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CISA Practice Question: A company decides to outsource the development of…
A company decides to outsource the development of a customer portal. Which of the following is the MOST critical control to include in the contract?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates choose the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) thinking data protection is paramount, but the question asks for the MOST critical control in a development contract, where performance and availability (via SLAs) are more directly tied to project success.
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
✓
Service level agreements
Service level agreements (SLAs) are the most critical control because they define measurable performance targets (e.g., uptime, response time, throughput) for the outsourced customer portal. Without enforceable SLAs, the company has no contractual mechanism to ensure the portal meets availability and responsiveness requirements, directly impacting customer experience and business operations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Service level agreements
Why this is correct
SLAs specify measurable performance targets and remedies for non-compliance, directly impacting business operations.
- ✗
Fixed price clause
Why it's wrong here
Fixed price controls cost but does not guarantee performance or quality.
- ✗
Non-disclosure agreement
Why it's wrong here
NDA is important for confidentiality but does not address service delivery quality.
- ✗
Termination for convenience clause
Why it's wrong here
This clause allows early termination but does not ensure quality during the contract period.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CISA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA 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 CISA exam.