The correct answer is that the reciprocal agreement does not guarantee exclusive use of the hot site during a disaster. This finding is most concerning because a reciprocal hot site risk is oversubscription: if both organizations declare a disaster simultaneously, the shared resources become critically strained, directly undermining the recovery time objective and causing the business continuity plan to fail. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your understanding that reciprocal agreements lack the capacity guarantees of dedicated hot sites, making them a common trap where auditors must prioritize availability over cost savings. A key memory tip is to think of “two tenants, one roof”—when both need shelter at the same time, neither is fully protected.
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 IT auditor is reviewing the business continuity plan (BCP) for a financial services firm. The plan includes a hot site that is shared with another organization under a reciprocal agreement. Which of the following findings should be of MOST concern to the auditor?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The reciprocal agreement does not guarantee exclusive use of the hot site during a disaster
Option C is correct because a reciprocal agreement for a shared hot site does not guarantee exclusive access during a disaster. If both organizations declare a disaster simultaneously, the site may become oversubscribed, leading to resource contention and potential failure of the BCP. This directly undermines the recovery capability, making it the most critical finding.
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.
✗
The hot site uses a different internet service provider than the primary site
Why it's wrong here
This is a best practice for diversity, not a concern.
✗
The hot site has not been tested in the past 12 months
Why it's wrong here
While testing is important, the reciprocal agreement's lack of exclusivity is a more fundamental risk.
✓
The reciprocal agreement does not guarantee exclusive use of the hot site during a disaster
Why this is correct
If both organizations activate simultaneously, the hot site may not have sufficient capacity for both.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The hot site is located in the same seismic zone as the primary site
Why it's wrong here
Geographic risk is relevant but not as urgent as the capacity sharing issue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may focus on technical details like ISP diversity or testing frequency, but the core BCP principle is that a shared resource without guaranteed exclusive access is a fundamental design flaw that can render the entire plan ineffective during a concurrent disaster.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In reciprocal hot site agreements, both parties typically sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that defines resource allocation, but without a priority clause, the site can become a bottleneck. Real-world scenarios, such as regional power outages or cyberattacks affecting multiple firms, can trigger simultaneous declarations, leading to a 'first-come, first-served' situation that leaves one organization without recovery resources. This is a classic failure mode in shared recovery environments.
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 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: The reciprocal agreement does not guarantee exclusive use of the hot site during a disaster — Option C is correct because a reciprocal agreement for a shared hot site does not guarantee exclusive access during a disaster. If both organizations declare a disaster simultaneously, the site may become oversubscribed, leading to resource contention and potential failure of the BCP. This directly undermines the recovery capability, making it the most critical finding.
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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