Question 759 of 871
CISM Metric for program effectiveness Practice Question
After a major security incident, the board of directors requests a review of the information security program. Which of the following metrics would be MOST useful to demonstrate the effectiveness of the program over the past year?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose 'Percentage of employees completing security training' because training is a common control, but it doesn't measure actual incident response effectiveness.
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
✓
Number of security incidents detected and contained within defined SLAs
The number of incidents detected and contained within defined SLAs directly measures the program's ability to detect and respond to threats, which is a key indicator of operational effectiveness. Other metrics may be useful but do not directly measure the program's performance in protecting the organization.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Percentage of employees who completed security awareness training
Why it's wrong here
Training completion is a leading indicator but does not measure program effectiveness in handling incidents.
- ✗
Total cost of security investments compared to industry benchmarks
Why it's wrong here
Cost comparison does not indicate how well the program performed.
- ✗
Number of vulnerabilities identified in the latest penetration test
Why it's wrong here
Vulnerability counts are point-in-time and not a comprehensive measure of program effectiveness.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The CISM exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Number of security incidents detected and contained within defined SLAsCorrect answer▾
✗Percentage of employees who completed security awareness trainingWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Training completion is a leading indicator but does not measure program effectiveness in handling incidents.
✗Total cost of security investments compared to industry benchmarksWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Cost comparison does not indicate how well the program performed.
✗Number of vulnerabilities identified in the latest penetration testWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Vulnerability counts are point-in-time and not a comprehensive measure of program effectiveness.
Analysis generated from the official CISMblueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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Last reviewed: Jun 7, 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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