B. ParseException Here's why the other options are not the primary exceptions for this scenario: A. NumberFormatException: This exception is typically thrown when parsing a String that cannot be 45/97 interpreted as a valid number. While dates might involve numbers, an invalid date format could involve other characters or separators that wouldn't necessarily trigger a NumberFormatException. C. LocaleException: This exception is generally thrown when there's an issue with the specified locale itself (e.g., invalid locale code). It wouldn't directly indicate a parsing problem due to an invalid date format. D. DataFormatException: This exception is a more generic data format error and might be used in some contexts. However, ParseException is more specific to parsing failures, especially for dates. ParseException: The ParseException is thrown by the SimpleDateFormat class (or its equivalent DateTimeFormatter in Java 8+) when it encounters an error while parsing a string into a date object. An invalid date format for the current locale would be one of the reasons for this exception.