FC0-U71 Applications and Software Practice Question
A database administrator needs to add a new customer record to the 'customers' table. Which SQL statement should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the different SQL statements; candidates might think that UPDATE is used to add new records, but UPDATE only modifies existing ones.
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
✓
INSERT INTO customers VALUES (...)
To add a new customer record to the 'customers' table, the database administrator should use the SQL INSERT statement. The INSERT INTO statement is specifically designed to add new rows of data into a table. The syntax 'INSERT INTO customers VALUES (...)' will insert a new row with the provided values into the specified columns.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
INSERT INTO customers VALUES (...)
Why this is correct
INSERT INTO ... VALUES adds new rows to a table, matching the requirement to add a customer record. It is the only DML statement here that creates data rather than retrieving, modifying or removing it.
- ✗
DELETE FROM customers WHERE ...
Why it's wrong here
DELETE removes existing rows matching a WHERE clause; it cannot insert anything, so no new customer record is created. It is tempting because it is the standard data-modification statement, and it would be correct when a customer must be removed from the table.
- ✗
SELECT * FROM customers
Why it's wrong here
SELECT only retrieves rows for reading; it writes nothing to the customers table, so no record is added. It is tempting as the most familiar SQL statement, and it would be correct when the administrator needs to query or verify existing customer data.
- ✗
UPDATE customers SET ...
Why it's wrong here
UPDATE modifies column values in rows that already exist; it cannot create a new row, so no customer record is added. It is tempting because it changes table data, and it would be correct when an existing customer's details need amending.
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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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