Final answer:
Fixed length records, not variable length records, are easier to access directly due to their consistent size, which allows for straightforward calculation of each record's position.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that within a file, variable-length records are easier to access directly than fixed-length records is false. Fixed-length records are easier to access directly because their size is consistent, which means that the starting position of each record can be calculated using a simple formula (record size multiplied by the record number). Conversely, variable-length records require an index or a delimiter to determine the end of one record and the beginning of another, hence making direct access more complex.