CISA Governance and Management of IT Practice Question
A financial institution is evaluating its IT governance structure. Which of the following roles is BEST suited to ensure independent oversight of IT investments?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse operational management roles (CIO, PMO director, CISO) with governance roles, mistakenly believing that a senior IT manager can provide independent oversight when they are actually part of the management chain being overseen.
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
✓
IT Audit Committee
The IT Audit Committee is the correct answer because it provides independent oversight of IT investments by operating outside of management's direct reporting structure. Unlike the CIO, PMO director, or CISO, who are all part of management and may have vested interests in project approvals or resource allocation, the IT Audit Committee reports to the board of directors and ensures that IT investments align with enterprise strategy, risk appetite, and regulatory requirements without bias.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Why it's wrong here
CIO is a management role, not independent oversight.
- ✗
Project Management Office (PMO) director
Why it's wrong here
PMO is operational and not independent.
- ✓
IT Audit Committee
Why this is correct
An independent audit committee provides objective oversight.
- ✗
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Why it's wrong here
CISO is focused on security, not general IT investment oversight.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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