SSCP Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis Practice Question
Which term describes the risk that remains after implementing risk mitigation controls?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'residual risk' with 'accepted risk,' but accepted risk is the subset of residual risk that management formally approves to tolerate, not the risk that remains after controls.
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
✓
Residual risk
Residual risk is the risk that remains after all risk mitigation controls have been applied. It represents the portion of the original risk that cannot be eliminated or reduced further, and it must be accepted by management if it falls within the organization's risk appetite.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Accepted risk
Why it's wrong here
Accepted risk is a deliberate management decision to tolerate exposure without further treatment, not the mathematical remainder after controls are applied. It is tempting because acceptance often follows mitigation, yet the stem asks for the term describing leftover exposure regardless of whether anyone formally accepted it.
- ✓
Residual risk
Why this is correct
Residual risk is the exposure that persists once mitigation controls are applied, since no control eliminates threat entirely. It directly satisfies the stem's requirement for risk remaining after implementation, distinguishing it from inherent risk (before controls) and total risk. Risk acceptance, transfer or avoidance address that remainder rather than describing it.
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Inherent risk
Why it's wrong here
Inherent risk is the exposure present before any controls are implemented, so it describes the starting point rather than what survives mitigation. It is tempting because both terms quantify exposure, but inherent risk is assessed during initial analysis; residual risk is the amount remaining after controls operate.
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Control risk
Why it's wrong here
Control risk measures the likelihood that controls fail or are circumvented, not the exposure left after they are applied. The term is tempting because it sounds like residual exposure, but it actually describes control effectiveness; residual risk is the correct label for what remains once mitigation is in place.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.