220-1102 Operational Procedures Practice Question
A technician receives approval from the Change Advisory Board (CAB) to update the password policy for all domain users. After implementing the change, the help desk is flooded with calls from users who cannot log in because the new policy requires more complex passwords that they were not told about. Which step of the change management process did the technician most likely omit?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the communication plan with testing or backout plans, but the core issue is stakeholder notification, not technical validation or rollback capability.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Communication plan
The technician failed to notify users about the new password complexity requirements before enforcement. A communication plan ensures all stakeholders are informed of changes, timelines, and impacts. Without it, users were locked out because they didn't know their passwords would be rejected, causing the help desk flood.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Communication plan
Why this is correct
A communication plan is a mandatory deliverable of a change request that specifies how stakeholders, including the help desk and end users, will be notified of the change's scope, timing, and impact. In this scenario, the technician had approval but never executed the notification step, so users were blindsided by the new behavior. Proper change management requires this advance notice to set expectations and provide a channel for questions, which is exactly what was missing.
- ✗
Backout plan
Why it's wrong here
A backout plan defines the steps to revert a change to its previous state if implementation fails or introduces critical errors. Here, the change itself was successful and did not require reversal; the disruption stemmed solely from the lack of advance notice. Even a comprehensive backout plan would not have informed users or the help desk about the upcoming change, so it is irrelevant to the root cause.
- ✗
Testing
Why it's wrong here
Testing validates that the change functions as intended in a controlled environment before production deployment. In this case, the change was technically sound and worked correctly after implementation, but the problem was not a functional defect—it was the absence of user notification. Testing does not address the communication requirement, so it would not have prevented the confusion.
- ✗
Post-implementation review
Why it's wrong here
A post-implementation review (PIR) is conducted after the change is deployed to assess whether it achieved its objectives and to document lessons learned. While a PIR might note the missing communication for future improvements, it occurs too late to remedy the immediate disruption. The technician needed a proactive communication plan before implementation, not a retrospective review afterward.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Change Management Procedures
Key term
Password policy
A set of rules designed to enhance computer security by encouraging users to create strong, secure passwords and store them properly.
Key term
Change management
Change management is the structured process of planning, approving, implementing, and reviewing changes to IT systems to minimize risk and disruption.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A technician has been granted approval from the Change Advisory Board (CAB) to apply a critical security patch to a web server. The patch requires a reboot, causing a brief outage. The technician has backed up the system and verified the backup is valid. What is the NEXT step the technician should take according to change management best practices?
medium- A.Perform a post-implementation review
- ✓ B.Notify the affected users of the upcoming outage
- C.Test the backup by performing a full restore to a test environment
- D.Schedule another CAB meeting to confirm approval
Why B: After CAB approval and backup verification, the next step in change management best practices is to notify affected users of the upcoming outage. This ensures stakeholders are aware of the planned downtime, aligning with the 'communicate and coordinate' phase of the change management process. The technician must provide advance notice to users who rely on the web server, allowing them to prepare for the brief interruption.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1102 exam.