SF-Admin Object Manager and Lightning App Builder Practice Question
An administrator is configuring a custom object called 'Equipment' and needs to ensure that a text field labeled 'Serial Number' is unique across all Equipment records. Users occasionally enter the same serial number twice, causing data quality issues. Which setting should the administrator enable on the Serial Number field?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse Required with Unique, since both sound like data-quality controls, but only Unique blocks two records from sharing the same value.
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
✓
Unique
The Unique attribute is the specific field-level setting that prevents duplicate values across records. When enabled, Salesforce validates every insert and update against existing values and blocks any collision. Required only enforces that a value exists, External ID is intended for integration matching and does not by itself enforce uniqueness, and Encrypted addresses data protection. Only Unique directly solves the duplicate serial number requirement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Encrypted
Why it's wrong here
Encrypted fields use Salesforce Shield Platform Encryption to protect data at rest, which addresses confidentiality rather than duplication. Enabling encryption does not prevent two records from storing the same serial number, and encrypted fields have restrictions such as not being available for certain filters and formulas. This setting does not resolve the duplicate entry problem described.
- ✓
Unique
Why this is correct
Enabling the Unique attribute on a text field makes Salesforce reject any save where the value duplicates an existing record's value. This directly prevents users from entering the same serial number twice, which is exactly the data quality issue described. Unique also implies the field must be populated, so it enforces both presence and distinctness across all Equipment records.
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Required
Why it's wrong here
Marking the field as Required ensures users cannot save a record without a value, but it does not prevent two records from storing the same value. Two different Equipment records could each have a populated Serial Number with identical text, and Salesforce would allow both. Required addresses completeness, not uniqueness, so it does not solve the duplicate serial number problem.
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External ID
Why it's wrong here
The External ID attribute marks a field as a unique identifier from an external system and is commonly used for upsert operations and integrations. While External ID fields are indexed and can be used to match records, the External ID flag alone does not enforce uniqueness unless Unique is also selected. Without Unique, duplicate serial numbers would still be permitted, so this alone is insufficient.
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.