- A
Requiring vendors to disclose all subcontractors.
Why wrong: Addresses fourth-party risk but is not one of the two key controls asked.
- B
Including right-to-audit clauses in contracts.
Allows the organization to audit the vendor's controls.
- C
Regularly monitoring service level agreements (SLAs).
Key control to ensure vendor meets performance targets.
- D
Developing an exit strategy for each vendor.
Why wrong: Important for risk management but not a control for ongoing operations.
- E
Performing vendor due diligence before contract signing.
Why wrong: Important but a pre-contract activity, not an ongoing control.
Question 276 of 1,000
CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems operations and business resilience. 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.
An IS auditor is assessing the vendor management process. Which TWO are key controls for managing third-party risk?
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
✓
Including right-to-audit clauses in contracts.
Including right-to-audit clauses in contracts is a key control for managing third-party risk because it grants the IS auditor or the organization the contractual authority to independently verify the vendor's security controls, data handling practices, and compliance with policies. This clause ensures ongoing oversight beyond initial due diligence, allowing for on-site inspections or reviews of the vendor's systems and processes, which is critical for detecting control failures or unauthorized changes that could impact the organization's data.
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.
- ✗
Requiring vendors to disclose all subcontractors.
Why it's wrong here
Addresses fourth-party risk but is not one of the two key controls asked.
- ✓
Including right-to-audit clauses in contracts.
Why this is correct
Allows the organization to audit the vendor's controls.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Regularly monitoring service level agreements (SLAs).
Why this is correct
Key control to ensure vendor meets performance targets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Developing an exit strategy for each vendor.
Why it's wrong here
Important for risk management but not a control for ongoing operations.
- ✗
Performing vendor due diligence before contract signing.
Why it's wrong here
Important but a pre-contract activity, not an ongoing control.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse pre-contract due diligence (Option E) with ongoing risk management controls, but the CISA exam emphasizes that key controls for managing third-party risk must include contractual mechanisms like right-to-audit and continuous monitoring of SLAs, not just initial assessments.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Right-to-audit clauses typically specify the scope (e.g., access to data centers, network logs, or application code), frequency (e.g., annually or upon a security incident), and notification periods (e.g., 30 days). In practice, these audits may involve reviewing SOC 2 Type II reports, ISO 27001 certifications, or conducting penetration tests on the vendor's infrastructure. A subtle behavior is that without this clause, the organization may be legally barred from accessing the vendor's systems, even if a breach is suspected, making it a foundational control for third-party risk management.
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.
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Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISA question test?
Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience — This question tests Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Including right-to-audit clauses in contracts. — Including right-to-audit clauses in contracts is a key control for managing third-party risk because it grants the IS auditor or the organization the contractual authority to independently verify the vendor's security controls, data handling practices, and compliance with policies. This clause ensures ongoing oversight beyond initial due diligence, allowing for on-site inspections or reviews of the vendor's systems and processes, which is critical for detecting control failures or unauthorized changes that could impact the organization's data.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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