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Free Certified in Governance, Risk and Compliance (CGRC) practice test: 30 questions with answers
30 original questions for Certified in Governance, Risk and Compliance (CGRC), drawn from every topic area. Answer each one to see whether you got it right and why. No sign-up.
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Certified in Governance, Risk and Compliance (CGRC) exam guide: topics, cost and format
All 30 Certified in Governance, Risk and Compliance (CGRC) questions with answers
The same questions as the test above, grouped by exam topic. Open any question to see the answer and explanation.
Implementation of Security and Privacy Controls (5 questions)
Question 1
What does implementing a control mean in the authorization process?
- AWriting a poem that describes the control in an informal way for the users of the system to read and remember
- BBuying new office furniture for the team that operates the system so that the staff can work in comfort each day
- CPutting the selected control into operation in the system as it is documented in the security plan
- DChoosing a name for the information system so that it can be identified in the inventory of the organization
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Correct answer: CImplementation means putting the selected control into operation as the plan describes, which is what later assessment verifies. Poems, furniture, and naming are not implementation activities.
Question 2
Which document describes how each control is implemented in a particular system?
- AThe system security and privacy plan, which records how each selected control is implemented in the system
- BThe meeting minutes from the steering committee, which record the decisions taken at each meeting of the group
- CThe holiday schedule for the staff of the operations team, which is published in the staff room each calendar year
- DThe client invoice that the vendor issues for the licences and the support services provided during the year
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Correct answer: AThe system security and privacy plan records the implementation of each selected control, which is what assessors check against. Invoices, minutes, and holiday schedules do not describe control implementation.
Question 3
Why is it important to document how each control is implemented?
- AIt removes the need for testing, because the document itself is accepted as proof that the control is working correctly
- BIt determines the price that the organization pays the vendor for the system each year under the support contract
- CIt determines the colour of the screens in the system so that the operators can recognize the status of the controls
- DIt lets assessors verify the control against the documented design and supports the later authorization decision
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Correct answer: DDocumented implementation gives assessors a basis for verification and gives decision makers the evidence they need. Pricing, screen colours, and the claim that documents replace testing are not accurate.
Question 4
What should happen when a planned control cannot be implemented as described?
- ATell only the system administrator about the deviation, since the administrator is responsible for all of the system's controls
- BLeave the deviation undocumented so that the authorization package stays short and easy for the decision makers to review
- CDelete the control from the plan so that the document describes only the controls that are actually operating in the system
- DDocument the deviation, assess the resulting residual risk, and obtain a formal risk acceptance decision from the right authority
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Correct answer: DA deviation must be documented, its residual risk assessed, and accepted by an authorized decision maker before the system proceeds. Leaving it undocumented, deleting the control, or informing one person hides the risk from those accountable for it.
Question 5
Which two activities are common responsibilities during control implementation? (Choose two.)
- AConfiguring the system so that it meets the requirement of each selected control as written in the plan
- BDocumenting how each requirement is met, with the configuration evidence that an assessor will need to see
- CDeleting the audit logs regularly to reduce the amount of noise in the logs that the operators must review
- DSharing the root passwords across the whole team so that changes can be made quickly by any member of staff
- EDisabling the monitoring tools during implementation so that the system performs at its best while it is built
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Correct answer: A, BConfiguring the system to the requirement and documenting the evidence are core implementation responsibilities. Deleting logs, sharing root passwords, and disabling monitoring each remove the controls or the records that the implementation is meant to provide.
Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance Program (5 questions)
Question 6
Which document sets the organization-wide approach to risk, including the risk appetite and tolerance used by all information systems?
- AThe system security plan, which describes the controls implemented for one individual information system only
- BThe plan of action and milestones, which lists the weaknesses found in assessments and the dates for fixing them
- CThe security assessment report, which records the results of testing the controls for a single system in scope
- DThe organization-wide risk management strategy, which defines how risk is framed, assessed, and responded to
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Correct answer: DThe organization-wide risk management strategy frames how risk is assessed and tolerated across all systems, including appetite and response approach. The system security plan, plan of action, and assessment report each document a single system or a single activity rather than the enterprise approach.
Question 7
Which role is accountable for accepting the residual risk of operating an information system?
- AThe authorizing official, who reviews the evidence and makes the formal decision to accept the risk to operations
- BThe security engineer, who designs the technical controls and tests them before each release of the system
- CThe help desk supervisor, who manages user requests and tracks the incidents reported by the staff each day
- DThe system administrator, who configures the operating system and applies patches on the production servers
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Correct answer: AThe authorizing official makes the risk-based authorization decision and accepts residual risk on behalf of the organization. Administrators, engineers, and help desk staff implement or support controls but do not hold that acceptance authority.
