77-885 · Question #121
Which of the following restricts a user from entering invalid data in the table columns?
The correct answer is D. Validation rule. A validation rule is a set of rules associated with a column so that a user is restricted from entering invalid data. A user can be restricted from entering data through the following options: Datatypes: When a field is assigned to a datatype, data of another type cannot be…
Question
Options
- AInput mask
- BApplication part
- CIndex
- DValidation rule
How the community answered
(48 responses)- A13% (6)
- B6% (3)
- C4% (2)
- D77% (37)
Explanation
A validation rule is a set of rules associated with a column so that a user is restricted from entering invalid data. A user can be restricted from entering data through the following options: Datatypes: When a field is assigned to a datatype, data of another type cannot be inserted in the Field size: The field size restricts the amount of data to be inserted in a table. Table Properties: Certain table properties such as Required forces a user to enter data or the Format property forces a user to enter data in a defined format. A validation rule can be applied by using the Validation Rule property. A user can be intimated about the invalid data through the Validation Text property. Answer: A is incorrect. An input mask is used to control values of a field entered by a database user. The input mask includes literal characters, for example, space, dot, parenthesis, and placeholder. Microsoft Office Access contains a number of pre-defined input masks that match with most of the conditions. A user can create customized masks according to his needs. The Input Mask Wizard is used to create an input mask for text and date fields. If the user wants to create an input mask for numeric fields, he should enter the formatting symbol himself. Answer: C is incorrect. In Microsoft Office Access 2010, an index is a list of field values included in a table. It helps Access in finding and sorting records quickly. An index stores the record's location based on the columns that are part of the index. The indexed fields have unique values which make it more efficient and faster for Access to read and find a specific field value. Answer: B is incorrect. An application part is a template available in Microsoft Office Access 2010. It can be added to an existing database. It is used to extend the functionality of an Access database. It can include only a single table or a number of database objects, such as tables, forms, reports, and even relationships. A user can open up the Application Parts gallery in order to view the built-in parts.
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Fatima Z.May 17, 2026The answer is D, Validation Rule, and here is the sticky way to remember it. Picture a bouncer at a club door holding a sign that says "VR, Valid or Rejected." That bouncer is your Validation Rule, and it looks at every piece of data trying to get into that field and either lets it in or throws it out based on the rule you set, like "must be greater than 0" or "must be a date after 2020." An Input mask, option A, is more like a dress code sign outside the club, it shapes HOW you type the data (think phone number dashes and parentheses) but it does not actually check whether the value itself makes logical sense. An Index just speeds up searching, and an Application part is a pre-built template chunk, neither of them are the doorman. So lock it in: Validation Rule equals Value Rejected if wrong, and that is your field-level enforcer for keeping bad data out of your Access tables.
Mei-Ling H.Apr 26, 2026D is the right call here. The word "restricts" is your signal, because an input mask controls the format of what you type but it does not actually block invalid data from being saved, it just shapes how it looks as you enter it. A validation rule, on the other hand, checks the value itself against a condition you define, and Access will refuse to save the record if the value fails that test. That is a true restriction on invalid data, not just a display filter.
Dragomir B.May 21, 2026Validation rule, obviously. Saw three people pick Input Mask on mine, walked out shaking my head.
Luis F.May 9, 2026Yeah D is the one, Validation Rule is exactly what restricts invalid data from being saved to a table field. You set the rule as an expression on the field itself, like requiring a number to be greater than zero or a date to fall within a certain range, and if someone tries to enter something that breaks the rule Access flat out rejects it and shows your Validation Text message instead. A lot of people get tripped up by A because an input mask looks similar on the surface, but all it does is control the format of how you type something in, it does not actually validate the value against a condition. Index and Application Part are not even close to being about data validation.
Costin D.May 1, 2026I keep seeing people say D on this one but hear me out, Application Part is the right call here. An Application Part is a packaged set of database components that Microsoft specifically designed to enforce consistency and structure across your tables, and when you bundle your validation logic into an Application Part you are restricting what gets entered at the object level, not just slapping a format on top of it. Think about it this way, a Validation Rule is just a property you set on a field, it can be bypassed or ignored depending on how the front end is built, but an Application Part enforces the design decisions at a higher architectural layer. I have been dealing with Access databases since Office 2003 and the whole point of Application Parts is to standardize data entry behavior across a deployment, which is exactly what the question is asking about.
Fatima Z.May 3, 2026Costin, I love the passion, but remember "VR Validates, AP Assembles," because Application Parts are pre-built templates that drop ready-made tables and forms into your database, not enforcement tools, so D (Validation Rule) is the one doing the actual data-entry restricting right at the field level where it counts.