- A
Request a current SOC 2 report or equivalent assessment
This ensures the organization has up-to-date information on the vendor's controls.
- B
Downgrade the vendor to low risk to reduce monitoring frequency
Why wrong: Downgrading without justification is not appropriate.
- C
Accept the risk because the vendor is only medium risk
Why wrong: Even medium-risk vendors need monitoring; acceptance without current assessment is not prudent.
- D
Terminate the relationship immediately
Why wrong: Termination is a last resort; first, obtain current assessment.
Question 410 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 vendor risk assessment, an organization discovers that a critical vendor has not performed a security assessment in two years. The vendor is tiered as 'medium risk'. According to best practices, what should the risk practitioner recommend?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
✓
Request a current SOC 2 report or equivalent assessment
A SOC 2 report (or equivalent, such as an ISO 27001 certification or a SIG assessment) provides independent assurance over a vendor's controls, including security monitoring and assessment cadence. Since the vendor is tiered as 'medium risk' and has not performed a security assessment in two years, the risk practitioner should request current evidence of control effectiveness rather than accept, ignore, or escalate the risk prematurely. This aligns with the CRISC principle of verifying control status before making risk response decisions.
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.
- ✓
Request a current SOC 2 report or equivalent assessment
Why this is correct
This ensures the organization has up-to-date information on the vendor's controls.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Downgrade the vendor to low risk to reduce monitoring frequency
Why it's wrong here
Downgrading without justification is not appropriate.
- ✗
Accept the risk because the vendor is only medium risk
Why it's wrong here
Even medium-risk vendors need monitoring; acceptance without current assessment is not prudent.
- ✗
Terminate the relationship immediately
Why it's wrong here
Termination is a last resort; first, obtain current assessment.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume 'medium risk' automatically justifies risk acceptance (Option C), but CRISC requires that acceptance be based on current control evidence, not just the risk tier label.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SOC 2 reports are based on the AICPA's Trust Services Criteria and include a Type II report covering the design and operating effectiveness of controls over a period (typically 6–12 months). If the vendor cannot provide a SOC 2, equivalent assessments like ISO 27001 surveillance audits or a Standardized Information Gathering (SIG) questionnaire can be used. The two-year gap is significant because many frameworks (e.g., PCI DSS, NIST SP 800-53) require annual assessments; a gap this long increases the likelihood of unaddressed vulnerabilities or control drift.
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: Request a current SOC 2 report or equivalent assessment — A SOC 2 report (or equivalent, such as an ISO 27001 certification or a SIG assessment) provides independent assurance over a vendor's controls, including security monitoring and assessment cadence. Since the vendor is tiered as 'medium risk' and has not performed a security assessment in two years, the risk practitioner should request current evidence of control effectiveness rather than accept, ignore, or escalate the risk prematurely. This aligns with the CRISC principle of verifying control status before making risk response decisions.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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