CISA Governance and Management of IT Practice Question
An organization's IT strategy must be aligned with business strategy. Which of the following is the PRIMARY benefit of this alignment?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse operational benefits (like cost reduction or faster tech adoption) with the strategic primary benefit, failing to recognize that alignment is fundamentally about ensuring IT investments deliver value to the business, not about efficiency or security alone.
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
✓
Increased value of IT investments to business objectives
When IT strategy is aligned with business strategy, every IT investment is directly tied to achieving specific business objectives, such as increasing revenue, improving customer experience, or enabling new business models. This alignment ensures that resources are allocated to projects that deliver measurable business value, rather than being spent on technology for its own sake. The primary benefit is therefore the increased value of IT investments to business objectives, as misalignment often leads to wasted expenditure on systems that do not support core business goals.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Faster adoption of new technologies
Why it's wrong here
Adopting new technologies quickly is a delivery capability, not the primary benefit; alignment ensures IT investment is directed at achieving the organisation's business strategy and objectives. It is tempting because aligned IT functions often modernise faster, which would make technology adoption a legitimate goal in a digital-transformation initiative.
- ✗
Enhanced security posture
Why it's wrong here
Security posture concerns protecting assets, which alignment does not directly govern; the primary benefit is that IT capabilities and spending demonstrably support the organisation's strategic business objectives. It is tempting because misaligned or unmanaged IT estates often accumulate unpatched, ungoverned systems, so alignment can indirectly improve security in a risk-reduction programme.
- ✗
Reduced IT operational costs
Why it's wrong here
Cost reduction is an operational outcome that alignment may incidentally produce, not its primary benefit; alignment exists to ensure IT investments deliver the business objectives and value the organisation actually requires. It is tempting because efficient, well-governed IT spending frequently does lower operational costs, which would make it a valid benefit in a cost-optimisation initiative.
- ✓
Increased value of IT investments to business objectives
Why this is correct
Aligning IT strategy with business strategy directs IT spending and initiatives toward organisational goals, maximising the business value delivered by IT investments. That outcome is the primary benefit, rather than cost reduction, technology standardisation or faster project delivery.
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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.