Western Governors University (WGU) ICSC2211 D684 Introduction to Computer Science Practice Test

The choice that best describes a key benefit of indexing in databases is that indexes significantly increase the speed of data retrieval. Indexing is a performance optimization technique used in databases to improve the efficiency of data access. By creating an index, the database can maintain a sorted structure, which allows the database management system to quickly locate and retrieve records without scanning the entire table.

When a query is executed, instead of evaluating every row to find matches, the system can use the index to jump directly to the relevant data, resulting in a considerable reduction in response time, especially for large datasets. This is akin to having a book index that helps you find specific topics quickly rather than searching through every page.

While sorting data and reducing query complexity can be benefits of well-defined database structures, they are not the primary advantages of indexing compared to the significant performance improvement in data retrieval speed. Thus, the emphasis on retrieval speed makes this answer the most accurate representation of indexing's core benefit.