CISM Information Security Governance Practice Question
An organization is updating its security policy framework. The current enterprise security policy has not been reviewed in three years. What is the FIRST step in the policy development lifecycle?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISM often tests the sequence of the policy lifecycle; candidates mistakenly jump to drafting or legal review, forgetting that assessment (gap analysis) always precedes creation or modification.
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
✓
Conducting a gap analysis
A gap analysis is the first step in the policy development lifecycle because it establishes the current state of the existing policy against the desired state (e.g., business objectives, regulatory requirements, industry standards). Without understanding what is missing or outdated, any drafting or review would be based on assumptions. CISM emphasizes that policy development begins with assessing the current environment and identifying gaps before making changes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Obtaining legal review
Why it's wrong here
Legal review validates drafted wording against regulatory obligations, so it cannot precede determining what the policy must address. It is the correct step after content is drafted, not before the review that identifies outdated or missing provisions.
- ✗
Training employees on the updated policy
Why it's wrong here
Training communicates an approved policy to staff, so it occurs after drafting, approval and publication. It is the correct step once the revised policy is authorised and in force, not the opening activity of the development lifecycle.
- ✗
Drafting the revised policy language
Why it's wrong here
Drafting language presupposes an agreed scope and identified gaps, so it skips the review and assessment that must precede authoring. Drafting is the correct step once current-state analysis and requirements are documented, not the first action after a three-year lapse.
- ✓
Conducting a gap analysis
Why this is correct
A gap analysis compares the current policy against the framework, regulations and business objectives, exposing what is outdated or missing. That baseline must exist before drafting, consulting or approving revisions, otherwise the rewrite addresses assumptions rather than actual deficiencies.
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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 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.