CRISC IT Risk Assessment Practice Question
After implementing controls, the risk remaining is called:
⚠ Common exam trap
CRISC often tests the distinction between residual risk (remaining after controls) and acceptable risk (the threshold the organization tolerates) — candidates pick 'acceptable risk' because it sounds like the endpoint, but the question asks for the remaining risk itself.
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
✓
Residual risk
Residual risk is the risk that remains after controls have been implemented to mitigate the original (inherent) risk. It represents the exposure the organization still carries and must consciously accept, transfer, or further mitigate. This is a core CRISC definition tested repeatedly.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Control risk
Why it's wrong here
Control risk measures the possibility that a control fails to prevent or detect a problem, not the exposure left after controls operate. Residual risk is the remaining exposure once controls are applied. Control risk would be correct when assessing the reliability of an individual control's design or operation.
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Acceptable risk
Why it's wrong here
Acceptable risk is a judgement that residual exposure falls within the organisation's tolerance threshold; it is not the term for the exposure itself. Residual risk is what remains after controls are implemented. Acceptable risk would be correct when documenting that the remaining exposure has been formally tolerated.
- ✓
Residual risk
Why this is correct
Residual risk is the exposure that remains after controls have been implemented and inherent risk has been mitigated. It represents the gap between total risk and the effect of existing controls, which is precisely what the question describes following control implementation.
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Inherent risk
Why it's wrong here
Inherent risk is the exposure before any controls are applied, so it describes the starting position, not what remains afterwards. Residual risk is the exposure left once controls are operating. Inherent risk would be the correct term when assessing risk at the initial identification stage, prior to mitigation.
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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
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.