Page, Post, or Event.
- Create a new Program Umbrella or Course Umbrella.
- Create a new Program.
- Create a new Section in WordPress.
- Trash a published Page, Post, Event, Program, Program Umbrella, or Course Umbrella (Page, etc.).
- Restore a trashed Page, etc.
- Trash a draft/pending Page, etc., that another user created.
- Trash a draft/pending Page, etc., that they created.
Check all that apply.
Wrong answer: Only the Registrar's Office can create a new Program.

Because Programs pull content both from multiple sources, they need to be set up in Banner before they can be added in WordPress, so only specific users can create a new one.
Wrong answer: Editors can only trash their own draft/pending Page, etc.

Only a Publisher can trash either a published Page, etc. or a draft/pending Page, etc., created by another user.
Wrong answer: Only IT Services can set up a new Section in WordPress./strong>

Due to the complexity and the multitude of technical systems that need to be interacted with in order to create an launch a new Section, this task is limited only to the WordPress Administrators in IT Services Web team.
You're missing at least one check.
Correct!
A-2: Publishing and versioning. A trained WordPress Editor can:
Directly edit a published Page, etc.
Create a revision copy of a published Page, etc.
Publish a new, edited, or revised Page, etc., to the live website
Revert to a previous version of a published Page, etc.
Publish a new/revised PDF in the BCIT Web Content tool in Sharespace.
View a summary of all Pages, etc., awaiting approval by a Publisher.
Check all that apply.
Wrong answer: Ironically, despite the role's name, Editors can't directly edit published/live content.

Instead, Editors can create a revision copy of the published Page, etc., and make their changes in the copy. Publishers can either edit the published Page, etc., directly (for small/simple changes) or use the same process as Editors do, of creating a revision copy. This is useful if the change is expected to be more complex or take more time.

Likewise, only Publishers can revert to a previous version of a published Page, etc., because in order to do so they need to be able to access the Edit page.
Wrong answer: Editors cannot publish.

This is true both within WordPress and the BCIT Web Content tool in Sharespace. Publishers are responsible for doing the final check that the content submitted by Editors meets BCIT's published web standards and does not contain factual errors.
You're missing at least one check.
Correct!
A-3: Site structure and navigation. A trained WordPress Editor can:
Change a Page's template.
Make changes to site headers or footers.
Change the order that Pages appear in the navigation menu.
Change the overall site structure of Pages in the navigation menu.
Change the order of the default set of Program sub-pages.
Add/remove/modify extra Program sub-pages.
Check all that apply.
Wrong answer: Each Section has a default template.

Most Sections have the "Core Default" template set as their default and using more than one template within the same Section can cause significant problems. To prevent those problems, neither Editors nor Publishers select a different template for a page.
Wrong answer: Changing the overal structure requires greater expertise.

Changing a site's overall structure usually involves changing the permalinks of at least some pages in that structure, and this can lead to broken links if the correct checks and protocols aren't followed. This functionality is limited to Publishers.
Wrong answer: Default program sub-pages have a fixed order.

While you can reorder extra sub-pages, they will always appear right above the Contact Us sub-page, with the default sub-pages in a fixed order before them.
Wrong answer: Site headers and footers are determined by the page template.

These elements are standardized to help give the BCIT public website a professional consistent look and feel. While there are some variations in certain sites, this is determined by the Page template used and isn't individually editable by either Editors or Publishers.
You're missing at least one check.
Correct!
A-4: Content. A trained WordPress Editor can:
Add/remove/modify a Panel in a Page or Umbrella.
Add/remove/modify a link.
Upload a new/revised PDF in the BCIT Web Content tool in Sharespace.
Add a YouTube video.
Create a new form.
Add a previously created form to a Page, etc.
Check all that apply.
Wrong answer: Only IT Services can create new web forms.
You're missing at least one check.
Correct!
A-5: Reporting and access. A trained WordPress Editor can:
Download form entries.
View registered attendees for an event.
View a list of other users with access to the same Section.
Give another person access to WordPress.
View a summary of all Pages, etc., awaiting approval by a Publisher..
Check all that apply.
Wrong answer: Editors cannot download form entries.

Publishers can download form entries. As well, upon request, individuals can be granted special limited "Form Data Only" access to WordPress. This type of user cannot interact with WordPress content at all. The only thing they can do is download form data when required.
Wrong answer: The only way to get access to WordPress is to attend WordPress training.