Question 8
What does the likelihood rating in a risk assessment measure?
- AThe cost of implementing the control that would be used to reduce the risk in the system under assessment
- BThe probability that a threat will exploit a vulnerability and cause the adverse effect under assessment
- CThe number of users who are authorized to access the information system at the time the assessment is run
- DThe number of years that the information system has been in operation since it was first placed in service
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Correct answer: BLikelihood estimates how probable it is that a threat exploits a vulnerability, which combines with impact to produce risk. Control cost, user counts, and system age do not measure likelihood.
Question 9
Which two activities are part of establishing a governance structure for information security risk? (Choose two.)
- ADefining the roles and responsibilities for making and approving risk decisions across the organization
- BNaming a single person to make every technical configuration decision for each system in the environment
- CApproving an organization-wide policy for risk management that is reviewed and updated on a regular cycle
- DDeleting the risk management policy after one year so that the rules stay current with the latest changes
- ELimiting the governance of security risk to the information technology department and its own staff only
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Correct answer: A, CClear roles for risk decisions and an approved, periodically reviewed policy form the core of a governance structure. Single-person configuration control, deleting policies yearly, and limiting governance to IT each weaken oversight across the organization.
Question 10
What is the purpose of an enterprise risk register?
- ATo list the financial budgets approved for each information system during the planning cycle of the organization
- BTo record the names of the employees who completed security awareness training during the year for the audit file
- CTo maintain a record of identified risks with their owners, ratings, and treatment status for management oversight
- DTo store the contract numbers of the vendors that supply hardware and software to the organization for its purchasing
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Correct answer: CA risk register records each identified risk with an owner, a rating, and its treatment status so that management can oversee it. Budgets, training records, and contract numbers are useful records but do not track risk.
Selection and Approval of Framework, Security, and Privacy Controls (4 questions)
Question 11
What is control tailoring?
- ASewing protective covers for the hardware so that the equipment is kept clean and undamaged in the server room
- BAdjusting a baseline of controls to fit the system's mission, operating environment, and risk, with documented reasons
- CPrinting labels for each control so that the operations staff can identify the controls quickly in the documents
- DDeleting the controls that the team finds inconvenient, so that the work is simpler for the staff who operate the system
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Correct answer: BTailoring starts from a baseline and adjusts it for the mission, environment, and risk, with the rationale recorded. Sewing, labelling, and deleting inconvenient controls are not tailoring.
Question 12
How is the starting control baseline for a system usually chosen?
- ABy the printer model that the department uses for its reports, which determines the minimum set of controls required
- BBy the impact categorization of the system's information and services, such as low, moderate, or high impact
- CBy the colour of the system's dashboard, since darker dashboards are assumed to need more controls than lighter ones
- DBy the average height of the staff members who operate the system in the data centre on each shift of the working day
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Correct answer: BThe impact categorization of information and services determines the baseline that applies as the starting point. Printer models, dashboard colours, and staff heights have no bearing on the required controls.
Question 13
Why are privacy controls selected alongside security controls for some systems?
- ABecause privacy controls remove the need for any security controls, since personal data is considered to be protected anyway
- BBecause privacy controls make the printed reports look more professional for the board of directors' quarterly meeting
- CBecause systems that handle personal information need privacy protections in addition to the security controls they require
- DBecause privacy controls change the colour of the system's login page so that users can see when their data is processed
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Correct answer: CSystems that process personal information need privacy controls that address collection, use, and handling, alongside security controls. Privacy controls do not replace security controls, and report appearance and login colours are unrelated.
Question 14
Which two inputs help select the controls for an information system? (Choose two.)
- AThe system's impact categorization, which reflects the potential harm if its confidentiality, integrity, or availability is lost
- BThe colour of the system's logo, which is used on the application screens and in the documentation shared with users
- CThe applicable laws, regulations, and organizational requirements that place obligations on the system and its data
- DThe number of staff who work in the help desk for the system, which is recorded in the staffing plan each financial year
- EThe sales material that the vendor of the system's main application provides as part of the procurement package
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Correct answer: A, CImpact categorization and applicable legal and organizational requirements are the primary inputs for selecting controls. Logos, help desk staffing, and vendor sales material do not determine which controls the system needs.
Assessment and Audit (4 questions)
Question 15
What is the purpose of a security assessment in the authorization process?
