What is a primary advantage of normalization in a relational database?

• A. Reduces data redundancy and enforces data integrity.
• B. Increases data redundancy and speeds reads.
• C. Eliminates the need for indexing.
• D. Always improves write performance.

Answer: (A)

Normalization focuses on reducing duplication by organizing data into related tables and linking them with keys. When common data is stored in one place and referenced from others, updates, deletions, and insertions happen in a single location, which prevents inconsistencies and anomalies. Referential integrity constraints (like foreign keys) keep these links valid, so you won’t end up with orphaned records or conflicting data. That combination—less duplicated data and stronger consistency—is why this is the main advantage of normalization.

The other statements aren’t the goal of normalization: it doesn’t increase redundancy; it may even require more tables and joins, which can affect read performance, and it doesn’t inherently guarantee faster writes.