CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Acquisition, Development, and Implementation
Which of the following is a key control during the deployment phase of a system development life cycle?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is confusing deployment-phase controls with testing-phase controls — candidates often pick UAT because it sounds like a final check, but UAT occurs before deployment, while rollback planning is specifically executed during deployment.
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
✓
Rollback plan
During the deployment phase, the system is moved into production, and a rollback plan is a critical control to revert to a previous stable state if the deployment fails or introduces defects. It ensures business continuity and minimizes downtime. Code review, threat modeling, and UAT occur earlier in the SDLC (development, design, and testing phases, respectively).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Rollback plan
Why this is correct
A rollback plan is the key deployment-phase control because it provides a tested mechanism to revert to the previous stable state if the release fails, directly satisfying the need to manage deployment risk and minimise disruption to production services. It addresses the stem's deployment-phase constraint, unlike design or post-implementation controls.
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Code review
Why it's wrong here
Code review examines source for defects and vulnerabilities during build, so it does not verify the deployed system's configuration, installation or production controls. It is tempting because it is a genuine security activity, and it would be the correct control during the development phase.
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Threat modeling
Why it's wrong here
Threat modelling identifies threats and mitigations during design, before code exists, so it cannot verify the deployed system's configuration, access controls or hardening. It is tempting because it is a genuine security activity, and it would be the correct control during the requirements and design phases.
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User acceptance testing (UAT)
Why it's wrong here
UAT is conducted before deployment, during the testing phase.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISACA exam blueprint
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.