The answer is to review the criteria for emergency changes and enforce proper classification. This is correct because an emergency change misclassification recommendation must target the root cause: when non-urgent changes are labeled as emergency to bypass standard approval, the control weakness lies in the classification rules and their enforcement, not just in the individual change. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your understanding of change management governance and the auditor’s role in recommending preventive controls over detective ones; a common trap is to suggest punishing the requester or blocking the change, which treats symptoms rather than the flawed process. Remember the memory tip: “Fix the gate, not the gatecrasher”—always recommend tightening the classification criteria and enforcement to ensure only true emergencies skip the standard path.
CISA Information System Auditing Process Practice Question
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information system auditing process. 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.
Based on the exhibit, what should the IS auditor MOST likely recommend?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review the criteria for emergency changes and enforce proper classification
The exhibit shows changes classified as 'emergency' bypassing the standard approval process. The IS auditor's primary concern is that emergency changes may be misclassified to avoid proper review, increasing risk. Option D is correct because it addresses the root cause: reviewing the criteria for emergency changes and enforcing proper classification ensures that only truly urgent changes bypass standard controls, while all others follow the required approval path.
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.
✗
Investigate whether any changes are missing from the log
Why it's wrong here
The log appears complete, no evidence of missing entries.
✗
Immediately block all direct production access for developers
Why it's wrong here
Drastic and not necessarily the root cause.
✗
Require all changes to go through the standard approval process
Why it's wrong here
Emergency changes are sometimes necessary, so banning them is not practical.
✓
Review the criteria for emergency changes and enforce proper classification
Why this is correct
The high number of post-approved emergency changes suggests the process is being bypassed.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISACA often tests the misconception that the IS auditor should immediately block all direct production access or require all changes to go through standard approval, when the real issue is ensuring proper classification and enforcement of the emergency change process.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In ITIL-based change management, emergency changes are defined by a pre-approved set of criteria (e.g., security vulnerabilities, production outages) and require a separate, expedited approval path, often involving a Change Advisory Board (CAB) emergency meeting. Misclassification can occur when developers or operations teams label routine changes as 'emergency' to bypass standard testing and approval, increasing the risk of unauthorized or poorly tested changes. The IS auditor should review the emergency change policy, including the specific criteria (e.g., severity levels, impact thresholds) and verify that each emergency change includes a documented justification and post-implementation review to ensure compliance.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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 System Auditing Process — This question tests Information System Auditing Process — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Review the criteria for emergency changes and enforce proper classification — The exhibit shows changes classified as 'emergency' bypassing the standard approval process. The IS auditor's primary concern is that emergency changes may be misclassified to avoid proper review, increasing risk. Option D is correct because it addresses the root cause: reviewing the criteria for emergency changes and enforcing proper classification ensures that only truly urgent changes bypass standard controls, while all others follow the required approval path.
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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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