Salesforce Platform Developer I Practice Test

Salesforce Platform Developer I is a developer route for candidates who build on the Salesforce Platform using Apex, data model knowledge, trigger patterns, automation, testing, security, and deployment discipline.

This page includes 12 original sample questions for initial review. IT Mastery coverage for Salesforce Platform Developer I is under review; use the preview to test fit and use the Notify me form if you want updates for this route.

What these questions test

• choosing when Apex, declarative automation, validation rules, or platform events fit a requirement
• recognizing trigger bulkification, transaction, governor-limit, and test-coverage issues
• applying object model, sharing, field security, and data-access reasoning
• reading small code snippets for behavior, failure mode, and maintainability

Sample Exam Questions

These questions are original IT Mastery preview items. They are written for Salesforce developer judgment, not as official Salesforce exam questions.

Question 1

Topic: Apex bulkification

A trigger queries related records inside a loop and starts failing when a data import updates 500 records. What is the best fix?

• A. Run the import one row at a time forever
• B. Add more debug statements only
• C. Move queries outside the loop and process records in collections
• D. Disable all validation rules

Best answer: C

Explanation: Apex code must handle bulk operations. Queries and DML inside loops can hit governor limits; the better pattern is to collect IDs, query once, and process records in maps or lists.

Question 2

Topic: triggers

A developer needs to prevent saving an Opportunity when a required business condition is not met. Which trigger behavior is appropriate?

• A. Use addError on the relevant record or field when the condition fails
• B. Send an email and allow the save
• C. Create a dashboard
• D. Rename the Opportunity object

Best answer: A

Explanation: addError prevents DML from succeeding for records that violate a rule. It is a common Apex pattern when a programmatic validation decision must block save.

Question 3

Topic: testing

What is the main purpose of Test.startTest() and Test.stopTest() in an Apex test?

• A. To create production users automatically
• B. To disable security checks permanently
• C. To hide test failures
• D. To reset governor-limit context and execute asynchronous work before assertions

Best answer: D

Explanation: Test.startTest() and Test.stopTest() help isolate the code under test and force asynchronous operations such as future, queueable, or batch work to complete before assertions.

Question 4

Topic: security

An Apex controller returns fields that the running user should not see. What should the developer consider?

• A. Giving every user Modify All Data
• B. Enforcing field-level security and sharing expectations in the data-access path
• C. Removing all profiles
• D. Rendering the field in a larger font

Best answer: B

Explanation: Code must respect the intended security model. Developers should understand sharing mode, CRUD/FLS enforcement, and how data is queried and returned to users.

Question 5

Topic: data model

A custom object needs a required relationship to a parent record, and child records should be deleted when the parent is deleted. Which relationship type is most appropriate?

• A. Lookup with no required field
• B. Master-detail relationship
• C. Text field containing the parent name
• D. Formula field only

Best answer: B

Explanation: A master-detail relationship creates a required parent-child relationship and supports cascade delete, roll-up summary behavior, and ownership inheritance characteristics.

Question 6

Topic: asynchronous Apex

A callout to an external system should occur after a record is saved without blocking the user transaction. Which approach is most appropriate?

• A. Perform the callout in a formula field
• B. Put the callout in a validation rule
• C. Store the password in the trigger body
• D. Use an asynchronous pattern that supports callouts, such as queueable Apex where appropriate

Best answer: D

Explanation: Long-running or external callout work should usually be asynchronous. Queueable Apex can support more structured async work than simple inline trigger logic.

Question 7

Topic: Lightning components

A Lightning component should display record data and respect platform security. What should the developer avoid?

• A. Hard-coding sensitive data or bypassing access checks in the server-side code
• B. Using component state appropriately
• C. Testing with representative users
• D. Handling errors gracefully

Best answer: A

Explanation: Components should not expose sensitive data through hard-coded values or insecure server-side access. Security and error handling matter in both UI and Apex layers.

Question 8

Topic: governor limits

Why are governor limits important in Salesforce development?

• A. They only affect reports
• B. They require code to be scalable and tenant-safe in a shared platform environment
• C. They mean no automation can be written
• D. They replace all testing

Best answer: B

Explanation: Governor limits protect shared platform resources. Developers must design bulk-safe, efficient code that works under platform constraints.

Question 9

Topic: declarative vs programmatic

A requirement can be met with a simple field update after a record changes, and business admins need to maintain it. What should be considered before writing Apex?

• A. Whether a declarative automation can meet the requirement with lower maintenance
• B. Whether Apex is always required
• C. Whether the field can be deleted
• D. Whether the test class can be skipped

Best answer: A

Explanation: Platform Developer I candidates should know when declarative automation is a better fit. Apex is powerful, but not every requirement should be solved with code.

Question 10

Topic: deployment

A change set or deployment fails because a test assertion no longer matches expected behavior. What should the developer do?

• A. Delete the assertion without understanding the change
• B. Disable all tests permanently
• C. Review whether the code or test expectation changed and update the correct artifact
• D. Move the failure to production manually

Best answer: C

Explanation: Test failures are evidence. The developer should determine whether the application behavior is wrong or whether the test needs to reflect an intentional change.

Question 11

Topic: exception handling

An integration sometimes returns an error response. What should the Apex code do?

• A. Handle expected failures, preserve useful diagnostics, and avoid exposing sensitive details to end users
• B. Swallow every exception silently
• C. Show the raw secret token in the error message
• D. Retry forever with no limit

Best answer: A

Explanation: Good exception handling balances user-friendly behavior with diagnostic value. Sensitive details should not be exposed, and retries should be controlled.

Question 12

Topic: order of execution

Why does order of execution matter for a developer?

• A. It determines only page colors
• B. It is unrelated to automation
• C. It can affect when validation, flows, triggers, assignment rules, and workflow behavior run
• D. It replaces the need for data modeling

Best answer: C

Explanation: Salesforce automation has an execution sequence. Developers need to understand when code and automation run to avoid recursion, unexpected field values, or conflicting logic.

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Related pages

• Salesforce Platform App Builder
• Salesforce Platform Administrator
• GitHub Actions