The answer is to establish an enterprise architecture review board with representatives from all business units. This approach is correct because it creates a formal governance mechanism that balances decentralized IT autonomy with enterprise-wide alignment, ensuring that local technology decisions do not create silos or violate strategic standards. On the CISA exam, this question tests your understanding of how to apply governance frameworks in distributed environments, a common scenario where candidates mistakenly choose overly centralized controls or confuse budgeting with architectural oversight. A frequent trap is selecting a single mandated system, which ignores business unit needs, or a top-down policy that undermines decentralization. Remember the memory tip: “Board bridges, budget doesn’t bind”—the review board coordinates decisions across units, whereas budgeting alone lacks the architectural authority to enforce consistency.
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 organization has decentralized IT management with each business unit making its own technology decisions. Which of the following is the BEST way to maintain enterprise-wide governance?
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
✓
Establish an enterprise architecture review board with representatives from all business units.
Option A is correct because an enterprise architecture review board with unit representatives ensures alignment while respecting decentralization. Option B is too centralized. Option C forces a single system, which may not suit all units. Option D is budgeting, not governance of decisions.
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.
✗
Deploy a single enterprise resource planning (ERP) system across all units.
Why it's wrong here
A single system may not meet diverse unit needs.
✗
Require all IT projects to be approved by the corporate IT department.
Why it's wrong here
This centralizes control, defeating decentralization benefits.
✗
Create a central IT budget that allocates funds to business units.
Why it's wrong here
Budget allocation does not provide governance over technology decisions.
✓
Establish an enterprise architecture review board with representatives from all business units.
Why this is correct
This provides governance without removing unit autonomy.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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: Establish an enterprise architecture review board with representatives from all business units. — Option A is correct because an enterprise architecture review board with unit representatives ensures alignment while respecting decentralization. Option B is too centralized. Option C forces a single system, which may not suit all units. Option D is budgeting, not governance of decisions.
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.
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. A company is considering restructuring its IT department from a centralized to a decentralized model to give business units more autonomy. What is a PRIMARY governance risk associated with this move?
medium
A.Difficulty in managing vendor contracts due to decentralization.
B.Reduced innovation due to lack of central coordination.
C.Increased risk of project cost overruns.
✓ D.Inconsistent IT policies and security controls across business units.
Why D: Option A is correct because decentralized IT can lead to inconsistent policies and standards across units. Option B is wrong because cost overruns can occur in any model. Option C is wrong because innovation may increase with autonomy. Option D is wrong because vendor management can be decentralized but still controlled.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.