- ATo decide the budget that the organization will allocate to security tools in the coming financial year overall
- BTo choose the font that will be used in the user guides and the marketing material for the system at launch
- CTo draw the network diagrams that the team will use in its presentations to the business units during the year
- DTo determine whether the controls are implemented correctly and operating as intended for the system in question
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Correct answer: DA security assessment checks whether controls are implemented correctly and operating as intended, which is the evidence for authorization. Budgets, diagrams, and fonts are not the assessment's purpose.
Question 16
What does a security assessment report typically contain?
- AThe office seating plan for the assessment team, which is used to coordinate the visits to each of the sites
- BThe vendor logos that appear on the cover pages of the system documentation delivered to the customer each quarter
- CThe findings of the assessment, including the results for each control and the risk that the weaknesses represent
- DThe lunch menu for the staff who attended the assessment interviews on the days that the assessment was carried out
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Correct answer: CAn assessment report records control results and findings with the risk they represent, which supports the authorization decision. Seating plans, logos, and menus are not assessment content.
Question 17
Which assessment method involves reviewing documents, policies, and records to determine whether a control is in place?
- AColouring, which highlights the parts of the system documentation in different shades to help readers find the sections
- BPrinting, which produces a paper copy of the configuration files so that the assessor can mark them by hand on site
- CPinging, which sends network requests to the hosts to confirm that they respond, and nothing else about the control
- DExamination, which reviews documents, records, and artifacts to see whether the control is defined and implemented
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Correct answer: AExamination reviews documents, records, and artifacts to confirm a control is defined and in place, which is one of the standard assessment methods. Printing, pinging, and colouring do not assess a control.
Question 18
Which two methods are commonly used when assessing a security control? (Choose two.)
- AInterviewing the people who operate the control to confirm how it works in practice on a normal working day
- BTesting the control's behaviour by exercising it and observing the result that it produces in the system
- CPainting the server room in the colour that the team associates with security so that the room looks protected
- DDeleting the old assessment reports so that the new assessment begins with a clean record of the system
- EOrdering new equipment for the assessment team so that the tests can be run on hardware that has never been used
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Correct answer: A, BInterviews and testing are standard assessment methods that check how a control operates in practice and what it produces. Painting rooms, deleting reports, and ordering equipment are not assessment methods and erase or avoid evidence.
System Compliance (4 questions)
Question 19
What is an authorization decision?
- AA logo that the marketing team approves for use on the system's login page and in its promotional material
- BA purchase order that the procurement team raises to buy the hardware that the system will run on in production
- CA formal decision by the authorizing official to accept the residual risk and allow the system to operate
- DA staff roster that lists the people who are scheduled to work on the system during each shift of the week
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Correct answer: CAn authorization decision is a formal acceptance of residual risk by an authorizing official, allowing operation with a stated scope and term. Purchase orders, logos, and rosters are unrelated business records.
Question 20
What does a plan of action and milestones (POA&M) track?
- ALunch orders for the staff who work on the system during the long days when the team is busy with the assessment
- BWeaknesses identified with their corrective actions, responsible parties, and target completion dates
- CPublic holidays for the country in which the organization operates, so that the team can plan its working weeks
- DFont selections for the system documentation, so that the reviewers can see which style was used in each section
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Correct answer: BA POA&M lists the weaknesses, planned corrective actions, owners, and milestones, which is how outstanding risk is managed. Lunch orders, holidays, and font choices are not part of it.
Question 21
What is the purpose of an authorization package?
- ATo store the photographs of the staff who operate the system so that the operators can be identified by visitors
- BTo list the employees who have access to the building in which the system is hosted, for the facilities team
- CTo set the colours that the system uses on each screen, so that the interface is consistent across all of the products
- DTo provide the authorizing official with the evidence needed to make a risk-based decision on the system
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Correct answer: DThe authorization package gathers the plan, assessment results, and remediation plan so that the authorizing official can make an informed risk decision. Staff photos, building access lists, and screen colours are not part of it.
Question 22
Which two items belong in a system's authorization package? (Choose two.)
- AThe system security and privacy plan together with the security assessment report for the system
- BThe office floor plan that shows where the staff who support the system sit in relation to the server room
- CThe vendor's marketing brochure that describes the features of the product and the benefits it offers to users
- DThe team's holiday rota, which shows when each member of the team is away from work during the year
- EThe plan of action and milestones that describes the open weaknesses and how each one will be remediated
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Correct answer: A, EThe security plan, assessment report, and plan of action and milestones are the core evidence for an authorization decision. Floor plans, vendor brochures, and holiday rotas are not evidence of the system's control posture.
