- A
Accept the vendor because the questionnaire indicates other strong controls.
Why wrong: Accepting without meeting minimum requirements for critical tier violates risk appetite.
- B
Require the vendor to obtain SOC 2 Type II certification before contract signing.
For critical vendors, SOC 2 Type II is typically mandatory; the vendor must comply or be rejected.
- C
Proceed with the contract but increase monitoring frequency.
Why wrong: For critical vendors, minimum requirements must be met; increased monitoring is not a substitute for lacking certification.
- D
Lower the vendor's tier to medium to avoid the requirement.
Why wrong: Risk tiering should be based on actual risk, not to bypass requirements.
Question 128 of 1,000
CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of risk response and reporting. 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.
A company is assessing a new vendor that will have access to its customer database. The vendor's security questionnaire reveals they lack SOC 2 certification. According to risk tiering, the vendor is classified as critical. What should the company do?
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
✓
Require the vendor to obtain SOC 2 Type II certification before contract signing.
A critical-tier vendor with access to sensitive customer data requires independent assurance of security controls. SOC 2 Type II certification provides a rigorous, audited assessment of controls over a period of time, which is essential for a high-risk vendor. Requiring this certification before contract signing ensures the vendor meets the necessary security baseline before any data is exposed.
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.
- ✗
Accept the vendor because the questionnaire indicates other strong controls.
Why it's wrong here
Accepting without meeting minimum requirements for critical tier violates risk appetite.
- ✓
Require the vendor to obtain SOC 2 Type II certification before contract signing.
Why this is correct
For critical vendors, SOC 2 Type II is typically mandatory; the vendor must comply or be rejected.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Proceed with the contract but increase monitoring frequency.
Why it's wrong here
For critical vendors, minimum requirements must be met; increased monitoring is not a substitute for lacking certification.
- ✗
Lower the vendor's tier to medium to avoid the requirement.
Why it's wrong here
Risk tiering should be based on actual risk, not to bypass requirements.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may underestimate the importance of independent audit evidence for critical vendors and mistakenly choose increased monitoring (Option C) as a sufficient compensating control, when in fact it does not address the root need for verified, preventive controls before data access is granted.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SOC 2 Type II certification involves a thorough audit by a CPA firm over a minimum of six months, testing the operating effectiveness of controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. For a critical vendor handling customer PII, this provides a level of assurance that a self-assessment cannot match, as it includes evidence of control performance over time, not just design. In practice, many organizations mandate SOC 2 Type II for any vendor with access to sensitive data, as it is a widely recognized standard that reduces due diligence burden and legal liability.
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 CRISC 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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CRISC question test?
Risk Response and Reporting — This question tests Risk Response and Reporting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Require the vendor to obtain SOC 2 Type II certification before contract signing. — A critical-tier vendor with access to sensitive customer data requires independent assurance of security controls. SOC 2 Type II certification provides a rigorous, audited assessment of controls over a period of time, which is essential for a high-risk vendor. Requiring this certification before contract signing ensures the vendor meets the necessary security baseline before any data is exposed.
What should I do if I get this CRISC 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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This CRISC 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 CRISC exam.
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