Free CISA Quick Practice Test 2026 — 10 Mixed-Domain Certified Information Systems Auditor Questions

Take a fast, free CISA practice test with 10 mixed-domain questions covering all 5 official ISACA CISA domains. Perfect for a quick readiness check before exam day.

What's Covered (All 5 CISA Domains)

10 Free CISA Practice Questions with Answers

Sample Question 1 — Governance and Management of IT

During an audit of an organization's IT governance, you discover that IT projects are consistently running over budget and behind schedule. Which of the following should be the auditor's primary focus to address this issue?

  1. A. Evaluate the alignment of IT strategy with business objectives.
  2. B. Assess the effectiveness of project management methodologies. (Correct answer)
  3. C. Review the organization's IT risk management framework.
  4. D. Examine the adequacy of IT resource allocation.

Correct answer: B

Explanation: The primary focus should be on assessing the effectiveness of project management methodologies (B). This directly addresses the issue of projects running over budget and behind schedule by evaluating whether the methodologies in place are adequate and appropriately applied. Option A, while important, is broader and does not directly address project execution issues. Option C is related to risk management, which might not directly resolve project management inefficiencies. Option D is relevant but secondary, as resource allocation issues might stem from ineffective project management practices.

Sample Question 2 — Governance and Management of IT

An organization has recently implemented a new IT governance framework. As an IS auditor, what is the most critical aspect to review to ensure the framework's effectiveness?

  1. A. The documentation of IT policies and procedures.
  2. B. The alignment of the framework with industry standards.
  3. C. The involvement of stakeholders in the governance process.
  4. D. The integration of the framework with the organization's risk management practices. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: D

Explanation: The most critical aspect to review is the integration of the framework with the organization's risk management practices (D). Effective IT governance should be closely aligned with risk management to ensure that IT supports business objectives while managing risks appropriately. Option A is important but more about compliance than effectiveness. Option B is relevant but secondary to risk integration. Option C is also important but not as critical as ensuring risk management is integrated with governance.

Sample Question 3 — Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation

During the implementation phase of a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, an IS auditor discovers that the project team has not conducted a user acceptance testing (UAT) phase. Which of the following is the MOST significant risk associated with this omission?

  1. A. Increased likelihood of data migration errors.
  2. B. Increased risk of system performance issues.
  3. C. Increased likelihood of user resistance to the new system.
  4. D. Increased risk of the system not meeting business requirements. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: D

Explanation: The absence of user acceptance testing (UAT) significantly increases the risk that the system will not meet business requirements. UAT is a critical phase where end-users validate the system's functionality against their expectations and business needs. While data migration errors, performance issues, and user resistance are potential risks, they are not as directly linked to the omission of UAT as the risk of not meeting business requirements.

Sample Question 4 — Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation

An organization is in the process of selecting a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. As part of the due diligence, the IS auditor is reviewing the vendor's service level agreement (SLA). Which of the following elements should be the auditor's PRIMARY focus to ensure alignment with business objectives?

  1. A. The financial penalties for service disruptions.
  2. B. The escalation procedures for unresolved issues.
  3. C. The metrics for system availability and performance. (Correct answer)
  4. D. The vendor's data retention and backup policies.

Correct answer: C

Explanation: The primary focus of the IS auditor should be on the metrics for system availability and performance, as these directly impact the organization's ability to achieve its business objectives. While financial penalties, escalation procedures, and data retention policies are important, they do not directly measure the system's ability to meet business needs as availability and performance metrics do.

Sample Question 5 — Information Systems Auditing Process

An IS auditor is planning an audit of a company's change management process. Which of the following should the auditor do first to ensure a risk-based approach?

  1. A. Review the company's change management policy and procedures.
  2. B. Identify and assess the risks associated with unauthorized changes. (Correct answer)
  3. C. Interview IT staff to understand their roles in the change management process.
  4. D. Examine a sample of recent changes to evaluate compliance with procedures.

Correct answer: B

Explanation: The first step in a risk-based audit approach is to identify and assess the risks. By understanding the risks associated with unauthorized changes, the auditor can focus on the most critical areas of the change management process. Reviewing policies and procedures, interviewing staff, and examining changes are important steps, but they should be performed after the risk assessment to ensure that the audit is focused on high-risk areas.

