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FC0-U71 Practice Question: A database administrator is designing a…
A database administrator is designing a normalized database. Which TWO are benefits of normalization?
⚠ Common exam trap
FC0-U71 often tests the misconception that normalization improves performance — in reality it usually trades query speed for data integrity, and denormalization is the performance-oriented opposite.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Reduces data redundancy
Normalization is the process of organizing data into related tables to minimize duplication, so option A (Reduces data redundancy) is correct because each fact is stored in only one place rather than repeated across multiple rows or tables. Option B (Eliminates update anomalies) is also correct because, with redundant data removed, a single change to a fact only needs to be made in one location, preventing insertion, update, and deletion anomalies. Option C (Improves query performance) is not a guaranteed benefit; normalization often requires more joins, which can actually slow read queries, so it is not a defining benefit here. Option D (Increases data redundancy) is the opposite of what normalization does, and option E (Requires fewer tables) is incorrect because normalization typically decomposes data into more tables, not fewer.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Reduces data redundancy
Why this is correct
Normalisation splits data into related tables so each fact is stored once, eliminating duplicate columns and repeated values across rows. This directly reduces data redundancy, one of the two benefits the question asks for, by removing the repeated storage of identical information.
- ✓
Eliminates update anomalies
Why this is correct
Normalisation ensures each fact appears in exactly one place, so an update need only be applied once. This eliminates update anomalies, where inconsistent duplicate copies would otherwise diverge, directly satisfying the requirement to identify a benefit of normalisation.
- ✗
Improves query performance
Why it's wrong here
Normalization reduces redundancy and update anomalies but usually adds joins, which can slow read queries; improved performance is not a guaranteed benefit. It is tempting because eliminating duplicate data shrinks storage, yet denormalization is the technique deliberately applied when query speed must be increased.
- ✗
Increases data redundancy
Why it's wrong here
Normalization deliberately eliminates redundant data by splitting it across related tables, so increasing redundancy contradicts its purpose. It is tempting because denormalization sometimes reintroduces controlled redundancy for reporting, but that is a deliberate performance trade-off, not a benefit of the normalized design itself.
- ✗
Requires fewer tables
Why it's wrong here
Normalization typically produces more tables, not fewer, because each entity and relationship is separated to remove partial and transitive dependencies. It is tempting because fewer tables sounds tidy, yet that describes a denormalized flat structure, which is chosen for read-heavy reporting rather than for a normalized transactional schema.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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