- A
Mean time to repair (MTTR).
Why wrong: Availability metric, not part of BIA.
- B
Mean time between failures (MTBF).
Why wrong: Availability metric, not part of BIA.
- C
Recovery point objective (RPO).
The acceptable amount of data loss measured in time.
- D
Maximum tolerable downtime (MTD).
The maximum amount of time a process can be down without causing irreparable harm.
- E
Recovery time objective (RTO).
The target time to recover a process after a disruption.
Question 428 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 reviewing the business impact analysis (BIA) for a financial services company. Which THREE metrics are typically defined in a BIA?
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
✓
Recovery point objective (RPO).
The Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is a key metric defined in a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) because it specifies the maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time, guiding the frequency of backups and replication. In a financial services company, RPO directly determines how much transactional data could be lost during a disruption, which is critical for regulatory compliance and data integrity.
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.
- ✗
Mean time to repair (MTTR).
- ✗
Mean time between failures (MTBF).
- ✓
Recovery point objective (RPO).
Why this is correct
The acceptable amount of data loss measured in time.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Maximum tolerable downtime (MTD).
Why this is correct
The maximum amount of time a process can be down without causing irreparable harm.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Recovery time objective (RTO).
Why this is correct
The target time to recover a process after a disruption.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse operational metrics like MTBF and MTTR (which are used in IT service management and availability calculations) with the business-focused recovery metrics (RTO, RPO, MTD) that are defined in a BIA, leading them to select options A or B instead of the correct trio.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a BIA, the RTO and MTD are derived from the criticality of business processes, often using a tiered classification (e.g., Tier 1 processes require RTO < 4 hours, MTD < 8 hours). RPO is typically set based on the maximum data loss the organization can accept, which for financial transactions might be near zero (RPO of seconds) using synchronous replication, while less critical systems might tolerate an RPO of 24 hours. The BIA also identifies dependencies and resource requirements, but these three metrics (RTO, RPO, MTD) are the core quantitative targets that drive disaster recovery planning.
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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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: Recovery point objective (RPO). — The Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is a key metric defined in a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) because it specifies the maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time, guiding the frequency of backups and replication. In a financial services company, RPO directly determines how much transactional data could be lost during a disruption, which is critical for regulatory compliance and data integrity.
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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