Records retired from use but still exist in the system for historical purposes are referred to as which?

• A. Active records
• B. Archived records
• C. Soft-deleted records
• D. Purged records

Answer: (C)

When a record is retired from everyday use but kept in the system for historical purposes, it’s typically kept as a soft delete. That means the record isn’t physically removed; it’s marked in some way (like a deleted flag or a deleted_at timestamp) so it can still be accessed if needed for auditing or restoration, while normal operations treat it as inactive. This preserves history without cluttering active data.

By contrast, archived records are usually stored separately or in a long-term storage area and may not be readily accessible in the same system interface; purged records are permanently removed and cannot be recovered; active records are currently in use. So soft-deleted best fits the idea of still existing within the system for historical purposes.