In order to gain access to WordPress and BCIT public website content, every user must attend WordPress Editor training, regardless of previous WordPress experience. Existing WordPress Editors or Publishers cannot create new accounts for others in their department. Only IT Services can do this.
You're missing at least one check.
Correct!
A-6: In addition to everything that a trained WordPress Editor can do, a Publisher can:
Create a new Program.
Trash a draft/pending Page, etc., that another user created.
Restore a trashed Page, etc.
Directly edit a published Page, etc.
Publish a new, edited, or revised Page, etc., to the live website
Revert to a previous version of a published Page, etc.
Change the overall site structure in the navigation menu.
Change the order of the default set of Program sub-pages.
Change a Page's template.
Make changes to headers or footers.
Publish a new/revised PDF in the BCIT Web Content tool in Sharespace.
Give another person access to WordPress.
Create a new Section in WordPress.
Create a new form.
Download form entries.
Check only those abilities that are unique to Publishers.
Because Programs pull content both from multiple sources, they need to be set up in Banner before they can be added in WordPress, so only specific users can create a new one.
Wrong answer: Only IT Services can set up a new Section in WordPress./strong>

Due to the complexity and the multitude of technical systems that need to be interacted with in order to create an launch a new Section, this task is limited only to the WordPress Administrators in IT Services Web team.
Wrong answer: Each Section has a default template.

Most Sections have the "Core Default" template set as their default and using more than one template within the same Section can cause significant problems. To prevent those problems, neither Editors nor Publishers select a different template for a page.
Wrong answer: Default program sub-pages have a fixed order.

While you can reorder extra sub-pages, they will always appear right above the Contact Us sub-page, with the default sub-pages in a fixed order before them.
Wrong answer: Only IT Services can create new web forms.
Wrong answer: The only way to get access to WordPress is to attend WordPress training.

In order to gain access to WordPress and BCIT public website content, every user must attend WordPress Editor training, regardless of previous WordPress experience. Existing WordPress Editors or Publishers cannot create new accounts for others in their department. Only IT Services can do this.
You're missing at least one check.
Correct!
Section B - Reviewing submitted content
B-1: An Editor uploads a new PDF in the BCIT Web Content tool. What don't you need to check? * Required

The PDF has been uploaded to the correct library and folder.

The PDF's properties allow copying and high-res printing but not editing (other than form fields).

The PDF's filename contains no capital letters or spaces.

If the PDF is intended to replace one that already exists, it was uploaded as an update to it (with the same filename), rather than as a separate file.
Wrong answer: Some libraries have multiple possible folders, so it's important to check.

Make sure that the new document is uploaded to the same library and folder as previously-uploaded similar documents. Consistent organization of document storage helps everyone.
Wrong answer: It's easy to forget the step of setting up a PDF's document properties correctly, so it's important to check.

You always need to check that any uploaded PDF has the correct document properties, including a Title and Author and password security preventing direct editing of the document.
Wrong answer: Adding a new version as a separate file makes more work for everyone.

When a user correctly updates a PDF (by uploading the new version with the same filename to the same place, so that it overwrites the previous version), all existing links continue to work and nothing needs to be deleted. If instead, each new version gets uploaded as a separate file, this makes a lot of work for everyone. All existing links will need to be changed to point to the new file, and the old file will need to be deleted. Much better to update it properly.
Correct answer: The BCIT Web Content tool automatically fixes filenames.

When a new file is uploaded in the tool, it automatically changes capital letters to lowercase letters and checks for spaces. If it finds spaces in the filename, it deletes the uploaded file and emails the uploader to remind them to replace spaces with hyphens in the filename. One less thing for Publishers to check!
B-2: An Editor adds a new link. Which of the following are important to check?
The link text is clear and descriptive of the link's destination.
The link text is not the URL (https://www.bcit.ca/...).
If the link is to a PDF file, the link text ends with [PDF].
The link opens in a new window.
If the link is to a PDF file, the PDF has not been uploaded to the WordPress Media Library.
The link actually works.
Wrong answer: All links should open in the same window for better usability and in order to enforce this, the option to change where a link opens has been removed from the link tool in WordPress.
Wrong answer: You're missing at least one check.
Correct!
B-3: An Editor has added a new image to a page. What don't you need to check?

That the image is of sufficiently good quality (clear, sharp focus, good lighting, sufficient resolution).

That the image filename follows the standard.

