The correct answer is: A. Selecting the fields that you want to appear in the form or report.
The form wizard and report wizard are tools that help you create forms and reports in Microsoft Access. The first step in using either wizard is to select the fields that you want to appear in the form or report. This is because the wizard will use these fields to create the form or report.
Option B is incorrect because you need to select the fields before you can select the underlying table or query.
Option C is incorrect because you do not need to read several screens of mostly useless information. The wizard will guide you through the process of creating the form or report, and you will only need to read the information that is relevant to the task at hand.
Option D is incorrect because you need to select the fields before you can select how the form or report should be formatted.