- A
High
High probability combined with medium impact yields High risk in most matrices.
- B
Critical
Why wrong: Critical usually requires both High probability and High impact.
- C
Medium
Why wrong: Medium would require at least one factor medium or low.
- D
Low
Why wrong: Low would require both probability and impact low.
Question 495 of 1,000
SSCP Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of risk identification, monitoring, and analysis. 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.
In a qualitative risk analysis, a risk is assigned a probability of 'High' and an impact of 'Medium'. According to common probability/impact matrices, what is the overall risk rating?
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
✓
High
In a standard qualitative risk analysis probability/impact matrix, a 'High' probability combined with a 'Medium' impact typically yields an overall risk rating of 'High'. This is because the matrix is designed to prioritize risks where both factors are elevated, and the product or intersection of these two values falls into the 'High' category in most common 3x3 or 5x5 matrices used in frameworks like NIST SP 800-30 or ISO 31000.
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.
- ✓
High
Why this is correct
High probability combined with medium impact yields High risk in most matrices.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Critical
Why it's wrong here
Critical usually requires both High probability and High impact.
- ✗
Medium
Why it's wrong here
Medium would require at least one factor medium or low.
- ✗
Low
Why it's wrong here
Low would require both probability and impact low.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'High' probability with 'Critical' overall rating, or incorrectly assume that a 'Medium' impact automatically lowers the rating to 'Medium', ignoring that the probability weight dominates in many matrix designs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, qualitative risk matrices use ordinal scales (e.g., Low, Medium, High) and a lookup table to map the intersection of probability and impact to a final rating. For example, in a typical 3x3 matrix, the cell for High probability and Medium impact is assigned 'High' to ensure that risks with a high likelihood are escalated even if the impact is not extreme. A real-world scenario is a network vulnerability with a high exploit probability (e.g., unpatched public-facing service) but only medium impact (e.g., data exposure of non-sensitive logs), which still warrants immediate attention.
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.
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 SSCP question test?
Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — This question tests Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: High — In a standard qualitative risk analysis probability/impact matrix, a 'High' probability combined with a 'Medium' impact typically yields an overall risk rating of 'High'. This is because the matrix is designed to prioritize risks where both factors are elevated, and the product or intersection of these two values falls into the 'High' category in most common 3x3 or 5x5 matrices used in frameworks like NIST SP 800-30 or ISO 31000.
What should I do if I get this SSCP 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 SSCP 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 SSCP exam.
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