FC0-U71 Data and Database Fundamentals Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are valid SQL statements?
⚠ Common exam trap
FC0-U71 often tests the confusion between similar-sounding SQL commands, such as REMOVE vs. DROP and MODIFY vs. UPDATE, causing candidates to select invalid statements.
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
✓
SELECT * FROM Employees WHERE Department = 'Sales'
Option B, 'SELECT * FROM Employees WHERE Department = \'Sales\'', is valid SQL because SELECT with the asterisk wildcard retrieves all columns from the Employees table, and the WHERE clause filters rows where Department equals the string literal 'Sales'. Option D, 'DELETE FROM Employees WHERE ID = 5', is valid SQL because DELETE FROM removes rows from the Employees table, and the WHERE clause restricts deletion to the row whose ID equals 5. Option E, 'INSERT INTO Employees VALUES (\'John\', 50000)', is valid SQL because INSERT INTO with the VALUES clause adds a new row containing the string 'John' and the numeric value 50000 into the table's columns in order. Option A is not valid because SQL has no REMOVE TABLE statement; the correct statement is DROP TABLE. Option C is not valid because SQL has no MODIFY statement for changing data; the correct statement is UPDATE Employees SET Salary = 60000 WHERE ID = 1.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
REMOVE TABLE Employees
Why it's wrong here
REMOVE is not a SQL keyword; deleting rows uses DELETE and dropping a table uses DROP TABLE, so this statement cannot execute. It tempts because REMOVE sounds like a plausible data-deletion verb, but it would be valid only in a language that actually defines that keyword.
- ✓
SELECT * FROM Employees WHERE Department = 'Sales'
Why this is correct
SELECT retrieves rows, the asterisk returns all columns, FROM names the table, and WHERE filters rows by the Department column matching the string 'Sales'. This is syntactically valid SQL, unlike statements missing clauses or using non-existent keywords.
- ✗
MODIFY Employees SET Salary = 60000 WHERE ID = 1
Why it's wrong here
MODIFY is not a SQL statement for changing stored data; the correct keyword is UPDATE, which pairs with SET and WHERE. It tempts because MODIFY exists in other database dialects for altering column definitions, but here it would only be valid as part of an ALTER TABLE schema change.
- ✓
DELETE FROM Employees WHERE ID = 5
Why this is correct
DELETE FROM removes rows matching the WHERE clause, so this statement erases the Employees record whose ID equals 5. It is syntactically valid SQL, satisfying the stem's requirement for a genuine statement rather than a fragment or pseudo-command.
- ✓
INSERT INTO Employees VALUES ('John', 50000)
Why this is correct
INSERT INTO adds a new row, and VALUES supplies the column data in table order. With no column list, the values map positionally to every column, making this a syntactically valid SQL statement as the question requires.
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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.