- A
Standard response with no escalation
Why wrong: That is for P3 medium.
- B
Business hours response with management notification
P2 is high severity, requiring management notification and response during business hours.
- C
Scheduled remediation
Why wrong: That is for P4 low.
- D
24/7 response with executive notification
Why wrong: That is for P1 critical incidents.
CISM Incident Management Practice Question
This CISM practice question tests your understanding of incident management. 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.
An incident response team is handling a P2 (high) incident. According to the incident severity classification, which of the following is the expected response timeframe?
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
Business hours response with management notification
A P2 (high) incident requires a response during business hours with management notification, as defined by the incident severity classification. This ensures that the incident is addressed promptly within operational hours while keeping management informed for potential escalation or resource allocation.
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.
- ✗
Standard response with no escalation
Why it's wrong here
That is for P3 medium.
- ✓
Business hours response with management notification
Why this is correct
P2 is high severity, requiring management notification and response during business hours.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Scheduled remediation
Why it's wrong here
That is for P4 low.
- ✗
24/7 response with executive notification
Why it's wrong here
That is for P1 critical incidents.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing P2 (high) with P1 (critical), leading candidates to select the 24/7 response with executive notification, which is reserved for incidents causing severe business impact or data loss.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Incident severity classifications (e.g., P1–P4) are typically defined in the organization's incident response plan (IRP) and align with service-level agreements (SLAs) for response and resolution. For P2 incidents, the response window is often within 4–8 business hours, with management notification to ensure resource coordination and potential escalation if the incident's impact widens. This classification balances operational efficiency with urgency, avoiding the overhead of 24/7 teams for incidents that do not threaten critical business functions.
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 CISM 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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISM question test?
Incident Management — This question tests Incident Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Business hours response with management notification — A P2 (high) incident requires a response during business hours with management notification, as defined by the incident severity classification. This ensures that the incident is addressed promptly within operational hours while keeping management informed for potential escalation or resource allocation.
What should I do if I get this CISM 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This CISM 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 CISM exam.
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