The best recommendation is to implement a risk classification for changes and apply controls accordingly. This is correct because a risk-based approach allows the organization to tailor emergency change controls to the specific impact and urgency of each change, ensuring that high-risk emergency changes receive stricter oversight—such as mandatory peer review—while low-risk changes maintain the speed required for operational agility. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your understanding that bypassing normal approval for emergency changes is acceptable, but the auditor must ensure that compensating controls are proportional to risk; a common trap is recommending a complete ban on emergency changes or requiring retroactive approval for all, which ignores real-world constraints in financial institutions. Memory tip: think “risk-classify, not deny”—emergency changes need speed, but risk classification ensures the right controls follow the risk.
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.
An IS auditor is reviewing the change management process for a financial institution. The auditor finds that emergency changes bypass normal approval but are documented and reviewed within 48 hours. Which of the following is the BEST recommendation?
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
✓
Implement a risk classification for changes and apply controls accordingly.
Option B is correct because implementing a risk classification for changes allows the organization to apply appropriate controls based on the change's impact and urgency. Emergency changes inherently require speed, but a risk-based approach ensures that high-risk emergency changes receive more stringent controls (e.g., mandatory peer review) while low-risk changes can proceed with lighter oversight. This balances security with operational agility, which is critical in a financial institution where system availability and data integrity are paramount.
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.
✗
Require a second administrator to approve during the emergency.
Why it's wrong here
This still bypasses normal process without addressing risk.
✓
Implement a risk classification for changes and apply controls accordingly.
Why this is correct
Risk classification allows appropriate control for each change type.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the frequency of post-implementation reviews to every 24 hours.
Why it's wrong here
Shorter review interval does not address the approval gap.
✗
Require all emergency changes to be approved by the change advisory board (CAB) before implementation.
Why it's wrong here
Pre-approval for emergencies may cause delays, defeating the purpose.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume all emergency changes must be treated equally and thus focus on adding more approval steps (A or D) or increasing review frequency (C), rather than recognizing that a risk-based classification is the most effective and efficient control to address varying levels of risk in emergency changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In ITIL-based change management, emergency changes are defined as those that must be implemented as soon as possible to resolve a major incident or security vulnerability. A risk classification scheme (e.g., using a 3x3 matrix of impact vs. urgency) allows the change manager to pre-define control levels: for example, a 'Standard Emergency' (low risk) might only require a single approver and a post-implementation review, while a 'Major Emergency' (high risk) might require real-time conference call approval from a designated subset of the CAB. This approach is codified in frameworks like COBIT 5 (BAI06) and ISO/IEC 20000, which emphasize risk-based decision-making over rigid procedural compliance.
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: Implement a risk classification for changes and apply controls accordingly. — Option B is correct because implementing a risk classification for changes allows the organization to apply appropriate controls based on the change's impact and urgency. Emergency changes inherently require speed, but a risk-based approach ensures that high-risk emergency changes receive more stringent controls (e.g., mandatory peer review) while low-risk changes can proceed with lighter oversight. This balances security with operational agility, which is critical in a financial institution where system availability and data integrity are paramount.
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An IT auditor is evaluating the change management process for a financial trading system. Which of the following is the BEST indicator of a mature change management process?
medium
A.Changes are documented after deployment
✓ B.All changes are logged and require automated approval workflows
C.Developers can deploy changes directly to production if urgent
D.Changes are approved verbally by the IT manager
Why B: Option B is correct because a mature change management process requires that all changes be formally logged and subjected to automated approval workflows. This ensures traceability, segregation of duties, and auditability, which are critical for a financial trading system where unauthorized or untracked changes could lead to financial loss or regulatory non-compliance.
Variation 2. An IS auditor reviews the change request. Which of the following is the most significant risk?
hard
A.The description is too vague
B.The approval is still pending close to the scheduled date
✓ C.The impact assessment is incorrect
D.The change affects a financial module
Why C: An incorrect impact assessment (Option C) is the most significant risk because it directly undermines the change management process. If the impact is misjudged, the change may introduce unanticipated failures, data corruption, or security vulnerabilities into the production environment. Unlike vague descriptions or pending approvals, an incorrect impact assessment can lead to catastrophic system outages or compliance violations that are difficult to reverse.
Variation 3. An IS auditor is evaluating the controls over program changes. Which TWO of the following are essential controls?
medium
✓ A.Management authorization for the change
✓ B.Documented change request
C.Automated deployment scripts
D.Regression testing of all changes
E.Post-change review by independent party
Why A: Options A and B are correct because documented change requests and management authorization are fundamental to ensure changes are controlled and approved. Option C is not essential as automation is a tool, not a control. Option D is a good practice but not essential for authorization. Option E is a testing control, not directly an authorization control.
Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
Question Discussion
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