CRISC IT Risk Identification Practice Question
A company is updating its risk register. Which of the following is the primary purpose of a risk register?
⚠ Common exam trap
CRISC often tests the distinction between governance artifacts — candidates confuse the risk register (a tracking tool) with risk appetite (a policy decision) or with asset/threat inventories (data sources).
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
✓
To record and track identified risks and their treatment
A risk register's primary purpose is to serve as the central repository that records identified risks, their owners, likelihood/impact ratings, and treatment decisions (mitigate, transfer, accept, avoid), enabling ongoing tracking and reporting. It is a living document used by risk managers to monitor status over time. Defining risk appetite is a governance activity that precedes and informs the register, not its purpose.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
To define risk appetite
Why it's wrong here
Risk appetite is a tolerance statement set by leadership; the register records identified risks, owners, likelihood, impact and treatments. It is tempting because appetite guides risk decisions, and it would be correct if the question asked where tolerance thresholds are formally documented rather than where risks are catalogued.
- ✓
To record and track identified risks and their treatment
Why this is correct
The risk register is the central repository capturing each identified risk, its owner, likelihood, impact and agreed treatment, enabling ongoing tracking and review. This satisfies the stem's requirement to update the register with identified risks and their treatment.
- ✗
To store threat intelligence feeds
Why it's wrong here
Threat intelligence feeds supply external adversary data; a risk register records the organisation's own identified risks, their owners, likelihood, impact and treatment decisions. Feeds would be the right input when populating a threat library or informing risk scoring, but they cannot hold the register's per-risk accountability and response tracking.
- ✗
To document all IT assets
Why it's wrong here
An asset inventory lists hardware, software and data holdings; a risk register instead pairs each identified risk with its owner, likelihood, impact and treatment plan. Asset documentation is the correct choice when the goal is configuration management or discovery, but it captures no risk evaluation or response status.
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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
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