- A
Evaluating contract compliance requirements
Ensures contractual security obligations are met.
- B
Reviewing SOC 2 Type II report
Provides independent assurance of controls.
- C
Conducting an onsite physical security inspection
Why wrong: Typically done for critical vendors and often later in the process.
- D
Analyzing the vendor's financial statements
Why wrong: Financial health is important but not specific to information security risk assessment.
- E
Reviewing completed security questionnaires
Standard practice to assess vendor security posture.
Question 554 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.
An organization is developing a vendor risk management program. Which THREE activities should be included in the initial onboarding assessment for a high-risk vendor?
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
✓
Evaluating contract compliance requirements
Evaluating contract compliance requirements is a critical initial onboarding activity for a high-risk vendor because it ensures the vendor's service level agreements (SLAs), data protection clauses, and regulatory obligations (e.g., GDPR, PCI DSS) are formally documented and enforceable. This step establishes the legal and operational baseline for risk acceptance and ongoing monitoring, directly supporting the risk response strategy within the vendor risk management program.
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.
- ✓
Evaluating contract compliance requirements
Why this is correct
Ensures contractual security obligations are met.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Reviewing SOC 2 Type II report
Why this is correct
Provides independent assurance of controls.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Conducting an onsite physical security inspection
Why it's wrong here
Typically done for critical vendors and often later in the process.
- ✗
Analyzing the vendor's financial statements
Why it's wrong here
Financial health is important but not specific to information security risk assessment.
- ✓
Reviewing completed security questionnaires
Why this is correct
Standard practice to assess vendor security posture.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'initial onboarding' with 'ongoing monitoring' and select activities like onsite inspections or financial analysis, which are typically performed later in the vendor lifecycle, not during the initial risk assessment phase.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The initial onboarding assessment for a high-risk vendor should prioritize evidence of security controls (e.g., SOC 2 Type II report) and self-reported risk posture (e.g., security questionnaires) to quickly identify gaps before granting access. Contract compliance requirements are evaluated to ensure that clauses like right-to-audit, breach notification timelines (e.g., 72 hours under GDPR), and data encryption standards (e.g., AES-256) are explicitly defined, forming the legal foundation for risk mitigation. This aligns with the CRISC domain of Risk Response and Reporting, where proactive risk treatment begins with documented agreements and control validation.
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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Risk Response and Reporting — study guide chapter
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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: Evaluating contract compliance requirements — Evaluating contract compliance requirements is a critical initial onboarding activity for a high-risk vendor because it ensures the vendor's service level agreements (SLAs), data protection clauses, and regulatory obligations (e.g., GDPR, PCI DSS) are formally documented and enforceable. This step establishes the legal and operational baseline for risk acceptance and ongoing monitoring, directly supporting the risk response strategy within the vendor risk management program.
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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