CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems acquisition, development and implementation. 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.
Which THREE of the following are common challenges when integrating a software package with existing legacy systems? (Select exactly three.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Lack of documented application programming interfaces (APIs)
Legacy systems often lack well-documented or standardized APIs, making it difficult to establish reliable interfaces for integration. Without clear API documentation, developers must reverse-engineer communication protocols or rely on outdated methods like screen scraping, which increases integration risk and effort.
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.
✗
Availability of modern integration middleware
Why it's wrong here
This is a solution, not a challenge.
✓
Lack of documented application programming interfaces (APIs)
Why this is correct
Legacy systems may have undocumented or proprietary interfaces.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Performance constraints of the legacy environment
Why this is correct
Legacy hardware/software may be slow or have limited capacity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Data format and schema mismatches
Why this is correct
Legacy systems may use different data structures.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Need for custom development to bridge the gap
Why it's wrong here
This is an action taken in response to challenges.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing a solution (custom development or middleware) with the underlying challenge, leading candidates to select 'Need for custom development' as a challenge when it is actually a response to the real challenges of missing APIs, data mismatches, and performance constraints.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Legacy systems frequently use proprietary or outdated protocols (e.g., IBM MQ, COBOL copybooks, flat files) that do not align with modern RESTful or SOAP-based APIs. Data format mismatches often involve differences in character encoding (e.g., EBCDIC vs. ASCII), date formats, or numeric precision, requiring complex transformation logic. Performance constraints arise because legacy databases or batch processing systems cannot handle real-time transaction volumes, leading to timeouts or data corruption during integration.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — This question tests Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Lack of documented application programming interfaces (APIs) — Legacy systems often lack well-documented or standardized APIs, making it difficult to establish reliable interfaces for integration. Without clear API documentation, developers must reverse-engineer communication protocols or rely on outdated methods like screen scraping, which increases integration risk and effort.
What should I do if I get this CISA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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