FC0-U71 Applications and Software Practice Question
A database administrator needs to retrieve, update, and delete records from a customer table. Which THREE SQL commands are required? (Select THREE.)
⚠ Common exam trap
FC0-U71 often tests the confusion between DML and DDL — candidates pick CREATE or INSERT because they are common SQL commands, but the question specifies retrieve, update, and delete only.
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
✓
DELETE
The scenario requires three distinct operations: retrieving, updating, and deleting records. SELECT [CORRECT] is the SQL Data Manipulation Language (DML) command used to retrieve/query rows from the customer table, satisfying the 'retrieve' requirement. UPDATE [CORRECT] is the DML command that modifies existing column values in rows of the customer table, satisfying the 'update' requirement. DELETE [CORRECT] is the DML command that removes rows from the customer table, satisfying the 'delete' requirement. INSERT (A) is not needed because the task does not mention adding new records, and CREATE (D) is a Data Definition Language (DDL) statement used to create database objects such as tables, not to manipulate data.
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
Why it's wrong here
INSERT adds new rows, but the task requires retrieving, updating and deleting records, which map to SELECT, UPDATE and DELETE. It is tempting because INSERT is a core DML command, yet it would be correct only when creating new customer records rather than modifying existing ones.
- ✓
DELETE
Why this is correct
DELETE removes rows from the customer table, satisfying the deletion requirement in the stem. Unlike TRUNCATE, which drops all rows and cannot be filtered, DELETE supports a WHERE clause, allowing targeted removal of specific customer records while leaving the table structure and remaining data intact.
- ✓
UPDATE
Why this is correct
UPDATE modifies existing rows in the customer table, satisfying the stem's requirement to change records. It is one of the three data manipulation commands needed alongside SELECT for retrieval and DELETE for removal, directly addressing the update operation specified.
- ✗
CREATE
Why it's wrong here
CREATE defines new tables or other schema objects; it does not manipulate rows within an existing customer table. Retrieving, updating and deleting records require SELECT, UPDATE and DELETE respectively. CREATE would be correct when the task is to add a new table, index or database object.
- ✓
SELECT
Why this is correct
SELECT is the SQL Data Manipulation Language statement that retrieves rows from a table. It satisfies the retrieval portion of the requirement, complementing UPDATE for modifying records and DELETE for removing them, giving the three commands the administrator needs.
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on FC0-U71
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A database administrator needs to perform CRUD operations on a database. Which THREE SQL commands correspond to the 'Create', 'Read', and 'Update' operations?
hard- A.CREATE
- ✓ B.INSERT
- C.DELETE
- ✓ D.UPDATE
- ✓ E.SELECT
Why B: The 'Create' part of CRUD in terms of row-level data operations is fulfilled by INSERT (option B), which adds new rows into a table using INSERT INTO ... VALUES syntax. The 'Read' operation is fulfilled by SELECT (option E), which retrieves rows from one or more tables and is the standard SQL query command. The 'Update' operation is fulfilled by UPDATE (option D), which modifies existing row values using UPDATE ... SET ... WHERE. CREATE (option A) is a DDL statement for creating schema objects such as tables or databases, not for creating data rows, so it does not map to the CRUD 'Create' data operation here. DELETE (option C) removes rows and corresponds to the 'Delete' operation, not to Create, Read, or Update, so it is not among the three required commands.
Variation 2. A database administrator needs to perform CRUD operations on a table. Which TWO SQL statements are used for the 'Create' and 'Read' operations? (Select TWO.)
medium- A.DELETE
- ✓ B.INSERT INTO
- C.CREATE TABLE
- ✓ D.SELECT
- E.UPDATE
Why B: INSERT INTO (B) is correct because it is the SQL statement that creates new rows in a table, satisfying the 'Create' portion of CRUD. SELECT (D) is correct because it is the SQL statement used to read/query existing rows from a table, satisfying the 'Read' portion of CRUD. DELETE (A) is incorrect because it removes rows and corresponds to the 'Delete' operation, not Create or Read. CREATE TABLE (C) is incorrect because it defines a new table's schema (DDL) rather than creating row-level data as part of CRUD. UPDATE (E) is incorrect because it modifies existing rows and corresponds to the 'Update' operation.
JA
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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