FC0-U71 Applications and Software Practice Question
In a database, which SQL statement is used to add new records to a table?
⚠ Common exam trap
FC0-U71 often tests basic SQL DML statement recognition — candidates may confuse INSERT with UPDATE or SELECT, but only INSERT INTO adds new records.
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
The SQL INSERT INTO statement is used to add new records (rows) to a table. It specifies the target table and the values to insert, optionally listing columns. This is the standard DML statement for creating new rows in a relational database.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DELETE
Why it's wrong here
DELETE removes existing rows matching a WHERE clause; it cannot create records. It is tempting because it is a core data-manipulation statement alongside INSERT, but its purpose is removal, so it would be correct when purging obsolete or erroneous rows from a table rather than adding new ones.
- ✗
UPDATE
Why it's wrong here
UPDATE modifies column values in rows that already exist; it cannot create new rows. It is tempting because it is the other write statement in the data-manipulation family, but it requires a target row, so it would be correct when amending an existing record's fields rather than inserting a new one.
- ✗
SELECT
Why it's wrong here
SELECT only retrieves rows for reading; it performs no data modification, so it cannot add records. It is tempting because it is the most frequently used SQL statement, but it is a query, so it would be correct when reporting or filtering existing table data rather than inserting new rows.
- ✓
INSERT INTO
Why this is correct
INSERT INTO appends new rows to an existing table, specifying the target table and the column values to populate. It is the only statement among the standard DML verbs that creates records, whereas UPDATE modifies existing rows and SELECT merely retrieves them.
About these practice questions
One of 988 original FC0-U71 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
5 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. Which SQL command is used to add a new row to a table?
easy- ✓ A.INSERT INTO
- B.ADD
- C.CREATE
- D.UPDATE
Why A: INSERT INTO is the SQL command for adding new rows.
Variation 2. A user wants to remove a record from a database table. Which SQL command should be used?
medium- A.SELECT
- B.INSERT
- C.UPDATE
- ✓ D.DELETE
Why D: The SQL DELETE statement is used to remove one or more rows from a table, optionally filtered by a WHERE clause. It is a DML (Data Manipulation Language) command that removes data while leaving the table structure intact. SELECT retrieves data, INSERT adds new rows, and UPDATE modifies existing rows, so none of those remove records.
Variation 3. A database administrator needs to add a new customer record to the 'customers' table. Which SQL statement should they use?
medium- ✓ A.INSERT INTO customers VALUES (...)
- B.DELETE FROM customers WHERE ...
- C.SELECT * FROM customers
- D.UPDATE customers SET ...
Why A: 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.
Variation 4. Which of the following SQL statements will add a new row to the 'Products' table?
medium- A.UPDATE Products SET name='Widget', price=10.99
- ✓ B.INSERT INTO Products VALUES ('Widget', 10.99)
- C.CREATE ROW IN Products ('Widget', 10.99)
- D.ADD INTO Products VALUES ('Widget', 10.99)
Why B: The SQL INSERT statement is the standard Data Manipulation Language (DML) command used to add new rows to a table. The syntax INSERT INTO Products VALUES ('Widget', 10.99) inserts a new row with the specified values into the Products table, assuming the column order matches the table definition. This is the correct and ANSI-standard way to add data.
Variation 5. An employee wants to add a new customer record to the 'Customers' table with columns 'ID', 'Name', and 'Email'. Which SQL statement should be used?
medium- A.ADD INTO Customers VALUES (1, 'John', 'john@example.com');
- B.INSERT Customers VALUES (1, 'John', 'john@example.com');
- C.UPDATE Customers SET Name='John' WHERE ID=1;
- ✓ D.INSERT INTO Customers VALUES (1, 'John', 'john@example.com');
Why D: The correct SQL syntax to add a new row is INSERT INTO <table> VALUES (...). Option D uses INSERT INTO Customers VALUES (1, 'John', 'john@example.com');, which inserts a new record with values for all columns in order. This is the standard, valid statement for adding a customer record.
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.