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CISA Practice Question: Is the BEST method to ensure that a system…
Which of the following is the BEST method to ensure that a system development project is completed on time?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse project management tools or meetings with the fundamental planning artifact (the schedule) that actually drives on-time delivery, leading them to select a supporting activity (like status meetings or software) instead of the core control mechanism.
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
✓
A realistic project schedule with milestones
A realistic project schedule with milestones (Option B) is the best method because it establishes a time-phased plan with measurable checkpoints, enabling early detection of delays and facilitating proactive corrective actions. Without a realistic baseline, even the best tracking tools or meetings cannot prevent schedule overruns, as the schedule itself is the foundation for monitoring and controlling project progress.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Regular status meetings
Why it's wrong here
Regular status meetings report progress and surface blockers but do not themselves control schedule variance; they inform rather than ensure delivery. They tempt because communication is genuinely valuable, yet the stem asks for the method that keeps the project on time, which is schedule baseline tracking with corrective action.
- ✓
A realistic project schedule with milestones
Why this is correct
A realistic schedule with defined milestones gives measurable checkpoints against which progress is tracked, exposing slippage early so corrective action can be taken. This directly addresses the on-time completion constraint, unlike vague estimates or post-hoc reporting.
- ✗
Frequent scope changes
Why it's wrong here
Frequent scope changes expand deliverables mid-project, consuming schedule and budget and directly causing late delivery. It tempts because iterative refinement feels agile, but uncontrolled change is what change control exists to prevent; the stem asks how to finish on time, not how to accommodate new requirements.
- ✗
Use of a project management software
Why it's wrong here
Project management software records tasks, dependencies and dates but performs no scheduling control by itself; a tool cannot enforce a baseline. It tempts because it centralises planning data, yet without disciplined schedule monitoring and variance correction the software merely documents slippage.
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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.