This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems acquisition, development and implementation. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is implementing a new procurement system. The project team is considering using a rapid application development (RAD) methodology. Which of the following is a potential risk of using RAD?
Inadequate documentation
Speed can compromise documentation.
Reduced stakeholder involvement
Why wrong: RAD involves stakeholders heavily.
Longer development time
Why wrong: RAD is faster.
Difficulty in prototyping
Why wrong: RAD relies on prototyping.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Inadequate documentation
RAD prioritizes speed and iterative prototyping over formal documentation. Because the focus is on quickly delivering working software through user feedback and short development cycles, comprehensive documentation is often neglected or produced after the fact, leading to inadequate records for maintenance, auditing, and compliance.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Inadequate documentation
Why this is correct
Speed can compromise documentation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Reduced stakeholder involvement
Why it's wrong here
RAD involves stakeholders heavily.
Longer development time
Why it's wrong here
RAD is faster.
Difficulty in prototyping
Why it's wrong here
RAD relies on prototyping.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may assume RAD reduces stakeholder involvement due to its fast pace, but in reality RAD demands more frequent and active stakeholder participation to validate prototypes and provide feedback.
Detailed technical explanation
RAD uses iterative prototyping and time-boxed sprints to accelerate delivery, but this speed often sacrifices formal documentation artifacts like detailed functional specifications and data flow diagrams. In regulated industries (e.g., healthcare, finance), inadequate documentation can lead to audit failures and non-compliance with standards like SOX or HIPAA, as traceability of requirements and changes is lost. The trade-off is that while RAD reduces time-to-market, it increases long-term technical debt and maintenance risk.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the CISA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — This question tests Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Inadequate documentation — RAD prioritizes speed and iterative prototyping over formal documentation. Because the focus is on quickly delivering working software through user feedback and short development cycles, comprehensive documentation is often neglected or produced after the fact, leading to inadequate records for maintenance, auditing, and compliance.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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