Root Cause Analysis & Problem Management Flashcards
7 cards from real CIM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Root Cause Analysis & Problem Management flashcards as text
When conducting a blameless post-mortem, which principle is most important?
Answer: Assuming people acted with good intent given the information available to them at the time
Blameless post-mortems assume people made reasonable decisions with the information they had, shifting focus to system improvements rather than individual punishment.
A problem manager is reviewing several problem records and must decide which to prioritize. Which criterion should carry the most weight?
Answer: The potential business impact if the underlying cause remains unresolved
Business impact — the scope and severity of disruption caused if the problem persists — is the most important factor when prioritizing problem resolution efforts.
In the context of RCA, what is a 'contributing factor' as distinct from a 'root cause'?
Answer: A condition that worsened the incident's impact but alone would not have caused it
Contributing factors amplify an incident's severity or probability but are insufficient on their own to cause the failure — the root cause is the fundamental trigger.
Which activity formally closes a problem record in problem management?
Answer: When a permanent fix has been verified as effective and the record is reviewed and closed
A problem record is formally closed after a permanent fix has been implemented, tested, and confirmed effective, followed by a formal closure review.
An incident manager notices that database timeout incidents spike every Monday morning. What problem management action is most appropriate?
Answer: Initiate a problem investigation to identify if a recurring scheduled job or resource contention is the root cause
A recurring pattern tied to a specific time indicates a likely systemic or scheduled trigger, warranting a structured problem investigation to identify and eliminate the root cause.
What is the purpose of a 'problem model' in problem management?
Answer: A predefined approach for handling specific types of recurring problems efficiently
Problem models provide a structured, repeatable approach for addressing known types of problems, reducing investigation time and improving consistency.
Which of the following represents the correct sequence in the problem management lifecycle?
Answer: Detection → Logging → Categorization → Prioritization → Investigation → Known Error → Error Control → Closure
The problem management lifecycle flows from detection and logging through categorization, prioritization, investigation, known error identification, error control, and finally formal closure.