In this investigation, we study a model of a charged anisotropic compact star by assuming a relationship between the metric functions arising from a conformal symmetry. This mechanism leads to a first-order differential equation containing pressure anisotropy and the electric field. Particular forms of the electric field intensity, combined with the Tolman VII metric, are used to solve the Einstein-Maxwell field equations. New classes of exact solutions generated are expressed in terms of elementary functions. For specific parameter values based on the physical requirements, it is shown that the model satisfies the causality, stability and energy conditions. Numerical values generated for masses, radii, central densities, surface redshifts and compactness factors are consistent with compact objects such as PSR J1614-2230 and SMC X-1.
Keywords: compact objects; conformal symmetry; tolman geometry.