Quick Answer
The answer is to identify and evaluate risks in terms of likelihood and impact. This is the primary purpose because a risk assessment is fundamentally a discovery and measurement exercise—without quantifying how likely a threat is to occur and what damage it would cause, an organization cannot make informed decisions about where to allocate security resources. On the Certified Information Security Manager CISM exam, this concept tests your understanding that risk assessment is the foundation of the entire risk management process; a common trap is confusing the assessment’s purpose with the subsequent step of selecting controls or implementing treatment. Remember that the assessment itself is purely analytical—it outputs a prioritized list of risks, not solutions. A useful memory tip is to think of the acronym LI: Likelihood and Impact are the two critical dimensions that define the primary purpose of any information security risk assessment.
This CISM practice question tests your understanding of information security risk 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.
Which of the following is the PRIMARY purpose of an information security risk assessment?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
To eliminate all identified risks
Why wrong: Eliminating all risks is impractical and not the primary purpose; risk assessment informs risk treatment decisions.
To comply with regulatory requirements
Why wrong: Compliance may be a driver but is not the primary purpose; the core is informed decision-making.
To assign blame for security incidents
Why wrong: Risk assessment is proactive, not punitive.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
To identify and evaluate risks in terms of likelihood and impact
The primary purpose of an information security risk assessment is to identify and evaluate risks in terms of their likelihood and impact. This process enables an organization to prioritize risks and determine appropriate risk treatment options, such as mitigation, transfer, acceptance, or avoidance, based on a clear understanding of the risk landscape. Without this evaluation, any subsequent risk management decisions would lack a defensible basis.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
To eliminate all identified risks
Why it's wrong here
Eliminating all risks is impractical and not the primary purpose; risk assessment informs risk treatment decisions.
To comply with regulatory requirements
Why it's wrong here
Compliance may be a driver but is not the primary purpose; the core is informed decision-making.
To assign blame for security incidents
Why it's wrong here
Risk assessment is proactive, not punitive.
Option-by-option analysis
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.
Why this is wrong here
Eliminating all risks is impractical and not the primary purpose; risk assessment informs risk treatment decisions.
Why this is wrong here
Compliance may be a driver but is not the primary purpose; the core is informed decision-making.
Why this is wrong here
Risk assessment is proactive, not punitive.
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?”
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the purpose of a risk assessment with the purpose of risk treatment or compliance, leading them to select 'comply with regulatory requirements' as the primary purpose, when in fact compliance is a secondary benefit, not the core objective.
Detailed technical explanation
A risk assessment typically follows a structured methodology such as NIST SP 800-30 or ISO 27005, which involves identifying assets, threats, vulnerabilities, and existing controls, then calculating risk as a function of likelihood and impact (often using qualitative scales like High/Medium/Low or quantitative metrics like Annualized Loss Expectancy). The output is a risk register that feeds directly into the risk treatment plan, ensuring that resources are allocated to the most critical risks first. In practice, a risk assessment also documents assumptions and constraints, which are essential for auditability and for defending decisions to senior management.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Information Security Risk Management — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Information Security Risk Management practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All CISM questions
500 questions across all exam domains
Certified Information Security Manager CISM study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
CISM practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise CISM questions linked to Information Security Program.
Practise CISM questions linked to Information Security Risk Management.
Practise CISM questions linked to Information Security Governance.
Practise CISM questions linked to Incident Management.
Practise CISM questions linked to CISM fundamentals.
Practise CISM questions linked to CISM scenario.
Practise CISM questions linked to CISM troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Information Security Risk Management — This question tests Information Security Risk Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: To identify and evaluate risks in terms of likelihood and impact — The primary purpose of an information security risk assessment is to identify and evaluate risks in terms of their likelihood and impact. This process enables an organization to prioritize risks and determine appropriate risk treatment options, such as mitigation, transfer, acceptance, or avoidance, based on a clear understanding of the risk landscape. Without this evaluation, any subsequent risk management decisions would lack a defensible basis.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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: Jun 11, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.