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CISA Practice Question: During user acceptance testing (UAT) of a new…
During user acceptance testing (UAT) of a new financial system, users report that the system fails to enforce a segregation of duties rule where the same user should not be able to create a purchase order and approve it. The requirement was documented in the functional specifications. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume the issue is due to incomplete or ambiguous requirements (options B or C) when the requirement was clearly documented, but the real cause is a failure to configure the control in the system's security settings.
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
✓
The system was not configured to enforce the control.
The segregation of duties (SoD) rule is a functional control that must be explicitly configured in the system's authorization or workflow engine. Since the requirement was documented in the functional specifications, the most likely cause is that the system was not configured to enforce the control, meaning the access control list (ACL) or role-based access control (RBAC) settings did not prevent the same user from both creating and approving a purchase order.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Performance testing was prioritized over functional testing.
Why it's wrong here
Performance testing does not affect functional control enforcement.
- ✗
The functional requirements were incomplete.
Why it's wrong here
The requirement was documented, so incomplete requirements are not the cause.
- ✗
The requirements were ambiguous and misinterpreted by developers.
Why it's wrong here
Ambiguity could cause misinterpretation, but the requirement was clearly documented.
- ✓
The system was not configured to enforce the control.
Why this is correct
The system likely has the capability but was not properly configured.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
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JA
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.