During insertion, after creating the new node and setting its data, what must you do next?

• A. Adjust the pointers of surrounding nodes.
• B. Delete the entire list.
• C. Move the head to the new node.
• D. Reallocate the previous nodes.

Answer: (A)

Inserting a node into a linked list requires reconnecting the chain by updating the pointers of the neighboring nodes. After you create the new node and set its data, you must link it into the list by adjusting the next pointers (and the previous pointers in a doubly linked list) so that the predecessor points to the new node and the new node points to its successor. If you’re inserting at the beginning, you also update the head to reference the new node. Without updating these pointers, the new node won’t actually be part of the list.

Other options don’t fit because they describe actions that aren’t part of the insertion step: deleting the entire list discards data; moving the head to the new node is only correct for certain insertion scenarios (not a general rule); and reallocating previous nodes isn’t how insertion works.