Sample Question 6 — Information Systems Auditing Process

During an IS audit, the auditor discovers that the organization has not updated its disaster recovery plan (DRP) in over three years. What is the most significant risk associated with this finding?

  1. A. The DRP may not reflect current business processes and IT systems. (Correct answer)
  2. B. The organization may face regulatory penalties for non-compliance.
  3. C. Employees may not be aware of their roles in the DRP.
  4. D. The DRP testing schedule may be outdated.

Correct answer: A

Explanation: The most significant risk is that the DRP may not reflect current business processes and IT systems, which can lead to ineffective recovery efforts in the event of a disaster. While regulatory penalties, lack of employee awareness, and outdated testing schedules are also concerns, they are secondary to the risk of the DRP being misaligned with the actual operational environment.

Sample Question 7 — Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience

During an audit of an organization's disaster recovery plan (DRP), the IS auditor notes that the plan has not been tested in over two years. What is the MOST significant risk associated with this finding?

  1. A. The DRP may not align with current business objectives.
  2. B. Key personnel may not be familiar with their roles in the DRP.
  3. C. The DRP may not include the latest technology and infrastructure changes.
  4. D. The organization may not be able to recover critical operations in a timely manner. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: D

Explanation: The most significant risk of not testing the DRP regularly is that the organization may not be able to recover critical operations in a timely manner (Option D). While it's important for the DRP to align with business objectives (Option A), include the latest technology (Option C), and ensure personnel are familiar with their roles (Option B), the primary purpose of testing is to ensure that the plan is effective and that the organization can recover from disruptions. Regular testing helps identify gaps and ensures the plan is actionable.

Sample Question 8 — Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience

An IS auditor is reviewing the backup procedures for a company's critical systems. Which of the following would be the BEST indicator that the backup process is effective?

  1. A. Backups are performed daily and stored on-site.
  2. B. Backup logs are reviewed weekly by IT staff.
  3. C. Restoration tests are conducted regularly and successfully. (Correct answer)
  4. D. Backups are encrypted and stored off-site.

Correct answer: C

Explanation: The best indicator of an effective backup process is that restoration tests are conducted regularly and successfully (Option C). This ensures that backups can be used to recover data in the event of a data loss incident. While daily backups (Option A), log reviews (Option B), and off-site encrypted storage (Option D) are important components of a backup strategy, they do not directly confirm the ability to restore data.

Sample Question 9 — Protection of Information Assets

During an audit of a company's data protection measures, an IS auditor discovers that sensitive customer data is being stored on a cloud service without encryption. What should be the auditor's PRIMARY concern in this scenario?

  1. A. The cloud service provider's compliance with international data protection regulations.
  2. B. The potential for unauthorized access to sensitive data. (Correct answer)
  3. C. The cost implications of implementing encryption.
  4. D. The performance impact of encryption on data retrieval times.

Correct answer: B

Explanation: The primary concern should be the potential for unauthorized access to sensitive data (Option B). Without encryption, sensitive data is vulnerable to unauthorized access, which could lead to data breaches and compromise confidentiality. While compliance with regulations (Option A) is important, it is secondary to the immediate risk of data exposure. Cost implications (Option C) and performance impacts (Option D) are considerations for implementing encryption but are not as critical as protecting data from unauthorized access.

Sample Question 10 — Protection of Information Assets

An IS auditor is reviewing the access control mechanisms of a financial institution. Which of the following would be the BEST method to ensure that access rights are appropriate and reflect current job roles?

  1. A. Conducting a quarterly review of access rights by the IT department.
  2. B. Implementing role-based access control (RBAC) and conducting periodic reviews by department managers. (Correct answer)
  3. C. Requiring users to submit a request for access changes through a ticketing system.
  4. D. Performing an annual audit of access rights by an external auditor.

Correct answer: B

Explanation: Implementing role-based access control (RBAC) and conducting periodic reviews by department managers (Option B) is the best method. RBAC ensures that access rights are aligned with job functions, and periodic reviews by managers ensure that access rights remain appropriate. Option A, quarterly reviews by IT, may not reflect the most current job roles. Option C, user-initiated requests, may not capture all necessary changes. Option D, an annual audit, is too infrequent to ensure ongoing appropriateness.

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