The correct action is to invest in training and development programs for IT staff. This choice directly addresses the root cause revealed by the balanced scorecard analysis: low employee engagement in the learning and growth perspective is driving declining customer satisfaction scores. By prioritizing training, the IT governance committee strengthens the causal chain within the BSC framework—improving employee skills and morale leads to better service quality, which in turn lifts customer satisfaction without compromising the financial perspective. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your ability to interpret the balanced scorecard’s four perspectives as interdependent drivers, not isolated metrics. A common trap is to choose cost-cutting measures, which ignore the underlying performance linkage. Remember the BSC chain: learning and growth fuels internal processes, which drives customer results, which yields financial outcomes—so always fix the upstream cause first.
CISA Governance and Management of IT Practice Question
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of governance and management of it. 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 department uses a balanced scorecard (BSC) to measure performance. The financial perspective shows that IT costs are within budget, but customer satisfaction scores are declining. The learning and growth perspective indicates low employee engagement. Which action should the IT governance committee prioritize?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Invest in training and development programs for IT staff.
Option D is correct because investing in training improves employee engagement (learning & growth) which likely leads to better service and customer satisfaction. Option A is wrong because reducing budget may worsen customer satisfaction. Option B is wrong because cost reduction does not address root cause. Option C is wrong because engaging external consultants is a temporary fix.
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.
✗
Reduce IT costs further to reallocate savings to customer service.
Why it's wrong here
Cost cutting may further reduce morale and service quality.
✓
Invest in training and development programs for IT staff.
Why this is correct
Training improves skills and engagement, leading to better customer satisfaction.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the IT budget to hire more staff.
Why it's wrong here
Adding staff may not address engagement and customer satisfaction root causes.
✗
Outsource customer-facing IT support to a third party.
Why it's wrong here
Outsourcing may temporarily improve satisfaction but ignores internal engagement issues.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 CISA exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Governance and Management of IT — This question tests Governance and Management of IT — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Invest in training and development programs for IT staff. — Option D is correct because investing in training improves employee engagement (learning & growth) which likely leads to better service and customer satisfaction. Option A is wrong because reducing budget may worsen customer satisfaction. Option B is wrong because cost reduction does not address root cause. Option C is wrong because engaging external consultants is a temporary fix.
What should I do if I get this CISA question wrong?
Identify which CISA exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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