The correct next step is to document the missing dependency information as a risk in the risk register. This is because undocumented dependencies represent a hidden vulnerability—an unknown risk that bypasses normal monitoring and impact analysis. By formally capturing this gap in the risk register, the risk practitioner ensures visibility, enabling the organization to investigate potential single points of failure or cascading effects that could compromise system availability or integrity. On the CRISC exam, this scenario tests your grasp of the risk identification process and the principle that any unknown or unverified dependency must be treated as a risk until proven otherwise. A common trap is to immediately investigate the dependency or update an asset inventory, but the best first step is always to log the uncertainty as a risk to trigger formal analysis. Memory tip: “If it’s not on the map, it’s a risk—log it before you look.”
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.
During a risk identification workshop, the business process owner states that a key system has no documented dependencies. What is the BEST next step for the risk practitioner?
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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Document the missing dependency information as a risk in the risk register
Option D is correct because undocumented dependencies represent an unknown risk that must be captured in the risk register to ensure visibility and subsequent analysis. By documenting the missing dependency information as a risk, the risk practitioner formally acknowledges the gap, enabling further investigation into potential single points of failure, cascading failures, or unmonitored interconnections that could impact system availability or integrity.
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.
✗
Ask the system administrator to provide a list after the workshop
Why it's wrong here
Leaves the gap unaddressed for the current assessment.
✗
Postpone the workshop until dependencies are mapped
Why it's wrong here
Unnecessary delay; document the gap and proceed.
✗
Assume the system has no dependencies
Why it's wrong here
Assumption increases risk of underestimation.
✓
Document the missing dependency information as a risk in the risk register
Why this is correct
The absence of dependency data itself is a risk to accurate risk identification.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
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 may think the immediate priority is to gather the missing data (Option A) or halt the workshop (Option B), rather than recognizing that the risk practitioner's first duty is to formally record the identified gap as a risk to ensure it is tracked and managed.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In complex IT environments, systems often rely on hidden dependencies such as shared authentication services (e.g., LDAP, Active Directory), network storage (e.g., NFS, iSCSI), or API gateways that may not be explicitly documented. A real-world scenario is a web application that depends on a third-party identity provider; if that dependency is undocumented, an outage of the identity provider could cause a complete application failure without the operations team understanding the root cause. Capturing the missing dependency as a risk in the register triggers a dependency mapping exercise, often using tools like CMDB or service maps, to identify and mitigate these hidden links.
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.
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: Document the missing dependency information as a risk in the risk register — Option D is correct because undocumented dependencies represent an unknown risk that must be captured in the risk register to ensure visibility and subsequent analysis. By documenting the missing dependency information as a risk, the risk practitioner formally acknowledges the gap, enabling further investigation into potential single points of failure, cascading failures, or unmonitored interconnections that could impact system availability or integrity.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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