Salesforce Certified Associate Practice Exam

What is a key characteristic of formula fields?

1. They cannot be used in reports

2. They can perform calculations based on other fields

3. They allow users to input any text

4. They are editable by all users

The correct answer is: They can perform calculations based on other fields

Formula fields in Salesforce are designed to perform calculations and return values based on other fields in a record. This functionality enables users to dynamically compute values, such as summing numbers, concatenating text, or deriving values based on conditions without the need for manual input. Since they pull data from existing fields, they are automatically updated whenever those referenced fields are modified, ensuring the information is always current. The other options do not accurately reflect the capabilities of formula fields. For example, formula fields can indeed be used in reports, but they are not explicitly designed for user text input, which is why the possibility of user-editable text is incorrect. They also have restrictions on who can edit them, as not all users are granted edit permissions.