Quick Answer
The answer is to assess the impact of the control deficiency on residual risk. This is the correct first step because a control failure does not automatically equate to an unacceptable risk level; the risk practitioner must evaluate how the deficiency alters the likelihood or impact of the associated risk scenario to determine if residual risk now exceeds the organization’s risk appetite. On the CRISC exam, this tests your understanding of the risk assessment lifecycle and the priority of analysis over action—a common trap is jumping to corrective action or root cause analysis before understanding the severity of the gap. Remember that the auditor’s finding is a trigger for re-evaluation, not immediate remediation. A useful memory tip is “Assess before you address”—always quantify the impact on residual risk first, as this determines the urgency and scope of any subsequent response.
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of risk and control monitoring 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.
An external audit finds that a control is not operating as designed. The auditor recommends corrective action. What should the risk practitioner do FIRST?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Implement the auditor's recommendation immediately
Why wrong: May not be feasible or cost-effective without analysis.
Develop a remediation plan with the control owner
Why wrong: Remediation plan comes after impact and root cause analysis.
Update the risk register with the auditor's finding
Why wrong: Update after impact assessment.
Assess the impact of the control deficiency on residual risk
Understanding impact drives prioritization.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Assess the impact of the control deficiency on residual risk
The correct answer is A. The risk practitioner should first assess the impact of the control deficiency on the risk level. Options B and C are actions that follow the assessment. Option D is reactive and may be part of remediation but not first.
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.
Implement the auditor's recommendation immediately
Why it's wrong here
May not be feasible or cost-effective without analysis.
Develop a remediation plan with the control owner
Why it's wrong here
Remediation plan comes after impact and root cause analysis.
Update the risk register with the auditor's finding
Why it's wrong here
Update after impact assessment.
Assess the impact of the control deficiency on residual risk
Why this is correct
Understanding impact drives prioritization.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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 CRISC exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All CRISC questions
500 questions across all exam domains
Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control CRISC study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
CRISC practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise CRISC questions linked to IT Risk Identification.
Practise CRISC questions linked to Risk Response and Mitigation.
Practise CRISC questions linked to Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting.
Practise CRISC questions linked to IT Risk Assessment.
Practise CRISC questions linked to CRISC fundamentals.
Practise CRISC questions linked to CRISC scenario.
Practise CRISC questions linked to CRISC troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting — This question tests Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Assess the impact of the control deficiency on residual risk — The correct answer is A. The risk practitioner should first assess the impact of the control deficiency on the risk level. Options B and C are actions that follow the assessment. Option D is reactive and may be part of remediation but not first.
Identify which CRISC exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.