hardMultiple Choice
CISM An organization's IR plan is tested annually Practice Question
An organization's IR plan is tested annually. After a test, many gaps are identified. What is the best next step?
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
✓
Update the IR plan based on lessons learned and schedule a follow-up test
Updating the plan based on lessons learned and scheduling a follow-up test improves preparedness.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Update the IR plan based on lessons learned and schedule a follow-up test
Why this is correct
Testing exists to expose weaknesses, so the gaps found must feed back into the plan itself. Revising procedures to close those specific deficiencies, then re-testing, verifies the fixes actually work and satisfies the annual testing cycle's purpose of continuous improvement rather than one-off compliance.
- ✗
Train all employees on the plan
Why it's wrong here
Employee training does not remediate the specific control weaknesses the test exposed, and most staff play no IR role. Awareness training suits general phishing or policy compliance gaps; here the identified gaps require corrective action assigned to plan owners.
- ✗
Wait for the next scheduled test in one year
Why it's wrong here
Annual testing leaves identified gaps unaddressed for up to twelve months, during which the plan remains defective. Remediation should follow each test immediately. Scheduling is tempting because it keeps testing regular and auditable, and a fixed annual cycle would be defensible once gaps are closed and the plan is stable.
- ✗
Purchase additional security tools
Why it's wrong here
Buying tools treats symptoms without first determining which controls failed, and gaps may be procedural rather than technological. Tooling purchases suit capability shortfalls confirmed by assessment, not the remediation step immediately following a test that revealed plan deficiencies.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.