FC0-U71 Data and Database Fundamentals Practice Question
A database has a table 'Orders' with columns OrderID (primary key), CustomerID, OrderDate, and TotalAmount. Which SQL statement will delete all orders placed before January 1, 2023?
⚠ Common exam trap
FC0-U71 often tests the confusion between DDL commands (DROP, TRUNCATE, ALTER) and DML commands (DELETE, INSERT, UPDATE), tricking candidates into choosing DROP when row-level deletion is required.
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 FROM Orders WHERE OrderDate < '2023-01-01'
DELETE FROM Orders WHERE OrderDate < '2023-01-01' is the correct SQL syntax for removing rows that match a condition. DELETE is the standard DML statement for row-level removal, and the WHERE clause filters which orders are affected. The date literal '2023-01-01' is compared against OrderDate to remove all orders placed before that date.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DROP FROM Orders WHERE OrderDate < '2023-01-01'
Why it's wrong here
DROP removes the entire table and its structure, so it cannot carry a WHERE clause; the statement fails syntactically. DELETE is the command that removes selected rows while preserving the table. DROP is tempting because it also deletes data, and would be correct when decommissioning the whole Orders table.
- ✓
DELETE FROM Orders WHERE OrderDate < '2023-01-01'
Why this is correct
DELETE removes only rows satisfying the WHERE predicate, so OrderDate < '2023-01-01' purges pre-2023 orders while preserving the table, its schema and later records. This satisfies the stem's requirement to delete all orders placed before that date, unlike DROP or TRUNCATE, which would remove the table or every row.
- ✗
DELETE OrderDate < '2023-01-01' FROM Orders
Why it's wrong here
DELETE requires the FROM clause before the WHERE clause; placing the condition between the keyword and table name is a syntax error. It is tempting because the intent and predicate are correct, but the clause order must be DELETE FROM Orders WHERE OrderDate < '2023-01-01'.
- ✗
REMOVE FROM Orders WHERE OrderDate < '2023-01-01'
Why it's wrong here
REMOVE is not a SQL statement; deletion uses DELETE. The WHERE predicate is correctly formed, which makes the option look plausible, but no database engine recognises REMOVE as a DML keyword, so the statement fails to parse before any rows are evaluated.
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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
This FC0-U71 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the FC0-U71 exam.