CGEIT Hard Questions — 25 Difficult Questions

Question 1

When assessing the feasibility of a project, why is it necessary to evaluate the 'risk of benefit realization'?

Accepted Answer

To determine if the expected value can realistically be achieved under current conditions.. If the risk of not achieving the benefit is too high, the project might not be a sound investment regardless of its cost.

Answer

To ensure the project follows the vendor's best practices.

Answer

To ensure the technical project has no bugs.

Answer

To reduce the number of stakeholders involved.

Question 2

Which THREE items are necessary to calculate the 'Total Cost of Ownership' (TCO) for a new IT project?

Accepted Answer

Project staff salaries during the development phase.. TCO encompasses all costs, including acquisition, implementation, and ongoing operational support.

Answer

The number of users who will be trained.

Answer

The predicted revenue increase.

Question 3

A company is integrating a new AI technology. How should the governance structure oversee this risk?

Accepted Answer

Update governance policies and risk thresholds for new technology.. Emerging technology requires the IT steering committee to review the risk appetite and update governance policies to manage new types of ethical and operational risks.

Answer

Mandate that no new AI technology is used.

Answer

Allow the IT team to proceed without oversight.

Answer

Focus solely on the cost of the technology.

Question 4

Which THREE factors should be considered when assessing the 'Value' of an IT investment in a portfolio?

Accepted Answer

Financial benefits such as cost reduction or revenue growth.. Value is derived from strategic fit, financial return, and the risk of not proceeding.

Answer

The number of vendors involved in the project.

Answer

The total volume of code written.

Question 5

Which THREE metrics are commonly used to measure the success of an IT investment?

Accepted Answer

Customer satisfaction or Net Promoter Score (NPS).. Success is measured by financial returns, operational efficiency, and strategic outcomes.

Answer

Total cost of software development.

Answer

The number of hours the development team worked.

Question 6

Which document is the primary source for defining the success criteria of an IT project?

Accepted Answer

The business case.. The business case provides the justification and the defined expected benefits for the project.

Answer

The vendor contract.

Answer

The technical design document.

Answer

The project charter.

Question 7

Which TWO of the following steps are critical when performing a benefits-based business case review?

Accepted Answer

Comparing current project performance against the business case.. Reviewing requires checking against the plan and assessing the continued relevance of the business case.

Answer

Updating the project team's contact list.

Answer

Checking if the project complies with the latest IT security standards.

Answer

Reviewing the technical code repository.

Question 8

An organization is failing to achieve the expected ROI on IT investments. Which governance mechanism is most likely missing?

Accepted Answer

An IT Steering Committee focused on value realization.. The IT Steering Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving business cases, ensuring projects are prioritized based on value and ROI.

Answer

Regular penetration testing.

Answer

A robust incident management process.

Answer

Standardized server configurations.

Question 9

A firm is experiencing 'governance drift' where IT initiatives are no longer aligned with corporate strategy. Which action should the governance committee take first?

Accepted Answer

Perform a review of business strategy and IT design factors.. The first step in addressing governance drift is to re-evaluate the strategic goals and determine if the governance framework needs re-designing to accommodate changes.

Answer

Replace the existing CIO.

Answer

Conduct an audit of all current IT projects.

Answer

Increase the IT budget to support more initiatives.

Question 10

An enterprise is adopting a 'Benefits-led' approach to IT governance. Which artifact is the most critical for documenting the causal link between IT-enabled outcomes and organizational strategy?

Accepted Answer

The Benefits Dependency Map (BDM).. A Benefits Dependency Map (or Benefit Map) explicitly links the IT investment to intermediate capabilities and final business outcomes, proving the causal chain.

Answer

The Project Charter.

Answer

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC).

Answer

The IT Strategy document.

Question 11

A project delivers a new system, but the benefits are not realized due to an outdated manual process that was not updated. Where did the benefits management plan fail?

Accepted Answer

In the business change management and process alignment components.. The plan failed to address the business process changes required to make the technology effective.

Answer

In the software coding standards.

Answer

In the technical design phase.

Answer

In the project budget management.

Question 12

Which THREE activities are required when managing the 'Benefits Lifecycle'?

Accepted Answer

Tracking the realization of benefits after implementation.. The lifecycle includes planning, execution/monitoring, and post-project review.

Answer

Reducing the number of project stakeholders.

Answer

Updating the project's source code documentation.

Question 13

Which THREE of the following are key steps in the lifecycle of IT infrastructure resource management?

Accepted Answer

Planning and acquisition. Planning, monitoring/optimizing, and decommissioning are the core phases of the IT infrastructure lifecycle.

Answer

Employee vacation scheduling

Answer

Social media content creation

Question 14

Which THREE types of risks should IT governance oversee?

Accepted Answer

Operational risks. Operational, strategic, and compliance risks are the primary categories of risk within IT governance.

Answer

Risk of office plant death

Answer

Risk of printer paper jam

Question 15

A corporation is shifting from a centralized to a decentralized IT structure. How does this affect governance?

Accepted Answer

Governance must define common standards while allowing local decision-making flexibility.. Decentralization shifts control, requiring a governance framework that emphasizes shared standards and monitoring across multiple business units.

Answer

The board should take over all local IT decisions.

Answer

The governance framework is no longer required.

Answer

Decentralization makes IT governance impossible.

Question 16

If an IT investment's benefits are being realized faster than planned, what is the governance board's role?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the cause of the acceleration to see if it can be replicated in other projects.. Accelerated benefit realization may offer opportunities to reinvest or adjust the portfolio strategy.

Answer

Terminate the project immediately to save remaining funds.

Answer

Double the budget to see if benefits can be increased even further.

Answer

Ignore the acceleration and continue with the original plan.

Question 17

Which THREE principles are central to COBIT 2019 governance?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic governance system. Meeting stakeholder needs, holistic approach, and dynamic governance are core COBIT 2019 principles.

Answer

Maximizing individual developer freedom

Answer

Outsourcing everything

Question 18

If a project is completed but the expected benefits are not realized, what is the best initial step for a CGEIT professional?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the 'Benefit Dependency Network' to identify where the link between output and outcome failed.. The professional must investigate the cause, which usually lies in the gap between technical delivery and operational adoption.

Answer

Ignore the missing benefits as long as the system works.

Answer

Start a new, more expensive project.

Answer

Blame the technical team for poor coding.

Question 19

Which metric is the most effective indicator of IT governance success?

Accepted Answer

Degree of alignment between IT investments and business value realized. Value realization is the ultimate test of IT governance effectiveness.

Answer

Total cost of IT hardware and software maintenance

Answer

Number of IT projects completed on time

Answer

Number of IT security patches applied per month

Question 20

Which THREE components are critical for an IT governance system to be effective?

Accepted Answer

Defined processes. Processes, organizational structures, and information flows are core components of a governance system.

Answer

Unlimited breakroom coffee

Answer

The latest gaming console