CISA Governance and Management of IT Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are common objectives of an IT balanced scorecard? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
CISA often tests the difference between strategic objectives (like improving satisfaction or skills) and tactical initiatives (like deploying a system or reducing tickets).
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
✓
Enhancing IT staff skills and knowledge
The IT balanced scorecard adapts the four-perspective Kaplan-Norton framework to IT, so its objectives are outcome-oriented goals rather than one-off projects. Option C, enhancing IT staff skills and knowledge, is correct because it maps to the learning and growth (innovation) perspective, which drives the internal process and customer perspectives through continuous capability development. Option E, improving customer satisfaction with IT services, is correct because it maps to the customer perspective, measuring how well IT delivers value and meets service expectations. Options A (deploying a new ERP system) and D (implementing a new firewall) are specific tactical projects or deliverables, not strategic scorecard objectives, and option B (reducing the number of help desk tickets) is a narrow operational metric that may even conflict with service quality rather than a balanced scorecard objective.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Deploying a new ERP system
Why it's wrong here
Deploying an ERP system is a one-off project deliverable, not a recurring strategic objective measured across balanced scorecard perspectives. It is tempting because major deployments consume IT budgets and appear in IT roadmaps, where project completion is tracked — but roadmap milestones belong to portfolio management, not the scorecard's objective set.
- ✗
Reducing the number of help desk tickets
Why it's wrong here
Help desk ticket volume measures operational support load, not a balanced scorecard perspective such as customer, financial, or internal process value delivery. It is tempting because service desk metrics appear on IT operational dashboards, where ticket reduction is a legitimate efficiency target — but that is operational reporting, not a strategic scorecard objective.
- ✓
Enhancing IT staff skills and knowledge
Why this is correct
The IT balanced scorecard includes a learning and growth perspective, which covers developing IT staff competencies. Enhancing staff skills and knowledge therefore aligns with that objective, supporting the stem's requirement for common balanced scorecard goals.
- ✗
Implementing a new firewall
Why it's wrong here
Installing a firewall is a tactical security control, not a balanced scorecard objective spanning financial, customer, internal process, and learning perspectives. It is tempting because security investment features in IT strategy discussions, where control deployment is tracked as a project — but that is project delivery, not a scorecard objective.
- ✓
Improving customer satisfaction with IT services
Why this is correct
The balanced scorecard incorporates a customer perspective, so improving satisfaction with IT services maps directly onto that objective. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a common IT balanced scorecard goal alongside financial, internal process and learning dimensions.
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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.