mediumMultiple Choice
CRISC Practice Question: Refer to the exhibit
Exhibit
2025-03-15 14:23:45 ERROR [compliance.monitor] Control ID: CTRL-042 status: FAILURE. Expected: PASS. Action: Manual review required. 2025-03-15 14:25:10 INFO [compliance.monitor] Control ID: CTRL-042 status: PASS. Action: None. 2025-03-15 14:30:00 WARN [risk.engine] KRI: KR-007 value: 78.5 (Threshold: 50-75). Alert level: HIGH.
Refer to the exhibit. What is the most appropriate immediate action for the control failure?
⚠ Common exam trap
CRISC often tests the misconception that a subsequent pass negates the need to investigate a control failure, but the correct approach is always to investigate the root cause to prevent recurrence.
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
✓
Investigate the root cause of the failure because it occurred before the pass.
The most appropriate immediate action for a control failure is to investigate the root cause, regardless of a subsequent pass. A control failure indicates a breakdown in the control environment that could recur or have other implications. The fact that a later test passed does not negate the need to understand why the failure occurred, as it may point to systemic issues, process gaps, or human error that require corrective action. Immediate investigation aligns with risk management principles of identifying and addressing root causes to prevent future failures.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ignore as it was followed by a pass.
Why it's wrong here
A failed control indicates the control did not operate as designed, so ignoring it leaves the underlying cause unexamined and the risk untreated; a later pass does not remediate that instance. It is tempting because the subsequent pass suggests no lasting impact, and would be defensible only after documented root-cause analysis and remediation.
- ✗
Escalate to the board.
Why it's wrong here
Board escalation bypasses the control owner and risk function who must investigate, remediate and record the failure; boards govern risk appetite, not individual control exceptions. It is tempting because control failures feel significant, and would be right only where the failure is material to enterprise risk reporting.
- ✗
Accept the control failure due to subsequent pass.
Why it's wrong here
Accepting the failure because a later test passed treats the exception as closed without root-cause analysis, remediation or risk acceptance by the accountable owner. It is tempting because the control now appears effective, and would be valid only where the failure is proven isolated and formally risk-accepted.
- ✓
Investigate the root cause of the failure because it occurred before the pass.
Why this is correct
The failure occurred before the pass, so the control operated as intended at the point of testing; investigating why it failed beforehand establishes whether the exception was genuine or a false positive before any remediation or reporting decision.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISACA exam blueprint
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