SF-Admin Configuration and Setup Practice Question
An administrator has created a new profile, but users assigned to it cannot see the new custom object. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often check page layouts or tab settings first, forgetting that an object will be completely invisible without baseline Read permissions on the profile.
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 profile lacks 'Read' permission for the object
In Salesforce, a user must have object-level permissions granted via their profile or a permission set to interact with any object. If the 'Read' permission for the new object is not enabled on the profile, the object tabs will not appear, and the records will be inaccessible. This is a common access issue that administrators must verify when onboarding new users or introducing new features.
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 tab is not set to 'Default On'
Why it's wrong here
Even if the tab is hidden, the object can still be accessed via search or other links if the user has object permissions. If the user cannot see the object at all, the issue is typically object-level permissions, not the tab visibility setting, which only affects the navigation bar visibility.
- ✓
The profile lacks 'Read' permission for the object
Why this is correct
Object-level permissions define the baseline ability for a user to see and interact with an object. If the 'Read' permission is not checked for the custom object on the profile, the object is essentially invisible to the user. This is the primary security check that must be performed for access.
- ✗
The OWD is set to 'Private'
Why it's wrong here
OWD controls record-level access, but it does not prevent a user from seeing the object's existence or its records if they have object permissions. Even with Private OWD, the user would see the object tab; they would simply see fewer records. Therefore, OWD is not the cause of an entire object being missing.
- ✗
The user is not in the correct Role
Why it's wrong here
Roles determine the level of record visibility in the hierarchy, not object-level access. A user in any role can see an object if their profile grants them the necessary permissions. Roles are irrelevant to whether or not a user can see the existence of a custom object or its associated tabs.
About these practice questions
One of 202 original SF-Admin practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. 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.