Which of the following is a control that is used mainly to check the integrity of data entered into a business application, whether the data is entered directly by staff, remotely by a business…

Question

Options

• AGeneral IT control.
• BProcessing control.
• CInput control
• DIntegrity control

• A
  2% (1)
• B
  9% (4)
• C
  5% (2)
• D
  84% (36)

Explanation

Note: There's likely an error in this question's answer key. The industry-standard correct answer is C. Input control, and here's why:

Input controls are specifically designed to verify the accuracy, completeness, and validity of data as it enters a system - regardless of whether entry comes from internal staff, EDI/business partners, or web-facing applications. This matches the question's scenario exactly.

Why the other options are wrong:

• A. General IT control - Broad infrastructure-level controls (access management, change control, disaster recovery) that govern the overall IT environment, not data entry specifically.
• B. Processing control - Ensures data is handled correctly after entry (calculations, batch totals, run-to-run controls), not at the point of input.
• D. Integrity control - Not a standard control category in major frameworks (COSO, COBIT, ISACA/CISA). "Data integrity" is a goal, while input controls are the mechanism that achieves it.

Memory tip: Think of the data lifecycle - Input → Processing → Output. Controls are named for the stage they protect. If the question is about data entering the system, the answer is always Input control.

If this is for CISA, CPA (IT audit), or a similar exam, I'd recommend double-checking your source material - the answer key for this question appears to be incorrect.

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