The answer is B: Compliant with RTO but not RPO. This is correct because the actual Recovery Time Objective of 4 hours exactly meets the required 4-hour threshold, meaning the system restores within the maximum allowable downtime, but the actual Recovery Point Objective of 2 hours exceeds the required 1-hour limit, indicating potential data loss of up to two hours instead of the acceptable one hour. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this scenario tests your ability to compare actual recovery metrics against defined objectives when evaluating RTO and RPO compliance with backup strategy—a common trap is assuming that meeting one objective automatically satisfies the other, when in fact each must be independently verified. A useful memory tip is to think of RTO as the clock (how fast you recover) and RPO as the bucket (how much data you lose); if the bucket is too big, you fail RPO even if the clock is on time.
ISC2 CC Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response Practice Question
This CC practice question tests your understanding of business continuity, dr & incident response. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Exhibit
Backup Configuration:
- Full backup: Every Sunday at 01:00
- Incremental backup: Every 4 hours
- RTO: 4 hours
- RPO: 1 hour
Refer to the exhibit. Which statement best describes compliance with the recovery objectives?
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
✓
Compliant with RTO but not RPO
The exhibit shows that the actual Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is 4 hours, which meets the required RTO of 4 hours, so the system is compliant with RTO. However, the actual Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is 2 hours, which exceeds the required RPO of 1 hour, meaning data loss could be up to 2 hours instead of the acceptable 1 hour, thus failing RPO compliance. Therefore, the correct answer is B.
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.
✗
Compliant with both RTO and RPO
Why it's wrong here
RPO is not met because backup interval is 4 hours > 1 hour RPO.
✓
Compliant with RTO but not RPO
Why this is correct
RTO likely achievable, but RPO is violated due to infrequent backups.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Compliant with neither
Why it's wrong here
RTO may be achievable, so not 'neither'.
✗
Compliant with RPO but not RTO
Why it's wrong here
RPO is not met; RTO may be met.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the distinction between RTO and RPO by presenting a scenario where one objective is met and the other is not, and the trap is that candidates confuse which metric measures downtime versus data loss, leading them to incorrectly select A or D.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RTO measures the maximum acceptable downtime after a disaster, while RPO measures the maximum acceptable data loss measured in time. In backup and replication technologies, meeting RPO often depends on the frequency of snapshots or log shipping intervals; for example, a 1-hour RPO requires backups or replication to occur at least every 60 minutes. If replication is asynchronous, network latency or bandwidth constraints can cause the actual RPO to drift beyond the target, as seen here where the actual RPO is 2 hours against a 1-hour requirement.
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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CC question in full detail.
Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response — This question tests Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Compliant with RTO but not RPO — The exhibit shows that the actual Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is 4 hours, which meets the required RTO of 4 hours, so the system is compliant with RTO. However, the actual Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is 2 hours, which exceeds the required RPO of 1 hour, meaning data loss could be up to 2 hours instead of the acceptable 1 hour, thus failing RPO compliance. Therefore, the correct answer is B.
What should I do if I get this CC 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company's business continuity plan requires a maximum tolerable downtime of 2 hours for the ERP system. The current backup process takes 3 hours to restore. Which of the following is the BEST corrective action?
hard
A.Reduce RTO to 1 hour
B.Increase backup frequency
✓ C.Implement synchronous replication
D.Perform restoration testing quarterly
Why C: The maximum tolerable downtime (MTD) is 2 hours, but the current restore process takes 3 hours, which exceeds the MTD. Synchronous replication writes data to both primary and secondary storage simultaneously, ensuring that the secondary copy is always current and can be failed over to in seconds or minutes, not hours. This reduces the recovery time objective (RTO) to well under the required 2 hours, directly addressing the gap.
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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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.
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