The answer is brainstorming, scenario analysis, and root cause analysis. These three are valid risk identification methods according to ISACA’s Risk IT Framework because they systematically uncover potential threats and vulnerabilities by leveraging structured thinking, hypothetical future states, and causal investigation. Brainstorming generates a wide range of ideas from diverse stakeholders, scenario analysis builds plausible adverse situations to test resilience, and root cause analysis traces risk events back to their underlying triggers. On the Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control CRISC exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish proactive identification techniques from reactive assessment tools; a common trap is confusing risk identification with risk evaluation methods like control self-assessment. To remember the trio, think of the mnemonic “BSR” – Brainstorm, Scenario, Root – as the core trio for surfacing risks before they materialize.
CRISC IT Risk Identification Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of it risk identification. 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.
Which THREE of the following are valid risk identification methods according to ISACA's Risk IT Framework? (Select exactly 3.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Scenario analysis
Scenario analysis is a valid risk identification method under ISACA's Risk IT Framework because it involves developing hypothetical scenarios to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities that could lead to risk events. This technique helps organizations anticipate and prepare for plausible adverse situations by analyzing their impact on IT assets and business objectives.
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.
✗
Segregation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Segregation of duties is a control, not an identification technique.
✓
Scenario analysis
Why this is correct
Scenario analysis explores possible future events to identify risks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Risk acceptance
Why it's wrong here
Risk acceptance is a risk response, not identification.
✓
SWOT analysis
Why this is correct
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is a recognized risk identification technique.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Brainstorming
Why this is correct
Brainstorming is a group technique used to generate a list of risks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse risk identification techniques with risk response or control activities, mistakenly selecting segregation of duties or risk acceptance as valid identification methods when they are actually part of risk mitigation and risk treatment processes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Scenario analysis under the Risk IT Framework often incorporates threat modeling techniques such as STRIDE or attack trees to systematically enumerate possible risk events. In practice, organizations may combine scenario analysis with quantitative methods like Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the likelihood and impact of identified risks, enabling more informed decision-making for risk treatment.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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.
IT Risk Identification — This question tests IT Risk Identification — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Scenario analysis — Scenario analysis is a valid risk identification method under ISACA's Risk IT Framework because it involves developing hypothetical scenarios to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities that could lead to risk events. This technique helps organizations anticipate and prepare for plausible adverse situations by analyzing their impact on IT assets and business objectives.
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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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
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