hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
FC0-U71 Practice Question: A university database includes a table named…
A university database includes a table named 'Students' and a table named 'Enrollments'. The 'Enrollments' table has a foreign key column 'StudentID' that references the 'StudentID' primary key in the 'Students' table. The university policy requires that when a student withdraws (i.e., their record is deleted from the 'Students' table), all of their associated enrollment records must be automatically removed to maintain data consistency. The database administrator wants to enforce this rule at the database level. Which referential action should be applied when creating the foreign key constraint on the 'Enrollments' table?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse ON DELETE CASCADE with ON DELETE SET NULL or ON DELETE RESTRICT, mistakenly thinking that preventing deletion or setting NULL satisfies the automatic removal requirement, when only CASCADE actually deletes the child records automatically.
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
✓
ON DELETE CASCADE
(ON DELETE CASCADE) is correct because it automatically deletes all child rows in the 'Enrollments' table when the corresponding parent row in the 'Students' table is deleted. This enforces the university policy of removing associated enrollment records upon student withdrawal, maintaining referential integrity at the database level without manual intervention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
ON DELETE CASCADE
Why this is correct
CASCADE automatically deletes child records when parent is deleted.
- ✗
ON DELETE SET NULL
Why it's wrong here
SET NULL would orphan enrollment records with NULL StudentID, not delete them.
- ✗
ON DELETE NO ACTION
Why it's wrong here
NO ACTION (like RESTRICT) prevents deletion if child records exist.
- ✗
ON DELETE RESTRICT
Why it's wrong here
RESTRICT prevents deletion if child records exist, not desired.
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