- A
Corrective
Why wrong: Corrective controls respond to and recover from events.
- B
Compensating
Why wrong: Compensating controls are alternative controls when primary cannot be implemented.
- C
Preventive
Preventive controls reduce the likelihood of occurrence.
- D
Detective
Why wrong: Detective controls identify events after they occur.
Question 159 of 1,000
CRISC IT Risk Assessment Practice Question
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 type of control is designed to reduce the likelihood of a risk event occurring?
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
✓
Preventive
Preventive controls are designed to stop a risk event from occurring in the first place. For example, implementing a firewall rule to block unauthorized inbound traffic reduces the likelihood of a network intrusion. This aligns with the CRISC definition of preventive controls as proactive measures that reduce the probability of a risk scenario.
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.
- ✗
Corrective
Why it's wrong here
Corrective controls respond to and recover from events.
- ✗
Compensating
Why it's wrong here
Compensating controls are alternative controls when primary cannot be implemented.
- ✓
Preventive
Why this is correct
Preventive controls reduce the likelihood of occurrence.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Detective
Why it's wrong here
Detective controls identify events after they occur.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse preventive controls with detective controls, mistakenly thinking that monitoring or alerting (detective) reduces the likelihood of an event, when in fact it only reduces the impact or detection time after the event has occurred.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Preventive controls operate by enforcing policy at the point of action, such as using access control lists (ACLs) on routers to drop packets before they reach a host. In a real-world scenario, a preventive control like a web application firewall (WAF) inspects HTTP requests and blocks SQL injection payloads before they reach the application server, directly reducing the likelihood of a data breach. This contrasts with detective controls like a SIEM, which would only alert after the injection has occurred.
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 Assessment — This question tests IT Risk Assessment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Preventive — Preventive controls are designed to stop a risk event from occurring in the first place. For example, implementing a firewall rule to block unauthorized inbound traffic reduces the likelihood of a network intrusion. This aligns with the CRISC definition of preventive controls as proactive measures that reduce the probability of a risk scenario.
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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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