The answer is that emergency changes not being reviewed within 30 days is the finding of most concern. This is because emergency changes bypass the standard change management controls, including pre-approval and testing, making a timely post-implementation review essential to verify that the change was documented, authorized retroactively, and did not introduce security or operational risks. On the CISA exam, this concept tests your understanding of the change management process and the heightened risk of undocumented or unauthorized modifications in financial applications. A common trap is to focus on the lack of a formal log or the use of spreadsheets, but those are acceptable practices; the real red flag is the absence of a mandated review within a defined window. Memory tip: think of emergency changes as a “fire drill” — you must inspect the extinguisher within 30 days to ensure it was used correctly and recharged.
CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems operations and business resilience. 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.
An IS auditor is reviewing the change management process for a financial application. Which of the following findings would be of MOST concern?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Emergency changes are not reviewed within 30 days
Emergency changes bypass normal controls; failure to review them within a reasonable time (e.g., 30 days) increases risk of undocumented changes. Logging in spreadsheet, pre-approved standard changes, and defined change windows are acceptable or even good practices.
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.
✗
Change requests are logged in a spreadsheet
Why it's wrong here
Spreadsheets can be acceptable for small shops if properly controlled.
✗
Standard changes are pre-approved
Why it's wrong here
Pre-approval of standard changes is a common good practice.
✗
Change windows are defined in the policy
Why it's wrong here
Defining change windows is a control to minimize disruption.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 CISA exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience — This question tests Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Emergency changes are not reviewed within 30 days — Emergency changes bypass normal controls; failure to review them within a reasonable time (e.g., 30 days) increases risk of undocumented changes. Logging in spreadsheet, pre-approved standard changes, and defined change windows are acceptable or even good practices.
What should I do if I get this CISA question wrong?
Identify which CISA exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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. An IT auditor is reviewing the change management process for a financial application. The auditor finds that emergency changes are frequently implemented without post-implementation review. What is the MOST significant risk?
medium
A.The change may not be documented properly
B.The change may cause an outage during the next backup cycle
✓ C.Security vulnerabilities may be introduced and remain undetected
D.Users may not be notified of the change
Why C: Option A is correct because without review, emergency changes may introduce security vulnerabilities or instability that go unnoticed. Option B is a lesser risk; Option C is a consequence but not the most significant; Option D is operational risk but less critical than security.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
Question Discussion
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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.
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