CompTIA Data+ DA0-002 (V2) Practice Question

The correct answer is TIMESTAMP. The TIMESTAMP data type is designed to store a point in time, including both date and time, often with fractional seconds. Crucially, in many popular database systems like MySQL, TIMESTAMP values are converted from the client's current time zone to UTC for storage and then converted back to the client's time zone upon retrieval. This makes it the most suitable choice for applications that operate across multiple time zones, ensuring data consistency. The DATETIME data type stores date and time information but typically does not include time zone information, storing the value as-is. DATE is incorrect because it only stores the date part, and VARCHAR is incorrect because it is a string type and not suitable for date/time calculations or proper chronological sorting.