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PCI ISA NEWEST 2026 EXAM |150
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS | ALREADY A GRADED | NEW
AND REVISED
1. What is the primary purpose of the PCI Security Standards
Council (SSC)?
A. To enforce legal penalties for non-compliance
B. To audit financial statements of merchants
C. To develop and maintain payment card data security
standards
D. To issue bank identification numbers
Rationale : The PCI SSC develops and maintains
standards like PCI DSS to protect cardholder data and
promote security best practices.
2. An Internal Security Assessor (ISA) can perform PCI DSS
assessments for:
A. Any company that requests it
B. Only the ISA’s sponsoring organization
C. Third-party clients
D. Government agencies
Rationale : ISA certification authorizes the assessor to
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conduct assessments exclusively for their employer, not
external clients.
3. Which document defines the official terms and definitions
used in PCI DSS assessments?
A. PCI Glossary
B. SAQ D Worksheet
C. PCI DSS Glossary
D. ISAE 3402
Rationale : The PCI DSS Glossary is the official
reference for terminology used in standards and
assessments.
4. A properly scoped PCI DSS environment should include:
A. All company systems irrespective of cardholder data
B. Only systems that store, process, or transmit
cardholder data
C. Systems excluded from network segmentation
D. Only systems approved by finance
Rationale : Scope includes cardholder data environment
components and systems that could impact its security.
5. What is the typical frequency for external vulnerability
scans under PCI DSS?
A. Quarterly and after significant changes
B. Monthly only
C. Annually
D. Only after a breach
Rationale : PCI DSS requires quarterly and post-change
external scans by an Approved Scanning Vendor.
6. Which of the following is a compensating control?
A. A second firewall
B. Using vendor-default credentials
C. Alternative security measures that provide
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equivalent protection
D. Unreviewed exception documentation
Rationale : Compensating controls must provide equal or
greater protection to meet PCI DSS intent.
7. In a scenario where a firewall rule change is needed
urgently, an ISA must ensure:
A. The rule is implemented without documentation
B. Implementation only after annual audit
C. Change control and risk evaluation are documented
D. Change is approved only by IT operations
Rationale : Proper change control and risk
documentation are essential for compliance.
8. Which of the following identifies cardholder data
elements?
A. Customer name only
B. Billing address
C. Primary Account Number (PAN)
D. Transaction amount
Rationale : PAN is a core cardholder data element
relevant to PCI DSS.
9. What should an ISA do if they encounter non-compliance
during an assessment?
A. Ignore it if low risk
B. Document and recommend remediation
C. Report to law enforcement
D. Delegate to junior staff
Rationale : Documenting and recommending
remediation aligns with the ISA role.
10. PCI DSS Requirement 1 focuses on:
A. Access control
B. Firewall configuration and network protection
PCI ISA NEWEST 2026 EXAM |150
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS | ALREADY A GRADED | NEW
AND REVISED
1. What is the primary purpose of the PCI Security Standards
Council (SSC)?
A. To enforce legal penalties for non-compliance
B. To audit financial statements of merchants
C. To develop and maintain payment card data security
standards
D. To issue bank identification numbers
Rationale : The PCI SSC develops and maintains
standards like PCI DSS to protect cardholder data and
promote security best practices.
2. An Internal Security Assessor (ISA) can perform PCI DSS
assessments for:
A. Any company that requests it
B. Only the ISA’s sponsoring organization
C. Third-party clients
D. Government agencies
Rationale : ISA certification authorizes the assessor to
,2|Page
conduct assessments exclusively for their employer, not
external clients.
3. Which document defines the official terms and definitions
used in PCI DSS assessments?
A. PCI Glossary
B. SAQ D Worksheet
C. PCI DSS Glossary
D. ISAE 3402
Rationale : The PCI DSS Glossary is the official
reference for terminology used in standards and
assessments.
4. A properly scoped PCI DSS environment should include:
A. All company systems irrespective of cardholder data
B. Only systems that store, process, or transmit
cardholder data
C. Systems excluded from network segmentation
D. Only systems approved by finance
Rationale : Scope includes cardholder data environment
components and systems that could impact its security.
5. What is the typical frequency for external vulnerability
scans under PCI DSS?
A. Quarterly and after significant changes
B. Monthly only
C. Annually
D. Only after a breach
Rationale : PCI DSS requires quarterly and post-change
external scans by an Approved Scanning Vendor.
6. Which of the following is a compensating control?
A. A second firewall
B. Using vendor-default credentials
C. Alternative security measures that provide
, 3|Page
equivalent protection
D. Unreviewed exception documentation
Rationale : Compensating controls must provide equal or
greater protection to meet PCI DSS intent.
7. In a scenario where a firewall rule change is needed
urgently, an ISA must ensure:
A. The rule is implemented without documentation
B. Implementation only after annual audit
C. Change control and risk evaluation are documented
D. Change is approved only by IT operations
Rationale : Proper change control and risk
documentation are essential for compliance.
8. Which of the following identifies cardholder data
elements?
A. Customer name only
B. Billing address
C. Primary Account Number (PAN)
D. Transaction amount
Rationale : PAN is a core cardholder data element
relevant to PCI DSS.
9. What should an ISA do if they encounter non-compliance
during an assessment?
A. Ignore it if low risk
B. Document and recommend remediation
C. Report to law enforcement
D. Delegate to junior staff
Rationale : Documenting and recommending
remediation aligns with the ISA role.
10. PCI DSS Requirement 1 focuses on:
A. Access control
B. Firewall configuration and network protection
