• Tom, yes I noted the deprecation issue - it's not that ...

    Question says "Which of the following hints require the word WITH? (choose 3) "

    Explanation says "table hints ROWLOCK, XLOCK, and NOLOCK can still be used without the "WITH" keyword", ... then ... "Index hints FORCESEEK and FORCESCAN require the "WITH" keyword."

    If a hint can still be used without the WITH keyword, then it is not, by definition, required.

    If the question said "(choose 2)" I would tick FORCESEEK and FORCESCAN, as per above. If the question said "which of the following hints are to be deprecated and will require ... " then the answer would be as given. It didn't. That's my issue here.

    While I agree a little knowledge can be dangerous, a little confusion can be far worse.