That the image has short and simple alt text describing the image.

That the image adds something to the content it accompanies.

That the image was uploaded to WordPress and is hosted by BCIT.
Wrong answer: Image quality matters.

Although Publishers are not expected to be experts on photography or image processing, images with obvious problems - poor quality, low resolution, small images which have been "sized up" and are now fuzzy, etc. - should not be published.
Wrong answer: All graphic elements must have a text alternative.

Having clear descriptive alt text for every single content image on a site is one of the simplest and yet most critical details needed to ensure that a website will meet accessibility standards. And yet, alt text is
Wrong answer: Images on the BCIT public website must be uploaded to the WordPress Media Library.

Occasionally, users will copy and paste content from another website or webpage. When the image shows up, seemingly correctly, in the pasted content, they assume that they've pasted it into the page and everything worked, when in fact, the image may be hosted on another site entirely, meaning that it could disappear at any time if the original site takes it down. Especially if the image appears to be formatted slightly differently than you're used to seeing images, it's worthwhile to check that it was uploaded in WordPress.
Wrong answer: There's no such thing as a purely decorative image on the BCIT website.

Adding an image also adds a minor amount of loading time to the page and costs mobile users a small amount of additional data. Images are colourful and can add visual interest to a page, but if they don't make sense in context or add to/enrich a user's understanding of the page's content, they're not worth adding. And if they're worth adding, then they must have clear descriptive alt text.
Correct answer: Because WordPress modifies image filenames anyway, and filenames are not usually apparent to users, there's no current standard for image filenames.
B-4: An Editor has created a new info session event. What don't you need to check?

That the event has the correct Categories selected.

That the event has a ticket/registration option created.

That the event has no numbers added to the end of the permalink.

That the event has the related program codes added as tags.

That if the event is an online info session, it has the Teams meeting link added to the Online Webinar field.
Wrong answer: Event categories are important for organizing and filtering events.

In particular, it's critical that info sessions have the applicable sector categories selected so that they show up in the filtered lists linked from the Info Sessions page.
Wrong answer: Without a ticket added, there's no way for a potential student to register to attend.

Just remember that if you're looking at a revision of a previously published event, you won't see the ticket when looking at the revision copy. Don't worry, it's still attached to the published version.
Wrong answer: Adding program codes as tags automatically adds a link from your Program to the info session.

You can also add other tags if you wish, but it's critical to add the program code tags on info session (e.g., 5740diplt, 8630bacc, etc.) because this ensures that info session links automatically show up on the Program.
Wrong answer: Teams meeting links belong (only) in the Online Webinar field.

To prevent security and privacy problems, you should avoid including the Teams meeting link as part of the visible content for the event. A link in the Online Webinar field isn't visible on the site, but will be sent to those who register to attend.
Correct answer: Because new events can't have the same permalink as previous events, WordPress automatically adds an incrementing number to the end of permalinks for events with the same title.
Section C: Identifying content problems
For each question, review the content sample provided and identify as many content problems as you can.
Sample content C-1

Study in a Cohort

BCIT is a big place. But even though we have almost 50,000 students enrolled each year, YOU will never get lost in the crowd. For full-time students, our cohort model makes it easy to make friends, who will go on to become important connections in your field. You’ll take all your classes with your cohort - a group of 16–24 students — giving you the experience of working with a team on projects just like you will in the workplace. To find out more about cohort learning, click here.
C-1: Correctly identify the applicable problem categories as you can that could or do apply to the above sample.
Headings should all be in title case.
Headings should all be in sentence case.
Link text should be descriptive of the link target and include everything necessary to all audiences..
Link text can be either specific or generic: read more, check it out, click here, more information.
Emphasizing words or phrases within a block of text should be done with strong or em tags (bold or italic).
Emphasizing words or phrases within a block of text should be done by changing to ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.
More problems to find! Keep looking. Remember, this is an open-book test, so feel free to refer to the BCIT Public Website WordPress Standards.
Correct! You got them all. Here's the sample content again with problems corrected.

Study in a cohort

BCIT is a big place. But even though we have almost 50,000 students enrolled each year, you will never get lost in the crowd. For full-time students, our cohort model makes it easy to make friends, who will go on to become important connections in your field. You’ll take all your classes with your cohort - a group of 16–24 students — giving you the experience of working with a team on projects just like you will in the workplace. More information about cohort learning at BCIT.
Sample content C-2

Study full time

Your program will be divided almost equally between classroom learning and practical training, so you master the theory and the skills you need for your profession. Yule tackle practical projects in groups of 2–10 students, which will help you develop teamwork, interpersonal and communication skills. Student projects are often sponsored by industry partners, giving you a chance to work with real issues in your field and gain real work experience [PDF].

