CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems acquisition, development and implementation. 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 is implementing a custom ERP system. During user acceptance testing (UAT), critical bugs are found that affect core financial processing. The project sponsor suggests deploying the system on schedule and fixing bugs after go-live. What is the BEST course of action?
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
✓
Delay go-live until all critical bugs are resolved and UAT is successfully completed
The correct answer is A because deploying an ERP system with unresolved critical bugs in core financial processing violates the fundamental principle of system integrity and accuracy. UAT must be successfully completed to validate that the system meets business requirements and processes financial transactions correctly; going live with known critical defects introduces unacceptable risk of financial misstatement, regulatory non-compliance, and data corruption. Delaying go-live ensures that all critical bugs are resolved and retested, preserving the reliability of financial data and audit trails.
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.
✓
Delay go-live until all critical bugs are resolved and UAT is successfully completed
Why this is correct
UAT must be successfully completed before go-live for critical systems.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Go live as planned and fix bugs post-implementation
Why it's wrong here
Deploying critical bugs can cause major operational problems.
✗
Accept the bugs with documented risk acceptance from management
Why it's wrong here
Risk acceptance is not appropriate for critical financial processing errors.
✗
Go live but include a rollback plan and deploy fixes immediately
Why it's wrong here
A rollback plan does not justify deploying known critical bugs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'risk acceptance' (Option C) as a valid management decision, but in the context of critical financial processing bugs, ISACA standards require resolution before go-live because accepted risks cannot ensure the integrity of financial data and auditability.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In ERP systems, core financial modules (e.g., general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable) rely on atomic transactions and strict referential integrity. A critical bug in financial processing could cause double-posting, incorrect account balances, or broken audit trails that are extremely difficult to reconcile post-go-live. Under COBIT 5 and ISACA guidelines, UAT must include regression testing of all critical business processes, and any failed test case in a high-risk area mandates a go-live delay until the defect is resolved and re-tested.
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 Acquisition, Development and Implementation — This question tests Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Delay go-live until all critical bugs are resolved and UAT is successfully completed — The correct answer is A because deploying an ERP system with unresolved critical bugs in core financial processing violates the fundamental principle of system integrity and accuracy. UAT must be successfully completed to validate that the system meets business requirements and processes financial transactions correctly; going live with known critical defects introduces unacceptable risk of financial misstatement, regulatory non-compliance, and data corruption. Delaying go-live ensures that all critical bugs are resolved and retested, preserving the reliability of financial data and audit trails.
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.
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.
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Question Discussion
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