easyMultiple Choice
CISA Practice Question: Is the BEST indicator that an organization's…
Which of the following is the BEST indicator that an organization's incident management process is effective?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISA often tests the distinction between efficiency metrics (MTTR, logging speed) and effectiveness metrics (recurrence rate, root cause elimination), tricking candidates into picking the fastest-sounding operational metric.
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 percentage of recurring incidents is decreasing over time
The best indicator of an effective incident management process is a decreasing percentage of recurring incidents over time, because it demonstrates that root cause analysis is being performed and corrective actions are preventing repeat occurrences. This is a lagging indicator of process maturity — it shows the organization is learning from incidents, not just resolving them quickly. Metrics like MTTR or logging speed measure efficiency, not effectiveness.
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 average time to resolve incidents is under 1 hour
Why it's wrong here
A sub-one-hour average resolution time measures speed, not effectiveness; incidents may be closed prematurely or misclassified to meet the target. Resolution time is a useful operational metric, but effectiveness is better evidenced by whether incidents are detected, contained, and prevented from recurring.
- ✗
The number of incidents reported per month is increasing
Why it's wrong here
A rising incident count indicates increased reporting or worsening conditions, not process effectiveness. More reports can reflect better detection culture, but without context it signals volume, not quality. Effectiveness is shown by consistent logging and resolution, not by the number of incidents raised.
- ✗
All incidents are logged within 10 minutes of detection
Why it's wrong here
Logging speed measures detection and ticketing discipline, not whether incidents are resolved and services restored. Effectiveness is shown by metrics such as mean time to resolve and recurrence rates. Fast logging is tempting because it is easy to measure and audit, yet it says nothing about containment or recovery outcomes.
- ✓
The percentage of recurring incidents is decreasing over time
Why this is correct
A falling recurrence rate evidences root cause elimination rather than repeated firefighting, showing problems are fixed permanently. This directly satisfies the effectiveness indicator, since volume alone or speed of closure does not prove the process prevents incidents from returning.
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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.