- A
Document the risk acceptance and rationale in the risk register
Proper documentation ensures accountability and auditability.
- B
Implement a compensating control
Why wrong: The decision was to accept; implementing a compensating control would change that.
- C
Override the risk owner's decision
Why wrong: Risk ownership includes the authority to accept risk.
- D
Report the issue to the board immediately
Why wrong: Not necessary for a single control failure if accepted.
Question 85 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.
During a quarterly control effectiveness test, internal audit discovers that a key automated control failed 15% of the time due to a software bug. The risk owner decides to accept the risk because the cost to fix the bug is high. What should the risk manager do next?
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
✓
Document the risk acceptance and rationale in the risk register
Option A is correct because the risk manager's primary responsibility is to formally document the risk acceptance decision, including the rationale provided by the risk owner, in the risk register. This ensures audit trail, transparency, and compliance with governance frameworks such as COBIT or ISO 31000. Since the risk owner has the authority to accept the risk, the risk manager must record it rather than challenge or escalate it without justification.
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.
- ✓
Document the risk acceptance and rationale in the risk register
Why this is correct
Proper documentation ensures accountability and auditability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Implement a compensating control
Why it's wrong here
The decision was to accept; implementing a compensating control would change that.
- ✗
Override the risk owner's decision
Why it's wrong here
Risk ownership includes the authority to accept risk.
- ✗
Report the issue to the board immediately
Why it's wrong here
Not necessary for a single control failure if accepted.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the risk manager's advisory role with an enforcement role, leading them to choose 'override the risk owner' or 'implement a compensating control' instead of recognizing that documentation is the correct procedural step after a risk acceptance decision.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In risk management frameworks like ISO 31000, risk acceptance is a formal decision that must be documented with the risk owner's signature and the cost-benefit analysis. The risk register serves as the authoritative record, and the risk manager updates it with fields such as 'acceptance date', 'rationale', and 'residual risk level'. A real-world scenario is a legacy system with a known SQL injection vulnerability where the patch cost exceeds the potential loss; the risk owner accepts it, and the risk manager logs it, ensuring the board and auditors see the decision during reviews.
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.
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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: Document the risk acceptance and rationale in the risk register — Option A is correct because the risk manager's primary responsibility is to formally document the risk acceptance decision, including the rationale provided by the risk owner, in the risk register. This ensures audit trail, transparency, and compliance with governance frameworks such as COBIT or ISO 31000. Since the risk owner has the authority to accept the risk, the risk manager must record it rather than challenge or escalate it without justification.
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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