hardMultiple Choice
CISA A project uses a waterfall model Practice Question
A project uses a waterfall model. After design, the team discovers that the requirements have changed significantly. What is the BEST action?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often think switching to agile is a flexible solution, but the CISA exam tests understanding that changing development methodologies mid-project violates the waterfall's sequential phase completion and introduces significant process and documentation risks.
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
✓
Update the requirements and proceed with the design revision
In a waterfall model, each phase must be completed before the next begins, but when requirements change significantly after design, the best action is to update the requirements and revise the design. This preserves the structured, sequential nature of the waterfall while ensuring the final product meets the new needs. Canceling or ignoring changes would waste resources, and switching methodologies mid-project introduces integration risks and process discontinuity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cancel the project and start over
Why it's wrong here
Cancelling discards completed analysis and design work and restarts cost and schedule, which is disproportionate when the change can be handled through formal change control. Cancellation is warranted only when the change invalidates the business case or the project is no longer viable.
- ✓
Update the requirements and proceed with the design revision
Why this is correct
Waterfall permits change only through formal revision of affected baselines. Updating the requirements and reworking the design keeps subsequent build and test phases aligned with what the business now needs, rather than continuing against obsolete specifications that would guarantee rework later.
- ✗
Continue with original requirements as planned
Why it's wrong here
Proceeding with superseded requirements delivers a system that fails acceptance testing and business need, since the change is significant rather than cosmetic. Freezing baselines is right only when change control has formally rejected the request or the change is minor and deferred to a later release.
- ✗
Switch to an agile methodology for the remainder of the project
Why it's wrong here
Waterfall's sequential baselines mean switching mid-project discards approved design artefacts and governance, and agile adoption cannot be imposed without retraining, tooling and stakeholder buy-in. Agile suits projects with evolving scope from inception, not a late rescue of a fixed-baseline engagement.
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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.