The correct answer is to formally submit a change request, assess the impact on cost and schedule, and obtain approval from the change control board before proceeding. This is because in a waterfall project, the development lifecycle is sequential and rigid; once the coding phase is nearly complete, introducing a new feature without a formal change control process would violate the methodology’s core principle of scope freeze, leading to uncontrolled scope creep and undermining project governance. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the change control process in waterfall as a key control for managing systems development risk, often appearing as a trap where candidates might choose to “negotiate with the sponsor” or “fast-track the feature” instead of following the formal process. Remember the mnemonic: **CRAB** — Change Request, Assess impact, Board approval — to anchor the correct sequence.
CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
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 financial services company is developing a new customer-facing web application for account management. The project is using a waterfall methodology. The initial requirements were gathered six months ago, and the coding phase is nearly complete. The business sponsor now requests a new feature that allows customers to view transaction receipts online. The project manager is concerned that this change will delay the project by two months and exceed the budget. The sponsor insists that the feature is critical for customer satisfaction and that the project must adapt. The development team estimates it will take 200 hours to implement. The steering committee is divided. As an IS auditor, what would be the BEST recommendation to resolve this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Formally submit a change request, assess the impact on cost and schedule, and obtain approval from the change control board before proceeding.
In a waterfall methodology, changes after the coding phase require a formal change control process to assess impact on cost, schedule, and scope. The correct answer is A because submitting a change request to the change control board (CCB) ensures that the 200-hour effort, two-month delay, and budget overrun are evaluated against business priorities, maintaining project governance and auditability. This aligns with ISACA’s guidance on managing scope creep in systems development.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Formally submit a change request, assess the impact on cost and schedule, and obtain approval from the change control board before proceeding.
Why this is correct
Change control manages scope creep.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Terminate the current project and launch a new project incorporating the new feature.
Why it's wrong here
Extreme and wasteful.
✗
Advise the sponsor to postpone the feature until the next release and continue as planned.
Why it's wrong here
May not address the urgent business need.
✗
Instruct the development team to implement the feature immediately to satisfy the sponsor.
Why it's wrong here
Uncontrolled changes cause scope creep.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose Option C (postpone) thinking it avoids delay, but the question explicitly states the sponsor insists the feature is critical, so ignoring it fails to address the business need and can lead to project failure despite staying on schedule.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a formal change request triggers a cost-benefit analysis, schedule impact assessment (e.g., critical path method re-baselining), and risk evaluation, often using a weighted scoring model to prioritize features. In real-world waterfall projects, the CCB typically includes the project manager, sponsor, and key stakeholders, and their approval ensures that the change is integrated into the project baseline with updated requirements traceability matrix and test plans. This process is codified in standards like PMBOK’s integrated change control and COBIT’s BAIO5 (Manage Change).
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — This question tests Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Formally submit a change request, assess the impact on cost and schedule, and obtain approval from the change control board before proceeding. — In a waterfall methodology, changes after the coding phase require a formal change control process to assess impact on cost, schedule, and scope. The correct answer is A because submitting a change request to the change control board (CCB) ensures that the 200-hour effort, two-month delay, and budget overrun are evaluated against business priorities, maintaining project governance and auditability. This aligns with ISACA’s guidance on managing scope creep in systems development.
What should I do if I get this CISA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.