The correct action is to delay the go-live until the defect is fixed and user acceptance testing is passed. This recommendation is grounded in the principle that deploying a system with a known critical performance defect—such as a database connection pooling issue causing crashes under expected concurrent load—violates the IS auditor’s core responsibility to ensure reliability and security before production release. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your understanding of risk-based decision-making during the UAT phase, where the auditor must prioritize defect resolution over schedule pressure, even when the project manager argues the crash is rare. A common trap is accepting a post-go-live fix for a defect that directly impacts a core business function like registration, which would fail under normal load conditions. Remember the memory tip: “If it breaks under load, don’t unload it to production.”
CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems acquisition, development and implementation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 university is implementing a new student information system. The project team uses an iterative development approach. During user acceptance testing, students report that the online course registration portal crashes when more than 100 users register simultaneously. The development team identifies a database connection pooling issue and estimates a fix will take three weeks. The project deadline is in two weeks. The project manager suggests deploying the system as is and fixing the issue after go-live, as the crash is rare. The IS auditor is consulted. What should the auditor recommend?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Delay the go-live until the defect is fixed and user acceptance testing is passed.
Option A is correct because deploying a system with a known critical defect that fails under expected load conditions violates the principle of delivering a reliable and secure system. The database connection pooling issue causes the portal to crash under concurrent user load, which is a functional failure that directly impacts business operations. Delaying go-live ensures the defect is fixed and user acceptance testing (UAT) is fully passed, aligning with the IS auditor's responsibility to recommend risk mitigation over acceptance of a preventable failure.
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.
✓
Delay the go-live until the defect is fixed and user acceptance testing is passed.
Why this is correct
Critical defect must be resolved before deployment.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Document the risk and proceed with the go-live, planning to fix later.
Why it's wrong here
High risk to business operations.
✗
Deploy on time but restrict registration to fewer than 100 students per session.
Why it's wrong here
Impractical and not a proper control.
✗
Implement a temporary increase in server capacity to handle the load.
Why it's wrong here
Workaround but not a fix.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume a 'rare' crash can be accepted as a post-go-live fix, but the IS auditor must recognize that the crash occurs under a specific, predictable load threshold that is likely to be exceeded during normal operations, making it a high-risk defect that requires pre-deployment resolution.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Database connection pooling issues typically arise from misconfigured pool size limits (e.g., HikariCP maximumPoolSize set too low) or connection leaks where connections are not returned to the pool after use, leading to starvation under load. In a real-world scenario, a university registration portal might handle hundreds of concurrent users during peak enrollment periods; a crash at 100 users indicates a fundamental flaw in the pooling logic or database driver settings. The three-week fix estimate suggests the root cause involves code changes to properly manage connection lifecycle, not just scaling infrastructure.
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 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
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: Delay the go-live until the defect is fixed and user acceptance testing is passed. — Option A is correct because deploying a system with a known critical defect that fails under expected load conditions violates the principle of delivering a reliable and secure system. The database connection pooling issue causes the portal to crash under concurrent user load, which is a functional failure that directly impacts business operations. Delaying go-live ensures the defect is fixed and user acceptance testing (UAT) is fully passed, aligning with the IS auditor's responsibility to recommend risk mitigation over acceptance of a preventable failure.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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