ISC2 CC Security Principles Practice Question
A company is deploying a multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution. Which combination represents two different authentication factors?
⚠ Common exam trap
CC often tests whether candidates recognize that two items from the same factor category (two knowledge items, two possession items, or two biometrics) do not constitute MFA — the factors must be of different types.
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
✓
Smart card and PIN
MFA requires factors from different categories: something you know, something you have, and something you are. A smart card is something you have (a physical token), and a PIN is something you know — two distinct factor types, making this a valid MFA combination.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Password and security question
Why it's wrong here
A password and a security question are both knowledge factors, so this pairing remains single-factor authentication. It is tempting because two prompts appear to add security, yet MFA requires distinct categories such as something you know plus something you have or are.
- ✗
OTP token and mobile authenticator app
Why it's wrong here
An OTP token and an authenticator app both generate one-time codes, so they occupy the same knowledge/possession category rather than two distinct factors. It is tempting because the hardware and software forms look different, yet MFA requires separate categories such as possession plus inherence.
- ✓
Smart card and PIN
Why this is correct
A smart card supplies a possession factor, something the user has, while the PIN supplies a knowledge factor, something the user knows. Combining them pairs two genuinely distinct categories, which is what multi-factor authentication demands; two knowledge factors alone would not qualify.
- ✗
Fingerprint and retina scan
Why it's wrong here
Fingerprint and retina scan are both inherence factors, so pairing them yields single-factor authentication despite two biometric checks. It is tempting because two scans feel stronger, but MFA demands different categories, for example combining a biometric with a password or hardware token.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Authentication and Authorization Methods
Key term
Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying that someone or something is who or what it claims to be before granting access to a system or resource.
Key term
MFA
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is a security method that requires a user to verify their identity using two or more different types of evidence, such as a password plus a code from a phone, before they can access an account or system.
About these practice questions
This CC question is part of Courseiva's 989-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.