As a full-time student you are automatically registered into all the courses you need to complete your program, so you never have to worry about scheduling. You can focus completely on your studies and entering the workforce when you graduate.
C-2: Correctly identify the applicable problem categories as you can that could or do apply to the above sample.
Links to PDFs or external sites should open in a new tab/window.
All links should open in the same tab/window.
Links to PDFs should be marked by adding [PDF] after the link.
Links to PDFs should be marked by adding [PDF] as part of the link.
In addition using a spell check tool, look out for correctly spelled wrong words (homonyms, etc.).
In-line lists should make use of the serial or Oxford comma: this, this, and this.
In-line lists should avoid including a comma before and: this, this and this.
More problems to find! Keep looking. Remember, this is an open-book test, so feel free to refer to the BCIT Public Website WordPress Standards.
Correct! You got them all. Here's the sample content again with problems corrected.

Study full time

Your program will be divided almost equally between classroom learning and practical training, so you master the theory and the skills you need for your profession. You'll tackle practical projects in groups of 2–10 students, which will help you develop teamwork, interpersonal, and communication skills. Student projects are often sponsored by industry partners, giving you a chance to work with real issues in your field and gain real work experience [PDF].

As a full-time student you are automatically registered into all the courses you need to complete your program, so you never have to worry about scheduling. You can focus completely on your studies and entering the workforce when you graduate.
Sample content C-3

Study full time

Your program will be divided almost equally between classroom learning and practical training, so you master the theory and the skills you need for your profession. As a full-time student you are automatically registered into all the courses you need to complete your program, so you never have to worry about scheduling. You can focus completely on your studies and entering the workforce when you graduate.

Co-op Learning

Nearly all of our full-time programs include some type of experiential learning opportunity. Co-operative Education programs take this hands-on approach a step further by partnering with employers to provide students with paid work experiences. Alternate co-op work terms with periods of academic study and gain credit towards your program while you’re at it. Find out more about the co-op journey.
C-3: Correctly identify the applicable problem categories as you can that could or do apply to the above sample.
Headings should all be in title case.
Headings should all be in sentence case.
Headings should be in order and never skip levels.
Headings can be indicated using bold or italic formatting.
Links to PDFs or external sites should open in a new tab/window.
All links should open in the same tab/window.
Links to PDFs should be marked by adding [PDF] after the link.
Links to PDFs should be marked by adding [PDF] as part of the link.
More problems to find! Keep looking. Remember, this is an open-book test, so feel free to refer to the BCIT Public Website WordPress Standards.
Correct! You got them all. Here's the sample content again with problems corrected.

Study full time

Your program will be divided almost equally between classroom learning and practical training, so you master the theory and the skills you need for your profession. As a full-time student you are automatically registered into all the courses you need to complete your program, so you never have to worry about scheduling. You can focus completely on your studies and entering the workforce when you graduate.

Co-op learning

Nearly all of our full-time programs include some type of experiential learning opportunity. Co-operative Education programs take this hands-on approach a step further by partnering with employers to provide students with paid work experiences. Alternate co-op work terms with periods of academic study and gain credit towards your program while you’re at it. Find out more about the co-op journey [PDF].
Sample content C-4

Study Part Time

Studying part-time gives you flexibility in both course selection and scheduling. To take courses or start a program through Flexible Learning, follow these steps:

Select the course/s you want to take.

Ensure you meet the prerequisites.

Register for the course/s.

Pay your fees.

Submit a program declaration request (https://www.bcit.ca/admission/how-to-apply/program-declaration/) if you decide to complete a Flexible Learning program and achieve a credential.
C-4: Correctly identify the applicable problem categories as you can that could or do apply to the above sample.
Headings should all be in title case.
Headings should all be in sentence case.
Headings can be indicated using bold or italic formatting.
Headings should be formatted using the standard H2-H4 heading tags.
Link text should be descriptive of the link target and include everything necessary to all audiences..
Link text can be either specific or generic: read more, check it out, click here, more information.
The link address can be used as the link text.
More problems to find! Keep looking. Remember, this is an open-book test, so feel free to refer to the BCIT Public Website WordPress Standards.
Correct! You got them all. Here's the sample content again with problems corrected.

