The correct answer is that the vendor's projects have a basic project management process that is planned and executed. This is because CMMI Level 2 (Managed) signifies that an organization has moved beyond ad-hoc work to establish disciplined, repeatable project management practices at the individual project level. At this maturity stage, each project follows documented plans for requirements, scheduling, and configuration management, but these processes are not yet standardized across the entire organization. On the CISA exam, this concept tests your ability to distinguish between basic project management (Level 2) and organization-wide process standardization (Level 3). A common trap is confusing "managed" with "defined"—remember that Level 2 focuses on project-level control, not cross-organizational consistency. For a memory tip, think of "Managed" as "My project is managed," meaning each project team handles its own planning and execution independently.
CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems acquisition, development and implementation. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 evaluating a vendor for a custom application development. The vendor states they are assessed at CMMI Level 2 (Managed). Which of the following best describes the implication of this rating?
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.
The vendor's processes are defined and tailored from organization-wide standards.
Why wrong: This describes CMMI Level 3 (Defined), not Level 2.
B
The vendor's processes are continuously improved through quantitative feedback.
Why wrong: This describes CMMI Level 5 (Optimizing), not Level 2.
C
The vendor has a quantitatively managed process with statistical control.
Why wrong: This describes CMMI Level 4 (Quantitatively Managed), not Level 2.
D
The vendor's projects have a basic project management process that is planned and executed.
CMMI Level 2 (Managed) indicates that projects have established basic project management processes that are planned, performed, measured, and controlled.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The vendor's projects have a basic project management process that is planned and executed.
CMMI Level 2 (Managed) indicates that the vendor has established basic project management processes to plan, execute, monitor, and control projects. This means projects are managed according to documented plans, with defined requirements, project planning, and configuration management, but processes are not yet standardized across the organization. Option D correctly captures this foundational level of process maturity.
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.
✗
The vendor's processes are defined and tailored from organization-wide standards.
Why it's wrong here
This describes CMMI Level 3 (Defined), not Level 2.
✗
The vendor's processes are continuously improved through quantitative feedback.
Why it's wrong here
This describes CMMI Level 5 (Optimizing), not Level 2.
✗
The vendor has a quantitatively managed process with statistical control.
Why it's wrong here
This describes CMMI Level 4 (Quantitatively Managed), not Level 2.
✓
The vendor's projects have a basic project management process that is planned and executed.
Why this is correct
CMMI Level 2 (Managed) indicates that projects have established basic project management processes that are planned, performed, measured, and controlled.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" 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
The trap here is confusing CMMI Level 2 (Managed) with Level 3 (Defined) or Level 4 (Quantitatively Managed), leading candidates to select options that describe higher maturity levels where processes are standardized or statistically controlled.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) Level 2 focuses on project-level management disciplines such as requirements management, project planning, project monitoring and control, supplier agreement management, measurement and analysis, process and product quality assurance, and configuration management. At this level, the organization can repeat successful practices on similar projects, but there is no organization-wide process standard. A real-world scenario: a vendor at Level 2 can reliably deliver a custom application on time and within budget for a specific project, but may struggle to replicate that success across different teams or business units without defined organizational standards.
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: The vendor's projects have a basic project management process that is planned and executed. — CMMI Level 2 (Managed) indicates that the vendor has established basic project management processes to plan, execute, monitor, and control projects. This means projects are managed according to documented plans, with defined requirements, project planning, and configuration management, but processes are not yet standardized across the organization. Option D correctly captures this foundational level of process maturity.
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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