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CISA Practice Question: Is transitioning from a waterfall to an agile…
An organization is transitioning from a waterfall to an agile development methodology. Which of the following is a key risk that the IS auditor should highlight?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates mistakenly think agile eliminates scope creep entirely, when in fact its flexibility requires even stronger controls to prevent uncontrolled expansion, especially during the transition from waterfall.
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
✓
Scope creep may increase without proper controls.
In agile development, iterative cycles and continuous feedback can lead to scope creep if changes are not managed through a disciplined backlog prioritization process. Unlike waterfall, where scope is fixed early, agile's flexibility requires robust controls (e.g., sprint boundaries, product owner authority) to prevent uncontrolled expansion. An IS auditor should highlight this risk because without proper governance, the project may exceed budget and timeline despite agile's adaptive nature.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
User requirements may be incomplete at the start.
Why it's wrong here
Agile expects requirements to emerge and evolve through iterations, so incomplete initial requirements are inherent to the methodology rather than a risk to flag. It tempts auditors because waterfall assumes fixed, fully specified requirements upfront; that concern would be valid only when assessing a waterfall project's readiness to begin build.
- ✗
Testing is deferred until the end of the project.
Why it's wrong here
Agile performs testing continuously within each short iteration, so deferring testing to project end describes waterfall, not agile. It is tempting because agile's lighter documentation can appear to postpone verification. The genuine agile risk is reduced documentation and traceability, or scope creep from evolving backlogs.
- ✗
Stakeholder involvement may decrease.
Why it's wrong here
Agile deliberately increases stakeholder involvement through frequent reviews, daily collaboration and iterative feedback, so involvement typically rises rather than falls. It is tempting because distributed agile teams can feel less engaged. The genuine agile risk is weakened documentation and change control, not reduced stakeholder participation.
- ✓
Scope creep may increase without proper controls.
Why this is correct
Agile's short, iterative cycles and evolving backlogs let requirements expand continuously without formal change gates, so uncontrolled scope creep inflates effort and delays delivery. Waterfall's sequential baselined phases constrained this, making scope creep the key risk an IS auditor should highlight.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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