SF-Admin Configuration and Setup Practice Question
Exhibit
CLI Output: 16:45:01.001 USER_DEBUG [12]|DEBUG|Validation Error: System.DmlException: Update failed. First exception on row 0; first error: FIELD_CUSTOM_VALIDATION_EXCEPTION, Validation rule error message.
Refer to the exhibit. A user reports that they cannot update an Opportunity. Based on the debug log, what is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers often guess permission sets or page layout restrictions when debug logs explicitly display validation rule exceptions blocking the save operation.
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
✓
A custom validation rule is preventing the update.
The error message 'FIELD_CUSTOM_VALIDATION_EXCEPTION' explicitly points to a custom validation rule failing. In Salesforce, these rules prevent DML operations if specific conditions are not met. Debug logs are essential tools for administrators to troubleshoot why a record update failed, allowing them to pinpoint the specific logic causing the blockage, whether it is a validation rule, a flow, or a trigger that is preventing the update.
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 user lacks object-level update permissions.
Why it's wrong here
If the user lacked object-level permissions, the error would typically indicate an 'Insufficient Privileges' exception, not a 'FIELD_CUSTOM_VALIDATION_EXCEPTION'. The latter specifically indicates that the record reached the database, but was rejected due to logic configured within a validation rule, not because of the user's base object permissions.
- ✓
A custom validation rule is preventing the update.
Why this is correct
The error code 'FIELD_CUSTOM_VALIDATION_EXCEPTION' is the standard system exception thrown when a custom validation rule fails. This confirms that the record data provided by the user did not meet the criteria defined in one of the validation rules, causing the system to block the save operation for that record.
- ✗
The field is read-only on the page layout.
Why it's wrong here
Page layout settings are enforced at the UI level for standard users. If a field were simply read-only on the page, the user wouldn't be able to edit it in the first place, and no validation exception would occur. This error points to back-end logic, not interface configuration constraints.
- ✗
The user does not have Field-Level Security.
Why it's wrong here
If the user lacked field-level security, the field would be hidden from them entirely, and they would not be able to input data into it. An update exception like this implies that the data was provided and the system attempted to process it, but ultimately rejected the input value.
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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
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