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CRISC IT Risk Assessment Practice Question

An organization uses the FAIR framework to calculate annualized loss expectancy (ALE) for a specific risk. Given that the single loss expectancy (SLE) is $50,000 and the annualized rate of occurrence (ARO) is 0.2, what is the ALE?

⚠ Common exam trap

Many exam-takers confuse the ALE formula with the SLE formula or misplace the decimal point in ARO (0.2 vs. 2.0), leading to inflated values like $100,000 or $250,000.

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

$10,000

The annualized loss expectancy (ALE) is calculated by multiplying the single loss expectancy (SLE) by the annualized rate of occurrence (ARO). Given SLE = $50,000 and ARO = 0.2, the ALE is $50,000 × 0.2 = $10,000. This aligns with the FAIR framework's quantitative risk analysis formula.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • $250,000

    Why it's wrong here

    This would be SLE divided by ARO, not multiplied.

  • $100,000

    Why it's wrong here

    This is incorrect; it's double the correct ALE.

  • $10,000

    Why this is correct

    Correctly calculated: $50,000 × 0.2 = $10,000.

  • $50,000

    Why it's wrong here

    This is the SLE, not the ALE.

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JA

Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security

Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva

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