hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CISA Practice Question: Has outsourced its IT help desk to a third-party…
An organization has outsourced its IT help desk to a third-party provider. Which of the following is the MOST critical control to ensure service quality?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse operational or security controls (background checks, system access, meetings) with the contractual governance control (SLA) that directly enforces and measures service quality, leading them to pick a plausible but less critical option.
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
✓
Service level agreement (SLA) with key performance indicators
A Service Level Agreement (SLA) with key performance indicators (KPIs) is the most critical control because it defines measurable targets (e.g., average speed to answer, first-call resolution rate, ticket closure time) and establishes contractual remedies for non-compliance. Without an SLA, the organization has no enforceable mechanism to hold the provider accountable for service quality, making it the foundational control for outsourced IT help desk governance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Regular background checks on provider employees
Why it's wrong here
Background checks are important for security but do not directly measure service quality.
- ✗
Access to provider's incident management system
Why it's wrong here
Access is operational but does not guarantee service quality.
- ✗
Monthly meetings with provider management
Why it's wrong here
Meetings are useful but not as critical as a formal, enforceable SLA.
- ✓
Service level agreement (SLA) with key performance indicators
Why this is correct
SLA with KPIs provides measurable standards and remedies for non-performance.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.