The answer is that data integrity issues may remain undetected in the target system. This is correct because cleaning data only during extraction, without a parallel validation during loading, fails to catch problems introduced by the extraction process itself or by schema mapping mismatches—such as referential integrity violations, duplicate keys, or format errors—that only become visible when data lands in the target ERP. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the full data conversion lifecycle and the common trap of assuming a single cleaning pass is sufficient; auditors must recognize that integrity risks persist wherever validation gaps exist. A useful memory tip is “clean twice, trust once”—extraction cleaning removes source grime, but loading cleaning catches mapping scars.
CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems acquisition, development and implementation. 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.
During data conversion from a legacy system to a new ERP, the project team decides to clean data during extraction but not during loading. What is the PRIMARY risk associated with this approach?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Data integrity issues may remain undetected in the target system.
Cleaning data only during extraction and not during loading means that any data quality issues introduced during the extraction process or that become apparent only after mapping to the target schema will not be caught. This creates a primary risk that data integrity issues—such as referential integrity violations, duplicate keys, or format mismatches—will remain undetected in the new ERP system, potentially corrupting business operations and reporting.
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.
✓
Data integrity issues may remain undetected in the target system.
Why this is correct
Errors can be introduced after extraction, so cleaning only at source is insufficient.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The legacy system performance may degrade.
Why it's wrong here
Data extraction from legacy is a batch process, unlikely to degrade performance.
✗
The project may exceed its budget due to rework.
Why it's wrong here
While possible, the primary risk is data integrity.
✗
The conversion process will be significantly slower.
Why it's wrong here
Cleaning during loading can also be time-consuming.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates focus on operational concerns like speed or cost, rather than the core IS audit principle that data integrity is the paramount risk when data is not validated at the final point of entry into the target system.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, data cleaning during extraction often involves applying transformation rules at the source, which can miss issues that arise during mapping to the target schema (e.g., surrogate key conflicts, date format conversions). Without a validation step during loading, the target system may accept data that violates constraints (e.g., NOT NULL, foreign keys) silently, leading to orphan records or inconsistent aggregations. A real-world scenario is a financial ERP where uncleaned duplicate customer records during loading cause duplicate invoices and reconciliation failures.
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: Data integrity issues may remain undetected in the target system. — Cleaning data only during extraction and not during loading means that any data quality issues introduced during the extraction process or that become apparent only after mapping to the target schema will not be caught. This creates a primary risk that data integrity issues—such as referential integrity violations, duplicate keys, or format mismatches—will remain undetected in the new ERP system, potentially corrupting business operations and reporting.
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: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which TWO of the following are essential controls to ensure data integrity during a cloud migration project?
medium
A.Granting all migration team members full database access
✓ B.Implementing encryption at rest and in transit
C.Using a phased migration approach without rollback capability
✓ D.Running reconciliation checks comparing source and target data counts
E.Performing a single full data validation after migration
Why B: Encryption at rest and in transit (Option B) is essential for maintaining data integrity during cloud migration because it prevents unauthorized modification or corruption of data while stored in the source or target systems and while being transferred over networks. Without encryption, data is vulnerable to tampering, which directly undermines integrity. This control aligns with the principle of protecting data throughout its lifecycle, a key requirement in cloud migration projects.
Variation 2. An organization is replacing its legacy customer relationship management (CRM) system. Which of the following is the MOST important control to ensure data integrity during the data conversion process?
easy
✓ A.Perform reconciliation of total record counts and key field sums before and after conversion.
B.Implement encryption for data in transit during migration.
C.Conduct user acceptance testing on the new system.
D.Ensure data mapping documents are approved by business owners.
Why A: Option A is correct because reconciliation and validation ensures all records are accurately transferred. Option B focuses on completeness but not accuracy. Option C is security, not integrity. Option D is about functionality, not conversion accuracy.
Variation 3. During a data migration from a legacy system to a new ERP, the following log entries were generated. Which TWO issues should the IS auditor flag as high risk?
easy
A.Source system downtime
B.Rapid growth of rollback segment
✓ C.Constraint violation due to missing parent records
✓ D.Duplicate key violation
E.Data type mismatch between source and target
Why C: Option C is correct because a constraint violation due to missing parent records indicates a referential integrity failure. In a data migration, this means child records are being inserted without their corresponding parent records, which can cause orphaned data and application logic errors. This is a high-risk issue as it compromises data consistency and may require complex reconciliation or rollback.
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.