Compliance Maintenance (4 questions)
Question 23
What is continuous monitoring in the context of an authorized information system?
- AOngoing assessment of control effectiveness and of changes to the system's risk posture after authorization is granted
- BWatching the television in the reception area of the office so that staff can see the latest news during the day
- CA one-time audit that is performed just before the system is authorized and then never repeated during its lifetime
- DPrinting a copy of the system logs every morning and filing it in a cabinet for the next audit of the organization
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Correct answer: AContinuous monitoring keeps control effectiveness and the system's risk posture under review after authorization. Television, one-time audits, and filing printed logs do not sustain that oversight.
Question 24
Which event should trigger a review of whether a significant change has occurred to an authorized system?
- AA change to the system that affects its security posture, such as a new external interconnection or a new data type
- BThe purchase of a new coffee machine for the kitchen area that the staff use during their breaks in the office
- CThe staff birthday celebrations that are organized by the team each month in the office and that are well attended
- DA new design for the company logo that the marketing department releases for use on the public website each year
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Correct answer: AChanges that affect security, such as a new interconnection or new data types, may alter the risk and require review. Coffee machines, birthdays, and logo redesigns do not change the system's security posture.
Question 25
Why should configuration changes be tracked after a system has been authorized?
- ATo choose the colours of the reports that the operators produce each week for the management of the business units
- BTo count the number of pages in the system documentation so that the documentation team can plan its work for the year
- CTo confirm that each change is assessed for its security impact before it affects the authorized state of the system
- DTo reduce the number of staff who operate the system, since the changes show which tasks can be automated completely
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Correct answer: CTracking changes lets the organization assess whether each one alters the authorized state and needs review. Page counts, report colours, and staff reduction are not reasons for change tracking.
Question 26
What is the purpose of reauthorization?
- ARenewing a domain name that the organization uses for its public website and its email services each year
- BReplacing the staff who operate the system with a new team so that the operators can bring fresh ideas to the work
- CRenewing the authorization decision after a set period or after a significant change to the system's risk
- DRepainting the offices in which the system's operators work, so that the environment looks fresh for the team each year
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Correct answer: CReauthorization renews the decision after a defined period or a significant change, so the risk acceptance stays current. Domain renewals, staff replacement, and repainting are unrelated to authorization.
Scope of the System (4 questions)
Question 27
What does the system boundary define in an authorization effort?
- AThe components, interconnections, and users that are included in the system under authorization
- BThe terms of the vendor contract that govern the purchase of the hardware and the licences for the system
- CThe physical walls of the office building in which the staff members who use the system are located
- DThe speed of the internet connection that the organization buys from its service provider each financial year
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Correct answer: BThe boundary establishes which components, connections, and users belong to the system being authorized, which determines what is assessed. Office walls, vendor contract terms, and internet speed are not part of that definition.
Question 28
Why must the information types processed by a system be identified when its scope is defined?
- AThe information types determine which colour the system's interface uses on the login page for each of its users
- BThe information types drive the security categorization that determines which control baseline applies to the system
- CThe information types decide how many pages the printed user guide for the system will need in the final release
- DThe information types are required only because the vendor insists on them, and they have no effect on the controls
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Correct answer: BThe information types and their impact drive the categorization, and the categorization sets the baseline of controls. Interface colours, printed guides, and vendor preference do not determine security requirements.
Question 29
What is an interconnection agreement used for when a system connects to an external system?
- AIt documents the terms and security responsibilities for the connection, including data exchanged and the controls applied
- BIt sets the lunch schedule for the staff of both organizations so that the operations teams can meet at the same time
- CIt replaces the system security plan, so that the connection no longer needs to be described in any document at all
- DIt lists the monitors and screens that the external partner will install in its own offices for the joint project
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Correct answer: AAn interconnection agreement records the data flows, controls, and responsibilities that govern the connection to another system. Lunch schedules, replacing the security plan, and office monitors are not its purpose.
Question 30
Why does the system owner describe the operational environment during scope definition?
- ATo fix the price of the system's licences for the coming year, which is agreed with the vendor during the renewal
- BTo choose the colour of the operations room where the monitoring staff sit during each shift of the working week
- CTo identify the threats, dependencies, and conditions under which the system runs, which affect its risk and its controls
- DTo list the names of the employees who have left the organization during the year, for the records of the departures
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Correct answer: CThe operational environment shapes the threats, dependencies, and constraints that affect the system's risk and the controls needed. Room colour, licence prices, and departure lists are not part of scope definition.