Study part time

Studying part-time gives you flexibility in both course selection and scheduling. To take courses or start a program through Flexible Learning, follow these steps:

Select the course/s you want to take.

Ensure you meet the prerequisites.

Register for the course/s.

Pay your fees.

Submit a program declaration request if you decide to complete a Flexible Learning program and achieve a credential.
Section D: More information and next steps
D-1: What is the address for the main WordPress Knowledge Base article?
That's not quite it. Try again!
That's correct!

The About Public Web WordPress KB article links to all other resources and is a good page to bookmark to refer back to quickly. If you're confused about something, it's likely that there's a resource in the Knowledge Base about it, so check here first.
D-2: What is the address of the Loop group to join and follow to stay up to date about the BCIT public website and WordPress?
That's not quite it. Try again!
That's correct!

The BCIT Web Content Community Loop group is where outage notices for WordPress are posted, as well as informational blog posts that provide context for the work we do on the website and why we do it the way we do. Join and follow the group to stay up to date and participate in conversations about the public website.
D-3: Where should you go in the Loop to find out about upcoming WordPress training opportunities?
That's not quite it. Try again!
That's correct!

The WordPress Editor Training dates for up to 6 months in the future are posted in the Loop's PD Opportunities space. Share this post with a colleague if they need to attend Editor training, either for the first time or for a refresher.
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Sample questions - Correctly identify the applicable problem categories as you can that could or do apply to the above sample.
Headings should all be in title case.
Headings should all be in sentence case.
Headings should be in order and never skip levels.
Headings can be indicated using bold or italic formatting.
Headings should be formatted using the standard H2-H4 heading tags.
Too many headings for length/organization of content.
Not enough headings for length/organization of content.
Images should always have a text alternative (alt text).
Images should have a text alternative (alt text) unless they are purely decorative.
Use clip art images to add visual interest to your content.
Link text should be descriptive of the link target and include everything necessary to all audiences..
Link text can be either specific or generic: read more, check it out, click here, more information.
The link address can be used as the link text.
Links to PDFs or external sites should open in a new tab/window.
All links should open in the same tab/window.
Links to PDFs should be marked by adding [PDF] after the link.
Links to PDFs should be marked by adding [PDF] as part of the link.
Emphasizing words or phrases within a block of text should be done with strong or em tags (bold or italic).
In addition using a spell check tool, look out for correctly spelled wrong words (homonyms, etc.).
Emphasizing words or phrases within a block of text should be done by changing to ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.
In-line lists should make use of the serial or Oxford comma: this, this, and this.
In-line lists should avoid including a comma before and: this, this and this.

After the self-assessment: next steps

Congratulations! You’ve completed the self-assessment. If you’d like to retain this for your own records, just print this page to PDF.

If you did this self-assessment to see if you were ready to attend Publisher training, don’t forget that skill is not the only thing you need to have before you request Publisher access.

If you struggled to answer the questions in this test, you may benefit from doing some additional reading here in the Knowledge Base (see the list of essential reading below) or from attending a refresher training session (either at the Editor or Publisher level).

Essential reading for WordPress Publishers

About Public Web WordPress

Access and User Roles in Public Website WordPress

Adding Images in WordPress

Adding, Removing, and Editing Links in Public Website WordPress

BCIT Public Website WordPress Standards

Creating and Editing Events in the Public Website WordPress Events Calendar

Creating and Modifying Site/Navigation Menu Structure in Public Website WordPress

Creating Headings, Lists, Tables, and Other Core Content Elements in WordPress

Finding Previously Published Content and Creating and Submitting a Revision of it for Publisher Review in Public Website WordPress

Image Standards in Public Website WordPress

Managing PDFs and Other Documents for the BCIT Public Website

Managing Program Umbrellas in Public Website WordPress

Managing Programs in Public Website WordPress

Reviewing, Comparing, and Rolling Back to Previous Versions of Content in Public Web WordPress

Public Website WordPress Publisher Skills Self-Assessment

Section A - WordPress user abilities

Section B - Reviewing submitted content

Section C: Identifying content problems

Study in a Cohort

Study in a cohort

Study full time

Study full time

Study full time

Co-op Learning

Study full time

Co-op learning

Study part time

Section D: More information and next steps

After the self-assessment: next steps