- A
Calculating the annualized loss expectancy (ALE) for each identified risk
Why wrong: ALE calculation is part of quantitative risk analysis, which follows risk identification.
- B
Interviewing business unit managers and IT architects
Stakeholder interviews elicit operational threats and business concerns.
- C
Conducting a cost-benefit analysis of security controls
Why wrong: Cost-benefit analysis is performed later in the risk assessment process, not during initial identification.
- D
Reviewing post-incident reports from previous cloud migrations
Historical incident data provides real-world threat scenarios and vulnerabilities.
- E
Performing a vulnerability scan on the existing infrastructure
Why wrong: Vulnerability scanning is a technical assessment focusing only on vulnerabilities, not full risk scenarios.
Quick Answer
The answer is reviewing post-incident reports from previous cloud migrations and interviewing business unit managers and IT architects. These two techniques are most effective for a risk identification workshop because they combine empirical lessons learned with domain-specific expertise. Post-incident reports reveal concrete failure modes—such as misconfigured access controls or data egress bottlenecks—that are highly relevant to a new cloud initiative, while interviews surface tacit knowledge about operational constraints like API dependencies or shared responsibility model gaps that automated scans cannot capture. On the CRISC exam, this question tests your understanding that qualitative, human-driven methods are essential during early risk identification, as opposed to quantitative analysis or control testing, which come later. A common trap is choosing generic techniques like brainstorming or checklists, which lack the specificity needed for a cloud migration context. Memory tip: “Past incidents plus people’s insights catch what scans miss.”
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.
A risk manager is facilitating a risk identification workshop for a new cloud migration initiative. Which TWO techniques are most effective for identifying potential IT risks at this stage?
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
Interviewing business unit managers and IT architects
Interviewing business unit managers and IT architects (Option B) is effective because it leverages domain expertise to surface operational and technical risks specific to the cloud migration, such as data residency constraints, API dependencies, or shared responsibility model gaps. This qualitative technique captures tacit knowledge that quantitative methods or automated scans cannot, making it ideal for the early identification stage.
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.
- ✗
Calculating the annualized loss expectancy (ALE) for each identified risk
Why it's wrong here
ALE calculation is part of quantitative risk analysis, which follows risk identification.
- ✓
Interviewing business unit managers and IT architects
Why this is correct
Stakeholder interviews elicit operational threats and business concerns.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Conducting a cost-benefit analysis of security controls
Why it's wrong here
Cost-benefit analysis is performed later in the risk assessment process, not during initial identification.
- ✓
Reviewing post-incident reports from previous cloud migrations
Why this is correct
Historical incident data provides real-world threat scenarios and vulnerabilities.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Performing a vulnerability scan on the existing infrastructure
Why it's wrong here
Vulnerability scanning is a technical assessment focusing only on vulnerabilities, not full risk scenarios.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing risk identification (discovering what could go wrong) with risk analysis (quantifying likelihood/impact) or risk evaluation (comparing against criteria), leading candidates to select ALE calculation or cost-benefit analysis as identification techniques.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Vulnerability scanning is a technical assessment focusing only on vulnerabilities, not full risk scenarios.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Risk identification workshops often use structured brainstorming with the Delphi technique or nominal group technique to reduce groupthink. Interviewing stakeholders aligns with ISO 31010's 'structured or semi-structured interviews' method, which captures context-specific risks like cloud provider lock-in (RFC 1925) or compliance gaps under GDPR Article 28. In practice, a risk manager might combine interviews with a SWOT analysis to uncover threats such as shared responsibility model confusion, which automated tools cannot detect.
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.
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
Questions learners often ask
What does this CRISC question test?
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: Interviewing business unit managers and IT architects — Interviewing business unit managers and IT architects (Option B) is effective because it leverages domain expertise to surface operational and technical risks specific to the cloud migration, such as data residency constraints, API dependencies, or shared responsibility model gaps. This qualitative technique captures tacit knowledge that quantitative methods or automated scans cannot, making it ideal for the early identification stage.
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: 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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