Quick Answer
The answer is to formally accept the risk and document the decision. This is correct because when the residual risk within tolerance action is confirmed by the risk owner, the organization has determined that the remaining exposure aligns with its risk appetite, meaning no additional controls are necessary under the ISACA Risk IT Framework. The act of formal acceptance and documentation transforms an implicit tolerance into an explicit, auditable decision, ensuring accountability and traceability for the risk owner and governance bodies. On the CRISC exam, this scenario tests your understanding of risk treatment options, specifically risk acceptance, and often appears as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose “monitor the risk” or “implement compensating controls”—but when residual risk is already within tolerance, acceptance is the required step. A useful memory tip: “If it’s within, you win—accept and pin it in the document bin.”
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of it risk assessment. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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.
After a risk assessment, the risk owner states that the residual risk for a specific asset is within the organization's risk tolerance. Which of the following BEST describes the action that should be taken?
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.
Transfer the risk to a third party
Why wrong: Transfer is a treatment option, not required if risk is accepted.
Implement additional controls to reduce risk further
Why wrong: Unnecessary if risk is within tolerance.
Formally accept the risk and document the decision
Acceptance is appropriate when residual risk is within tolerance.
Reassess the risk using a quantitative method
Why wrong: No need to reassess if already within tolerance.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Formally accept the risk and document the decision
When the risk owner confirms that residual risk is within the organization's risk tolerance, the appropriate action is to formally accept the risk and document the decision. This is a standard risk treatment option (risk acceptance) under the ISACA Risk IT Framework, where no further controls are needed because the residual risk level is already acceptable. Documenting the acceptance ensures auditability and accountability for the decision.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Transfer the risk to a third party
Why it's wrong here
Transfer is a treatment option, not required if risk is accepted.
Implement additional controls to reduce risk further
Why it's wrong here
Unnecessary if risk is within tolerance.
Formally accept the risk and document the decision
Why this is correct
Acceptance is appropriate when residual risk is within tolerance.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Reassess the risk using a quantitative method
Why it's wrong here
No need to reassess if already within tolerance.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'residual risk within tolerance' with a need to 'transfer' or 'mitigate further,' failing to recognize that risk acceptance is the correct treatment when the risk level is already acceptable.
Detailed technical explanation
Risk acceptance is a formal decision, often documented in a Risk Register or Risk Acceptance Form, signed by the risk owner. Under ISO 31000 and ISACA's Risk IT, residual risk is the risk remaining after controls are applied; if it falls below the risk appetite threshold, the organization can accept it without further action. In practice, this is common for low-likelihood, low-impact risks where the cost of mitigation exceeds the potential loss, such as accepting the risk of a minor data exposure from a legacy system that is scheduled for decommissioning.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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
IT Risk Assessment — This question tests IT Risk Assessment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Formally accept the risk and document the decision — When the risk owner confirms that residual risk is within the organization's risk tolerance, the appropriate action is to formally accept the risk and document the decision. This is a standard risk treatment option (risk acceptance) under the ISACA Risk IT Framework, where no further controls are needed because the residual risk level is already acceptable. Documenting the acceptance ensures auditability and accountability for the decision.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 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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