What criteria is used to filter results for students who have a last name beginning with the letter A?

The correct choice for filtering results for students whose last name begins with the letter A is based on the use of the wildcard character. When using "Like 'A*'," the asterisk (*) serves as a wildcard that represents any sequence of characters that come after the letter A. This is a common method in database queries and programming to find entries that start with a specified character or string.

For example, if you have a list of last names, using this filter would return all names such as “Anderson,” “Adams,” or “Alvarez,” which all start with the letter A. This criteria effectively captures all variations and lengths of names beginning with A, thus providing a comprehensive list of results.

Using "Like 'A.'" would not accurately capture names beginning with A, as the period signifies a literal character rather than a wildcard. "Starts with 'A'" is a phrase that describes the desired outcome but is not typically a usable criterion in many query languages or systems. Similarly, "Equal to 'A'" would only return entries that are exactly "A" and not any names that begin with that letter. This makes the option with "Like 'A*'" the most effective choice for filtering results accurately.