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
Simulation tests specific scenarios but not necessarily with live transactions.
- ✗
Full interruption test
Why it's wrong here
Full interruption shuts down the primary site, which is more risky.
- ✗
Tabletop test
Why it's wrong here
Tabletop is a discussion-based exercise.
- ✓
Parallel test
Why this is correct
Parallel test involves running both sites concurrently.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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