CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
An organization uses a Key Control Indicator (KCI) to measure control effectiveness. The KCI shows a control deficiency rate of 12% over the past quarter, exceeding the target threshold of 5%. Which action is MOST appropriate as an initial response?
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
✓
Conduct a root cause analysis of the deficiencies
A high deficiency rate indicates the control is not working as intended. The first step is to investigate root causes to determine necessary remediation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Report the deficiency to the board for oversight
Why it's wrong here
Operational issues are typically escalated to management first, not directly to the board.
- ✗
Increase the frequency of control testing to monthly
Why it's wrong here
Testing more often without fixing the root cause does not address the deficiency.
- ✗
Immediately replace the control with a more robust one
Why it's wrong here
Replacing without analysis may be premature and costly.
- ✓
Conduct a root cause analysis of the deficiencies
Why this is correct
Understanding why the control is failing is essential before implementing corrective actions.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.