Quick Answer
The answer is mitigate, avoid, and transfer. These three are the core valid risk response options within the ISACA risk management framework, as defined for the Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control CRISC exam. Mitigation involves implementing controls—such as firewalls, encryption, or access management systems—to reduce a risk’s likelihood or impact to an acceptable level. Avoidance eliminates the risk entirely by discontinuing the activity that creates it, while transfer shifts the financial burden of a risk to a third party, most commonly through insurance. On the CRISC exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish these three from invalid options like “accept” (which is a risk response but not one of the three primary actions) or “reject.” A common trap is confusing risk acceptance with a formal response option—remember, acceptance is a decision to retain residual risk, not an active response. Memory tip: think of the three A’s—Avoid, Alter (mitigate), and Assign (transfer)—to keep them straight.
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of it risk assessment. 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 response options according to the ISACA risk management framework? (Select 3)
Enhance the risk to gain strategic advantage
Why wrong: Enhancement is not a standard risk response for IT risks.
Mitigate the risk through controls
Reducing likelihood or impact.
Avoid the risk
Eliminating the activity that causes the risk.
Monitor the risk without taking action
Why wrong: Monitoring is part of risk management but not a response option; it is ongoing.
Transfer the risk via insurance
Shifting risk to a third party.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Mitigate the risk through controls
Option B is correct because risk mitigation involves implementing controls to reduce the likelihood or impact of a risk to an acceptable level. In the ISACA framework, this is a primary risk response option, often achieved through technical controls like firewalls, encryption, or access management systems.
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.
Enhance the risk to gain strategic advantage
Why it's wrong here
Enhancement is not a standard risk response for IT risks.
Mitigate the risk through controls
Why this is correct
Reducing likelihood or impact.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Avoid the risk
Why this is correct
Eliminating the activity that causes the risk.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Monitor the risk without taking action
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring is part of risk management but not a response option; it is ongoing.
Transfer the risk via insurance
Why this is correct
Shifting risk to a third party.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'monitor the risk' as a valid response option, but ISACA requires a specific action (avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept) rather than a passive monitoring activity.
Detailed technical explanation
The ISACA risk response framework categorizes responses into four types: avoid (eliminate the risk by discontinuing the activity), mitigate (reduce risk through controls), transfer (shift risk to a third party, e.g., via insurance or outsourcing), and accept (acknowledge and monitor without active mitigation). In practice, risk transfer via insurance is a contractual mechanism where the insurer assumes financial liability, but residual risk often remains, requiring ongoing monitoring.
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: Mitigate the risk through controls — Option B is correct because risk mitigation involves implementing controls to reduce the likelihood or impact of a risk to an acceptable level. In the ISACA framework, this is a primary risk response option, often achieved through technical controls like firewalls, encryption, or access management systems.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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