SALESFORCE-PD1 Developer Fundamentals Practice Question
An Apex trigger needs to prevent records from being saved if a specific validation condition fails. How should the developer reject the DML operation on a specific record?
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
✓
record.addError('Validation failed.');
Adding an error message to a record sObject in Trigger.new (e.g., record.addError('Message')) prevents that record from saving and adds an error to the UI/transaction.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
record.addError('Validation failed.');
Why this is correct
Calling addError() on a record in Trigger.new prevents the DML operation for that record and reports the error.
- ✗
Trigger.rollback();
Why it's wrong here
Trigger.rollback is not a valid trigger method; database savepoints are used for manual rollbacks.
- ✗
ApexPages.addMessage(new ApexPages.Message(ApexPages.Severity.ERROR, 'Error'));
Why it's wrong here
ApexPages messages are for Visualforce controllers and do not stop triggers from committing records.
- ✗
throw new ValidationException('Error');
Why it's wrong here
Throwing a custom unhandled exception rolls back the entire transaction, but addError is the standard mechanism to flag specific records.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official Salesforce exam blueprint
This SALESFORCE-PD1 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 SALESFORCE-PD1 exam.