diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/admin/includes/ajax-actions/hiddenColumns.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/admin/includes/ajax-actions/hiddenColumns.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a4ce8c4d2aa47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/admin/includes/ajax-actions/hiddenColumns.php
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * Admin Ajax functions to be tested.
+ */
+require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php';
+
+/**
+ * Testing wp_ajax_hidden_columns() functionality.
+ *
+ * @package WordPress
+ * @subpackage UnitTests
+ * @since 3.1.0
+ *
+ * @group ajax
+ *
+ * @covers ::wp_ajax_hidden_columns
+ */
+class Tests_wp_ajax_hidden_columns extends WP_Ajax_UnitTestCase {
+
+	/**
+	 * Administrator user ID.
+	 *
+	 * @var int
+	 */
+	protected static $admin_id;
+
+	/**
+	 * Setup test fixtures.
+	 *
+	 * @param WP_UnitTest_Factory $factory
+	 */
+	public static function wpSetUpBeforeClass( WP_UnitTest_Factory $factory ): void {
+		self::$admin_id = $factory->user->create( array( 'role' => 'administrator' ) );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Setup before each test method.
+	 */
+	public function set_up(): void {
+		parent::set_up();
+		add_action( 'admin_init', array( $this, 'hook_ajax_handler' ), 1 );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Hooks the AJAX handler to admin_init.
+	 */
+	public function hook_ajax_handler(): void {
+		if ( isset( $_POST['action'] ) && 'hidden-columns' === $_POST['action'] ) {
+			wp_ajax_hidden_columns();
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests successful update of hidden columns.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 65252
+	 */
+	public function test_hidden_columns_success(): void {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$admin_id );
+
+		$_POST = array(
+			'action'             => 'hidden-columns',
+			'screenoptionnonce'  => wp_create_nonce( 'screen-options-nonce' ),
+			'page'               => 'testpage',
+			'hidden'             => 'column1,column2,column3',
+		);
+
+		try {
+			$this->_handleAjax( 'hidden-columns' );
+		} catch ( WPAjaxDieStopException $e ) {
+			$this->assertSame( '1', $e->getMessage() );
+		} catch ( WPAjaxDieContinueException $e ) {
+			$this->assertSame( '1', $e->getMessage() );
+		}
+
+		$hidden = get_user_meta( self::$admin_id, 'managetestpagecolumnshidden', true );
+		$this->assertSame( array( 'column1', 'column2', 'column3' ), $hidden );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests update failure due to invalid nonce.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 65252
+	 */
+	public function test_hidden_columns_invalid_nonce(): void {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$admin_id );
+
+		$_POST = array(
+			'action'             => 'hidden-columns',
+			'screenoptionnonce'  => 'invalid-nonce',
+		);
+
+		$this->expectException( WPAjaxDieStopException::class );
+		$this->expectExceptionMessage( '-1' );
+
+		$this->_handleAjax( 'hidden-columns' );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests update failure due to invalid page key.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 65252
+	 */
+	public function test_hidden_columns_invalid_page(): void {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$admin_id );
+
+		$_POST = array(
+			'action'             => 'hidden-columns',
+			'screenoptionnonce'  => wp_create_nonce( 'screen-options-nonce' ),
+			'page'               => 'invalid page!',
+		);
+
+		try {
+			$this->_handleAjax( 'hidden-columns' );
+		} catch ( WPAjaxDieStopException $e ) {
+			$this->assertSame( '0', $e->getMessage() );
+		} catch ( WPAjaxDieContinueException $e ) {
+			$this->assertSame( '0', $e->getMessage() );
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests update with empty hidden columns.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 65252
+	 */
+	public function test_hidden_columns_empty(): void {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$admin_id );
+
+		$_POST = array(
+			'action'             => 'hidden-columns',
+			'screenoptionnonce'  => wp_create_nonce( 'screen-options-nonce' ),
+			'page'               => 'testpage',
+			'hidden'             => '',
+		);
+
+		try {
+			$this->_handleAjax( 'hidden-columns' );
+		} catch ( WPAjaxDieStopException $e ) {
+			$this->assertSame( '1', $e->getMessage() );
+		} catch ( WPAjaxDieContinueException $e ) {
+			$this->assertSame( '1', $e->getMessage() );
+		}
+
+		$hidden = get_user_meta( self::$admin_id, 'managetestpagecolumnshidden', true );
+		$this->assertSame( array(), $hidden );
+	}
+}