- A
The control is approved by management
Why wrong: Approval is part of governance, not effectiveness.
- B
The control has been tested and works as designed
Testing confirms operating effectiveness.
- C
The control is inexpensive to implement
Why wrong: Cost does not measure effectiveness.
- D
The control is documented in policy
Why wrong: Documentation relates to design adequacy.
Question 96 of 1,000
CRISC IT Risk Assessment Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of it risk assessment. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
In assessing control effectiveness, an IS auditor evaluates both design adequacy and operating effectiveness. Which of the following indicates that a control is operating effectively?
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
✓
The control has been tested and works as designed
Operating effectiveness means the control has been tested and consistently produces the intended result in practice. Even if a control is well-designed, it may fail during actual operation due to misconfiguration, human error, or environmental changes. Testing confirms that the control functions as designed under real conditions, which is the definitive indicator of operating effectiveness.
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.
- ✗
The control is approved by management
Why it's wrong here
Approval is part of governance, not effectiveness.
- ✓
The control has been tested and works as designed
Why this is correct
Testing confirms operating effectiveness.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The control is inexpensive to implement
Why it's wrong here
Cost does not measure effectiveness.
- ✗
The control is documented in policy
Why it's wrong here
Documentation relates to design adequacy.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing control design (what is planned or documented) with control operation (what actually happens in practice), leading candidates to select policy or approval as evidence of effectiveness.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Control testing for operating effectiveness typically involves sampling transactions, observing processes, or re-performing control steps over a period of time. For example, an automated access control rule in a firewall must be tested by attempting to connect from an unauthorized IP address to verify the rule blocks traffic as designed. A single successful test does not prove ongoing effectiveness; the control must be tested across multiple instances to confirm consistency.
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?
IT Risk Assessment — This question tests IT Risk Assessment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The control has been tested and works as designed — Operating effectiveness means the control has been tested and consistently produces the intended result in practice. Even if a control is well-designed, it may fail during actual operation due to misconfiguration, human error, or environmental changes. Testing confirms that the control functions as designed under real conditions, which is the definitive indicator of operating effectiveness.
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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