the joys of answering early :pinch: -

The QotD question states "Which of the following hints require the word WITH? (choose 3) "

I don't use Table Hints that often, neither do I have a SQL Server 2012 installation to test, so I hit BOL and find the page on Table Hints http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187373.aspx (Yes, same page the solution refers to). I read, and note the section under 'Arguments' that says 'The following table hints are allowed with and without the WITH keyword: ' - that indicates to me that the keyword is not required.

With 5 options in the answer list, my logic says if 3 require the WITH keyword, then 2 will not. (Old school maths, didn't even use a calculator for that one) So I scan the list ... NOLOCK, there's one, ROWLOCK, that's the second one, others must be out. Tick, tick, tick, submit ... "Sorry - you were wrong." What the ...?!

So I look at the BOL list again, and yes, there's XLOCK as well. So no matter which 3 I chose, I'd be wrong. There are only 2 that require the WITH keyword. The solution even says so too.

Any chance this can be fixed before a whole lot more people get miffed about losing points for a flawed (but otherwise interesting) question?

🙂 I still learnt a lot in the process.