Question 10 of 481
1Z0-811 Primitives, Strings and Operators Practice Question
Which operator is used to compare two strings for value equality in Java?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse == with equals() because == works for primitive types (like int or char) to compare values, but for String objects it compares references, leading to incorrect results when comparing string contents.
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
✓
equals()
The equals() method in Java's String class compares the actual character sequences of two strings for value equality. Unlike the == operator, which checks reference equality (whether two references point to the same object in memory), equals() performs a lexicographic comparison of the string contents, returning true if and only if both strings have the same length and the same characters in the same order.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
compareTo()
Why it's wrong here
Compares lexicographically, but not for equality.
- ✗
=
Why it's wrong here
Assignment operator.
- ✗
==
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect for value equality.
- ✓
equals()
Why this is correct
Correct for value equality.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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