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
Board reporting is an escalation for material, sustained failures, not the initial response to a single quarterly KCI breach; the deficiency owner should first investigate root cause and remediate. It would be correct where a critical risk remains unresolved after management escalation, requiring governance oversight.
- ✗
Increase the frequency of control testing to monthly
Why it's wrong here
Raising test frequency only measures the same deficiency more often; it does not address the cause of the 12% rate. It is tempting because more testing appears diligent, but the KCI already evidences failure, so the initial response is root-cause analysis and remediation planning rather than additional detection.
- ✗
Immediately replace the control with a more robust one
Why it's wrong here
Replacing the control immediately skips root-cause analysis, so the 12% deficiency rate may persist under the new control. It is tempting because remediation feels decisive, but control redesign follows investigation; the initial response is to analyse why the existing control failed before committing to replacement.
- ✓
Conduct a root cause analysis of the deficiencies
Why this is correct
A 12% deficiency rate against a 5% threshold signals the control is not operating effectively. Root cause analysis is the appropriate initial step, establishing why deficiencies occur before selecting remediation, avoiding premature fixes that address symptoms rather than the underlying failure.
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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.