- A
Lower the vendor's tier to reduce requirements
Why wrong: Tier should reflect actual risk, not be manipulated to avoid requirements.
- B
Accept the vendor's self-assessment instead
Why wrong: Self-assessment is less reliable and typically not accepted for critical vendors.
- C
Reject the vendor or request a formal risk acceptance
This aligns with risk appetite; if risk is accepted, it must be formally documented.
- D
Onboard the vendor with additional monitoring
Why wrong: Without the required report, risk may be too high; additional monitoring may not suffice.
Question 384 of 1,000
CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of risk response and reporting. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 vendor risk assessment, a prospective vendor for critical services cannot provide a SOC 2 Type II report. According to the organization's vendor risk appetite, which action should be taken?
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
✓
Reject the vendor or request a formal risk acceptance
A SOC 2 Type II report provides independent assurance over a service organization's controls over a period of time. When a prospective vendor for critical services cannot provide this report, and the organization's risk appetite is defined, the appropriate action is to reject the vendor or require a formal risk acceptance from the risk owner. This ensures that any deviation from the required control evidence is explicitly acknowledged and approved, rather than bypassing the requirement.
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.
- ✗
Lower the vendor's tier to reduce requirements
Why it's wrong here
Tier should reflect actual risk, not be manipulated to avoid requirements.
- ✗
Accept the vendor's self-assessment instead
Why it's wrong here
Self-assessment is less reliable and typically not accepted for critical vendors.
- ✓
Reject the vendor or request a formal risk acceptance
Why this is correct
This aligns with risk appetite; if risk is accepted, it must be formally documented.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Onboard the vendor with additional monitoring
Why it's wrong here
Without the required report, risk may be too high; additional monitoring may not suffice.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume 'additional monitoring' (Option D) is a valid compensating control, but the CRISC exam emphasizes that for critical services, independent assurance (like SOC 2) is a non-negotiable baseline, and monitoring is a detective control, not a preventive or directive control that replaces the need for formal risk acceptance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SOC 2 Type II reports are based on the AICPA's Trust Services Criteria and require a licensed CPA to test controls over a minimum of six months. In practice, a vendor's inability to provide this report often indicates a lack of mature security operations or insufficient investment in compliance, which for critical services (e.g., handling PII or financial data) directly increases residual risk beyond the organization's appetite. A formal risk acceptance document must be signed by the risk owner, explicitly stating the compensating controls or the accepted risk level, and is typically reviewed by internal audit.
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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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: Reject the vendor or request a formal risk acceptance — A SOC 2 Type II report provides independent assurance over a service organization's controls over a period of time. When a prospective vendor for critical services cannot provide this report, and the organization's risk appetite is defined, the appropriate action is to reject the vendor or require a formal risk acceptance from the risk owner. This ensures that any deviation from the required control evidence is explicitly acknowledged and approved, rather than bypassing the requirement.
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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