ISO-IEC-27001-Foundation ISO/IEC 27001 (2022) Foundation Exam Questions and Answers

The benefits of implementing an ISMS under ISO/IEC 27001 are well established. Clause 0.1 (General) explains that an ISMS provides asystematic approach to managing sensitive informationand “preserves confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information by applying a risk management process and gives confidence to interested parties that risks are adequately managed.”

Option A is correct as a benefit, since trust and confidence from stakeholders is an outcome of compliance. Option C is also a benefit, since controls are chosen and tailored based on organizational context and risk assessment (Clause 6.1.3). Option D reflects another real benefit—reducing the probability and/or impact of incidents through effective risk management.

However,staff qualifications (option B)are not guaranteed benefits of implementing an ISMS. While training and competence (Clause 7.2) are required, the standard does not require or provide ISO/IEC 27001 Foundation-level certification for staff. That is an external training/certification scheme, not an ISMS outcome.

Therefore, the benefitNOT relevantto implementing ISO/IEC 27001 isB.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract ISO/IEC 27002:2022 standards:

Annex A.5.36 (Compliance with policies, rules and standards for information security) requires:

“Compliance with the organization’s information security policies, rules and standards for information security should be regularly reviewed.”

This directly matches option A. Option B refers to contractual compliance, which is part of supplier management controls (Annex A.5.19). Option C relates to Annex A.5.7 (Contact with authorities). Option D refers to asset return controls (Annex A.5.9).

Thus, the correct answer isA.

Clause 9.2 (Internal Audit) and Clause 9.3 (Management Review) highlight that audit outputs and management reviews are key inputs for evaluating ISMS performance. Surveillance audits, conducted by Certification Bodies, check ongoing compliance and effectiveness. ISO certification schemes (per ISO/IEC 17021) require surveillance audits to verify whether corrective actions and continuous improvements are being made. A critical focus area is theresults of internal audits and management reviews, ensuring that the organization maintains its ISMS between certification cycles.

Option A is incorrect — third-party audits are performed by independent Certification Bodies, not customers. Option B is incorrect — certificates are typically valid forthree yearswith annual surveillance. Option D is incorrect — Stage 1 is primarily adocumentation and readiness review, not evidence observation.

Therefore, the verified correct answer isC.

Annex A of ISO/IEC 27001:2022 is titled:

“Reference control objectives and controls.” It provides areference list of information security controls, structured into 4 themes: organizational, people, physical, and technological.

The standard explicitly states in Clause 6.1.3: “Organizations can design controls as required or identify them from any source. Annex A contains a list of possible information security controls.” This means controls in Annex A are not mandatory (eliminating option C). Risk acceptance criteria (A) are defined in Clause 6.1.2, not Annex A. Annex A also does not provide measures for treatment effectiveness (D).

Thus, Annex A is best described as areference list of information security controls. Correct answer:B.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract ISO/IEC 27000 standards:

According to ISO/IEC 27000:2018, Clause 3.35:

“Integrity is the property of accuracy and completeness.”

This is one of the three core principles of information security (CIA triad):

Confidentiality: ensuring information is not made available to unauthorized persons (related to option B).

Integrity: ensuring data is accurate, complete, and unaltered except by authorized means.

Availability: ensuring information is accessible and usable when required (related to option A).

Option D incorrectly mixes availability and confidentiality. The precise ISO definition isaccuracy and completeness, which matches option C.

Thus, the correct verified answer isC.

Clause 4.1 specifies exactly what must be determined when establishing context: “The organization shall determine external and internal issues that are relevant to its purpose and that affect its ability to achieve the intended outcome(s) of its information security management system.” This requirement is about understanding internal and external issues (e.g., culture, capabilities, regulatory environment) that influence the ISMS’s effectiveness. Objectives (option B) are addressed later in Clause 6.2; processes (option C) are addressed in Clause 4.4 and operational planning; and “which clauses apply” (option D) is not a determination step—ISO/IEC 27001’s requirements in Clauses 4–10 are not optional. Therefore, the direct, required factor per 4.1 is determining internal (and external) issues relevant to the organization’s purpose and ISMS outcomes.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract ISO/IEC 27002:2022 standards:

Annex A in ISO/IEC 27001 refers directly to ISO/IEC 27002 for control guidance. In ISO/IEC 27002:2022, Clause 6.8 is titled:

“Information security event reporting – Information security events should be reported through appropriate management channels as quickly as possible.”

This control ensures breaches, incidents, or suspected issues are reported for action. The other options (B, C, D) are not the exact titles in Annex A. The official title isInformation security event reporting, confirmingAnswer: A.

Clause 9.3.2 (Management Review Inputs) states that management reviews shall include:

“c) information on the information security performance, including trends in: (1) nonconformities and corrective actions; (2) monitoring and measurement results; (3) audit results; and (4) fulfilment of information security objectives.”

This makesachievement of information security objectives(option A) a required trend to be considered. While external/internal requirements (C) and continual improvement opportunities (D) are also part of management review inputs, they are not specifically listed under “trends in performance.” Option B is outside the direct requirement.

Thus, the verified answer isA.

Clause 7.2 (Competence) requires the organization to:

“determine the necessary competence of person(s) doing work under its control that affects its information security performance;”

“ensure that these persons are competent on the basis of appropriate education, training, or experience;”

“retain appropriate documented information as evidence of competence.”

This makesholding up-to-date records on training, skills, experience, and qualifications(D) the correct answer. Option A is irrelevant to competence. Option B is incorrect since ISO does not require Foundation-level training — competence is context-based. Option C is related to compliance but does not ensure individual competence.

Thus, the verified correct answer isD.

Clause 4.2 of ISO/IEC 27001:2022 states:

“The organization shall determine: a) interested parties that are relevant to the information security management system; b) the relevant requirements of these interested parties; c) which of these requirements will be addressed through the ISMS.”

This confirms that the missing word isrequirements. Neither number, structure, nor influence are specified in the standard.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract ISO/IEC 27005 standards:

ISO/IEC 27005:2022 is titled:

“Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection — Guidance on managing information security risks.”

This standard provides structured methodologies for identifying, analyzing, evaluating, and treating risks, in alignment with ISO/IEC 27001’s risk management requirements (Clause 6.1.2 and 6.1.3). It supports organizations in implementing the risk management process that underpins an ISMS. Options A and B are titles of other ISO standards (ISO/IEC 27007 for auditing, ISO/IEC 27001 for requirements). Option D refers to ISO/IEC 27002 (controls).

Thus, the correct answer isC: Guidance on managing information security risks.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract ISO/IEC 27001 & 27002:2022 standards:

ISO/IEC 27001 Annex A lists reference controls. ISO/IEC 27002 providesdetailed guidance on the implementation of those controls, including purpose, guidance, and examples. Clause 6.1.3 of ISO/IEC 27001 makes the link explicit: controls from Annex A are referenced, but ISO/IEC 27002 explains how to implement them.

However, ISO/IEC 27002 doesnotprovide a process for risk management—that is covered by ISO/IEC 27005. Risk management requirements are in ISO/IEC 27001 (Clauses 6.1.2 and 6.1.3).

Therefore, statement 1 is true, but statement 2 is false. Correct answer:A.