- A
Controls are fully effective and risk is now acceptable
Why wrong: Residual risk remains Medium, which may or may not be acceptable depending on risk appetite.
- B
Controls are ineffective and need replacement
Why wrong: The risk level decreased, so controls have some effect.
- C
Controls are partially effective, reducing risk but not to the target level
The risk dropped from High to Medium, showing partial effectiveness.
- D
Residual risk should equal inherent risk if controls are effective
Why wrong: Effective controls reduce residual risk below inherent risk.
Question 481 of 1,000
CRISC IT Risk Assessment Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of it risk assessment. 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.
An organization calculated the inherent risk for a critical system as 'High' using a 5x5 heat map. After implementing controls, the residual risk is assessed as 'Medium'. What does this indicate about the control effectiveness?
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
✓
Controls are partially effective, reducing risk but not to the target level
The movement from 'High' inherent risk to 'Medium' residual risk indicates that the implemented controls have reduced the risk level by one step on the 5x5 heat map, but have not eliminated it entirely. Since the residual risk is still 'Medium' rather than 'Low' or 'Very Low', the controls are only partially effective—they mitigate some of the risk but do not bring it down to the organization's target risk appetite or tolerance level.
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.
- ✗
Controls are fully effective and risk is now acceptable
Why it's wrong here
Residual risk remains Medium, which may or may not be acceptable depending on risk appetite.
- ✗
Controls are ineffective and need replacement
Why it's wrong here
The risk level decreased, so controls have some effect.
- ✓
Controls are partially effective, reducing risk but not to the target level
Why this is correct
The risk dropped from High to Medium, showing partial effectiveness.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Residual risk should equal inherent risk if controls are effective
Why it's wrong here
Effective controls reduce residual risk below inherent risk.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume any reduction in risk means controls are fully effective and risk is acceptable, but CRISC requires you to compare residual risk against the organization's specific risk appetite and target level, not just the inherent risk baseline.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a 5x5 heat map, risk levels are typically defined by combining likelihood and impact scores (e.g., 1-5 each). A drop from 'High' (e.g., score 12-16) to 'Medium' (e.g., score 6-11) implies controls have reduced either the likelihood or impact by at least one or two points on the scale. Real-world scenarios, such as implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) for a critical web application, might reduce the likelihood of exploitation from 'Very High' to 'Medium' but not eliminate residual vulnerabilities, leaving a 'Medium' risk that requires ongoing monitoring or additional compensating controls.
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?
IT Risk Assessment — This question tests IT Risk Assessment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Controls are partially effective, reducing risk but not to the target level — The movement from 'High' inherent risk to 'Medium' residual risk indicates that the implemented controls have reduced the risk level by one step on the 5x5 heat map, but have not eliminated it entirely. Since the residual risk is still 'Medium' rather than 'Low' or 'Very Low', the controls are only partially effective—they mitigate some of the risk but do not bring it down to the organization's target risk appetite or tolerance level.
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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