CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
Which type of disaster recovery test involves actually switching over to the alternate site and processing live transactions, but does not require the primary site to be shut down?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse parallel testing with a full interruption test, mistakenly thinking that any test involving live transactions must require shutting down the primary site, but parallel testing explicitly avoids that by running both sites concurrently.
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
✓
Parallel test
Parallel testing is the correct answer because it involves processing live transactions at the alternate site while the primary site remains fully operational. This allows validation of the disaster recovery (DR) systems without risking a service outage, as both sites run concurrently and results are compared for consistency. Unlike a full interruption test, the primary site is not shut down, ensuring business continuity during the test.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Simulation test
Why it's wrong here
A simulation test rehearses recovery procedures at the alternate site using test or historical data, without processing live production transactions. It is tempting because it exercises the alternate site, and would be correct when validating recovery capability while avoiding the risk of live transaction processing.
- ✗
Full interruption test
Why it's wrong here
A full interruption test shuts down the primary site and moves all processing to the alternate site, so it cannot leave the primary running. It is tempting because it processes live transactions at the alternate site, and would be correct when the primary site can be taken offline.
- ✗
Tabletop test
Why it's wrong here
A tabletop test is a discussion-based walkthrough of recovery plans with no systems activated and no live transactions processed. It is tempting because it validates plans cheaply, and would be correct when the objective is to rehearse roles and decision-making rather than exercise the alternate site.
- ✓
Parallel test
Why this is correct
A parallel test processes live transactions at the alternate site while the primary site continues running, satisfying the stem's requirement that the primary is not shut down. Unlike full failover, both sites operate simultaneously, validating recovery capability without disrupting production.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 934 original CISA practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.