SF-Admin Data and Analytics Management Practice Question
A user is complaining that a dashboard component is not showing the expected data. The user has access to the report, but the dashboard shows a different total. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume the data is corrupted or the report filter is wrong. They fail to consider the 'Running User' context, which is the most common cause of dashboard discrepancies.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The dashboard is set to 'View as a specific user' who has different access
Dashboards in Salesforce often run based on a stored 'Running User' context, which may have different data access levels than the individual user viewing the dashboard. If the 'Running User' has wider visibility, the dashboard might show data the viewer should not see, or if restricted, might show less. This discrepancy highlights the importance of understanding the 'Running User' vs. 'Viewer' security context for dashboards.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The dashboard is set to 'View as a specific user' who has different access
Why this is correct
When a dashboard is set to 'View as a specific user,' it ignores the security settings of the person looking at the dashboard. If that running user has different access levels, the metrics displayed will not match what the individual user would see when running the report directly.
- ✗
The dashboard component needs a refresh
Why it's wrong here
While a dashboard might be out of date, a simple refresh would fix it. If the user consistently sees different data compared to their report access, it is almost certainly a permissions or 'Running User' configuration issue rather than a simple need to trigger a data update.
- ✗
The user does not have permission to view dashboards
Why it's wrong here
If the user did not have permission to view dashboards, they would not be able to see the component at all. The scenario describes them seeing the component but noting a discrepancy in the data totals, implying they have access to the UI but are seeing different results.
- ✗
The report filter is set to 'My Opportunities'
Why it's wrong here
A 'My Opportunities' filter is relative to the user running the report. On a dashboard, this filter remains relative to the person viewing the dashboard. Therefore, it would actually make the dashboard data match the report data for that user, rather than causing a discrepancy in results.
About these practice questions
This SF-Admin question is part of Courseiva's 202-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Salesforce exam blueprint
This SF-Admin practice question is part of Courseiva's free Salesforce certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SF-Admin exam.