ISC2 CC Practice Question: Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, and Incident Response
A retail company's business continuity plan includes a requirement to test its disaster recovery capabilities annually. The IT team proposes conducting a tabletop exercise with key stakeholders. Which benefit does this type of test provide?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming a tabletop exercise tests technical recovery, when it actually tests plans and communication without live failover.
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
✓
It evaluates the decision-making and communication processes without disrupting live operations.
A tabletop exercise is a discussion-based test that simulates an emergency scenario to evaluate plans, roles, and communication. It does not disrupt live operations and is relatively low-cost. It helps identify gaps in coordination and decision-making. It is not a technical test of recovery systems; instead, it focuses on the human and procedural elements of business continuity and disaster recovery.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It verifies that the recovery site can handle the production workload within the RTO.
Why it's wrong here
Verifying that a recovery site can handle the production workload requires a full-scale or parallel test, where systems are actually activated and tested under load. A tabletop exercise does not involve live failover or performance testing. It focuses on discussion and coordination. Therefore, it cannot validate technical recovery capabilities or RTO achievement. This option describes a functional or full-scale test, not a tabletop.
- ✗
It provides a full-scale simulation of a disaster to test all technical recovery procedures.
Why it's wrong here
A full-scale simulation involves actually invoking recovery procedures, often failing over to alternate sites and running systems under load. This is disruptive and resource-intensive. A tabletop exercise is much less disruptive and does not test technical procedures. Instead, it tests plans and interpersonal dynamics. Confusing a tabletop with a full-scale exercise is a common mistake; they serve different purposes in the testing continuum.
- ✗
It automatically updates the disaster recovery plan based on identified gaps during the exercise.
Why it's wrong here
While a tabletop exercise can identify gaps, it does not automatically update the plan. Updates require a deliberate post-exercise review and revision process. The exercise itself is a discussion; any changes to the plan must be documented and approved. Assuming automatic updates is incorrect; the value is in the insights gained, which then inform manual improvements to the plan.
- ✓
It evaluates the decision-making and communication processes without disrupting live operations.
Why this is correct
A tabletop exercise is a discussion-based test where participants walk through a simulated emergency scenario. It allows stakeholders to practice roles, decision-making, and communication without affecting production systems. This makes it a low-risk, cost-effective way to identify gaps in plans and coordination. It does not validate technical recovery capabilities, but it is valuable for testing the human and procedural aspects of the plan.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Security Operations Basics
Key term
Business continuity
Business continuity is the capability of an organization to continue delivering essential services during and after a disruptive event.
Key term
Business Continuity Planning
Business Continuity Planning is the process of creating a strategy to keep an organization's essential functions running during and after a major disruption.
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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
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