Hi guys, Thanks for the answer, but where is this documented? The 10.1 docs seem to contradict that statement: http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B14117_01/appdev.101/b10800/dciextopt.htm#sthref434 > I presume that the database is using CPU COST based optimization. The > predicates are not evaluated in reverse order. The CPU COST model will > rearrange the predicates into the order it thinks is easiest to > evaluate. Thanks! Rich p.s. Michael, if you check my post carefully you'll see the space in between the quotes. So it's really "and aa.col_2a > '[space]'". -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l