- A
RPO
Why wrong: RPO relates to data loss, not recovery time.
- B
MTBF
Why wrong: MTBF measures average time between failures, not recovery.
- C
RTO
RTO is the target time for recovery, directly addressed by the recovery time.
- D
MTTR
Why wrong: MTTR is mean time to repair, not a target like RTO.
Question 666 of 984
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 organization has defined an RTO of 4 hours for its critical financial system. During a disaster recovery test, the system was recovered in 3.5 hours, but data loss was 30 minutes. Which metric is most directly addressed by the recovery time?
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
✓
RTO
The Recovery Time Objective (RTO) defines the maximum acceptable downtime for a system after a disaster. Since the organization's RTO is 4 hours and the system was recovered in 3.5 hours, the recovery time directly satisfies the RTO metric. The 30 minutes of data loss is irrelevant to RTO; it pertains to the Recovery Point Objective (RPO).
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.
- ✗
RPO
Why it's wrong here
RPO relates to data loss, not recovery time.
- ✗
MTBF
Why it's wrong here
MTBF measures average time between failures, not recovery.
- ✓
RTO
Why this is correct
RTO is the target time for recovery, directly addressed by the recovery time.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
MTTR
Why it's wrong here
MTTR is mean time to repair, not a target like RTO.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing RTO with RPO: candidates see 'data loss was 30 minutes' and incorrectly assume the recovery time metric is RPO, but the question explicitly asks which metric is 'most directly addressed by the recovery time,' which is RTO.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RTO is a business continuity metric that dictates the maximum tolerable period for service unavailability, often enforced via automated failover scripts or standby infrastructure. In practice, achieving an RTO of 4 hours might require pre-configured replication, load balancers, and orchestration tools like AWS CloudFormation or Azure Site Recovery to spin up resources within the window. The test result of 3.5 hours indicates the recovery process is within tolerance, but any data loss beyond the RPO would still violate the organization's data protection requirements.
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: RTO — The Recovery Time Objective (RTO) defines the maximum acceptable downtime for a system after a disaster. Since the organization's RTO is 4 hours and the system was recovered in 3.5 hours, the recovery time directly satisfies the RTO metric. The 30 minutes of data loss is irrelevant to RTO; it pertains to the Recovery Point Objective (RPO).
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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