CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
An organization is implementing a disaster recovery plan. The DR team wants to test the plan with minimal risk and without impacting production operations. Which type of test is most appropriate?
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
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Walkthrough
A walkthrough test involves reviewing the plan step by step in a meeting, with no actual failover or impact on production, making it low-risk.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Walkthrough
Why this is correct
A walkthrough is a tabletop review where the DR team discusses the plan step by step without activating systems, so production remains untouched. It satisfies the stem's constraints of minimal risk and no production impact, unlike parallel or full-interruption tests, which invoke recovery infrastructure or disrupt live services.
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Full interruption test
Why it's wrong here
A full interruption test shuts down the primary site, directly impacting production operations, which the scenario forbids. It is tempting because it provides the most realistic validation of end-to-end recovery capability, and it would be correct where the organisation accepts production downtime to prove the plan works.
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Simulation
Why it's wrong here
A simulation is a discussion-based walkthrough of roles and procedures, so it exercises no recovery systems and cannot validate technical restoration. It is tempting because it carries almost no risk or cost, and it would be correct where the goal is familiarising staff with the plan rather than testing infrastructure.
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Parallel test
Why it's wrong here
A parallel test runs the recovery site alongside live production, so it still consumes duplicate resources and staffing, and it does not validate full cutover. It is tempting because it exercises real systems with recovery data, and it would be correct where validating recovery processing without disrupting production is the sole objective.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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