- A
Investigate the root cause of the high exception rate
Root cause analysis is the first step to address the issue.
- B
Increase the acceptable threshold to 20%
Why wrong: Adjusting threshold without analysis is not appropriate.
- C
Replace the control with a different one
Why wrong: Replacing the control without investigation is premature.
- D
Escalate to the board immediately
Why wrong: Escalation should occur after analysis and if risk is significant.
Question 816 of 1,000
CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of risk response and reporting. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 Key Control Indicator (KCI) for a firewall rule review process shows an exception rate of 15% for the past quarter, exceeding the acceptable threshold of 10%. What is the most appropriate immediate action for the control owner?
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
✓
Investigate the root cause of the high exception rate
A KCI exception rate exceeding the threshold indicates a process failure, not necessarily a control failure. The control owner must first perform root cause analysis to determine whether the exceptions are due to misconfigured rules, policy violations, or environmental changes before taking corrective action. This aligns with the CRISC principle that control owners are responsible for monitoring and improving control effectiveness through investigation.
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.
- ✓
Investigate the root cause of the high exception rate
Why this is correct
Root cause analysis is the first step to address the issue.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increase the acceptable threshold to 20%
Why it's wrong here
Adjusting threshold without analysis is not appropriate.
- ✗
Replace the control with a different one
Why it's wrong here
Replacing the control without investigation is premature.
- ✗
Escalate to the board immediately
Why it's wrong here
Escalation should occur after analysis and if risk is significant.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that exceeding a KCI threshold automatically requires escalation or control replacement, when in fact the immediate step is always root cause analysis to determine if the threshold breach is a temporary anomaly or a systemic issue.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Firewall rule review processes typically involve comparing actual traffic flows against rule base entries using log analysis tools (e.g., syslog, netflow). A high exception rate often indicates rules that are too permissive, stale, or conflicting, which can be identified by parsing firewall logs for 'deny' or 'allow' anomalies. In practice, root cause analysis might involve reviewing rule hit counts, checking for shadowed rules, or verifying change management records to pinpoint whether the exceptions stem from recent rule changes or policy drift.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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: Investigate the root cause of the high exception rate — A KCI exception rate exceeding the threshold indicates a process failure, not necessarily a control failure. The control owner must first perform root cause analysis to determine whether the exceptions are due to misconfigured rules, policy violations, or environmental changes before taking corrective action. This aligns with the CRISC principle that control owners are responsible for monitoring and improving control effectiveness through investigation.
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.
About these practice questions
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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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