--- title: Business Continuity Testing & DR Exercises | MHA Consulting description: Learn how to test business continuity and disaster recovery plans, choose exercise types, define success criteria, capture evidence, and address findings. image: https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/46330580/Imported_Blog_Media/business-continuity-training.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://mha-it.com/blog/disaster-recovery-testing#main-content) [![MHA by BCMMetrics - navy](https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/46330580/hubfs/MHA%20by%20BCMMetrics%20-%20navy.png?width=245&height=54&name=MHA%20by%20BCMMetrics%20-%20navy.png "MHA by BCMMetrics - navy")](https://mha-it.com/) - [Our Consulting Services](https://mha-it.com/what-we-do) - [Business Continuity](https://mha-it.com/business-continuity) - [Crisis Management](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) - [Disaster Recovery](https://mha-it.com/disaster-recovery-consulting-services) - [BCaaS](https://mha-it.com/bcaas) - [Program Augmentation](https://mha-it.com/program-augmentation) - [Training and Awareness](https://mha-it.com/training-awareness) - [Our BC Software](https://bcmmetrics.com/) - Resources - [Blog](https://mha-it.com/blog) - [News](https://mha-it.com/news) - [About Us](https://mha-it.com/who-we-are) - [Our Team](https://mha-it.com/our-team) - [Clients](https://mha-it.com/clients) - [In the Community](https://mha-it.com/in-the-community) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) [![mhalogo](https://mha-it.com/hubfs/mhalogo.svg "mhalogo")](https://mha-it.com/) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) [![mhalogo](https://mha-it.com/hubfs/mhalogo.svg "mhalogo")](https://mha-it.com/) - [Our Consulting Services](https://mha-it.com/what-we-do) - [Business Continuity](https://mha-it.com/business-continuity) - [Crisis Management](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) - [Disaster Recovery](https://mha-it.com/disaster-recovery-consulting-services) - [BCaaS](https://mha-it.com/bcaas) - [Program Augmentation](https://mha-it.com/program-augmentation) - [Training and Awareness](https://mha-it.com/training-awareness) - [Our BC Software](https://bcmmetrics.com/) - Resources - [Blog](https://mha-it.com/blog) - [News](https://mha-it.com/news) - [About Us](https://mha-it.com/who-we-are) - [Our Team](https://mha-it.com/our-team) - [Clients](https://mha-it.com/clients) - [In the Community](https://mha-it.com/in-the-community) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) [![mhalogo](https://mha-it.com/hubfs/mhalogo.svg "mhalogo")](https://mha-it.com/) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) - [Our Consulting Services](https://mha-it.com/what-we-do) - [Business Continuity](https://mha-it.com/business-continuity) - [Crisis Management](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) - [Disaster Recovery](https://mha-it.com/disaster-recovery-consulting-services) - [BCaaS](https://mha-it.com/bcaas) - [Program Augmentation](https://mha-it.com/program-augmentation) - [Training and Awareness](https://mha-it.com/training-awareness) - [Our BC Software](https://bcmmetrics.com/) - Resources - [Blog](https://mha-it.com/blog) - [News](https://mha-it.com/news) - [About Us](https://mha-it.com/who-we-are) - [Our Team](https://mha-it.com/our-team) - [Clients](https://mha-it.com/clients) - [In the Community](https://mha-it.com/in-the-community) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) Business Continuity Planning # Business Continuity Testing and Disaster Recovery Exercises: A Practical Guide Richard Long Updated on: October 02, 2026 #### Relevant Contents #### Need Tailored Business Continuity Insights? Contact Us Now for Personalized Guidance! [Schedule a Free Consultation](https://mha-it.com/contact) A business continuity or disaster recovery plan can look complete on paper and still fail when the organization has to use it. Testing and exercises help determine whether the people, procedures, technology, workarounds, suppliers, and recovery strategies behind the plan can actually support the organization during a disruption. The goal is not simply to complete an exercise. A useful testing program should show what worked, what did not, what evidence supports the result, and what needs to change before the capability is tested again. **In short** - Training teaches people what they are expected to do. - Drills practice a specific action or procedure. - Exercises simulate disruption so teams can practice decisions and recovery activities. - Tests validate whether a specific recovery capability performs as expected. - Choose the exercise type based on what you need to learn or prove. - Define objectives and evaluation criteria before the exercise starts. - Carry meaningful findings through corrective action, plan updates, and retesting. ## Training, Drills, Exercises, and Tests Serve Different Purposes Organizations do not always use these terms the same way, but the activities serve different practical purposes. | Activity | Primary Purpose | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | **Training** | Teach people their responsibilities and how the plan works. | Training alternate team members on plan activation. | | **Drill** | Practice a specific action or narrow procedure. | Running an emergency-notification drill. | | **Exercise** | Simulate disruption to practice decisions, coordination, and recovery. | A tabletop exercise based on an extended application outage. | | **Test** | Validate whether a defined capability performs against established criteria. | Restoring an application and validating whether the business can use it. | A testing program may use all four. Training prepares participants. Drills build familiarity. Exercises challenge decision-making and coordination. Tests provide evidence about whether specific capabilities actually work. ## What Should Business Continuity Testing Validate? Business continuity testing should challenge the assumptions that support continued or recovered business operations. Depending on the objective, that may include: - plan activation and escalation - roles and decision authority - communications - staff availability and alternates - manual workarounds - alternate work locations - critical supplier dependencies - access to required information - coordination between business units - coordination between business recovery and technology recovery A business continuity exercise does not need to test every part of the program at once. A focused exercise with clear objectives often produces more useful evidence than a large exercise that tries to cover everything. ## What Should Disaster Recovery Testing Validate? Disaster recovery testing focuses on the organization's ability to restore the technology and data required by the business. Depending on the scope, a DR test may evaluate: - backup availability and restoration - application recovery - infrastructure recovery - data integrity - network connectivity - technical recovery procedures - staffing and vendor support - dependencies between applications and services - whether restored systems can actually support the business process A technical recovery is not necessarily complete because a server starts or an application loads. The recovered service needs to support the business activity that depends on it. ## 5 Common Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Exercise Types ### 1. Tabletop Exercise or Structured Walkthrough A tabletop exercise uses a scenario to walk participants through responsibilities, decisions, communications, procedures, and dependencies without requiring full operational deployment. Tabletops are useful for: - role clarification - plan familiarization - decision-making - communications - escalation - identifying missing procedures or information They are less useful for proving that a technical recovery process, manual workaround, alternate facility, or other operational capability can actually perform at the required level. For more detailed planning guidance, see [How to Plan a Mock Disaster Exercise](https://mha-it.com/blog/plan-a-mock-disaster-exercise). ### 2. Drill A drill practices one defined action rather than the entire recovery process. Examples include: - notification drills - call-tree tests - alternate-site activation - manual processing procedures - specific technical recovery tasks Drills are useful when a capability needs repetition, speed, or greater familiarity. ### 3. Simulation A simulation gives participants a developing disruption scenario and requires them to respond as conditions change. This can expose unclear authority, communication problems, missing information, and dependencies that may not appear during a simple plan review. ### 4. Functional Exercise or Recovery Test A functional exercise requires participants to perform actual recovery activities rather than simply explain what they would do. Examples include: - restoring an application - recovering data - executing a manual workaround - relocating selected personnel - establishing communications from an alternate location - processing transactions using recovered technology Functional testing provides stronger evidence because the capability is demonstrated rather than discussed. ### 5. Integrated or Controlled Full-Scale Exercise An integrated exercise brings several recovery capabilities together under more realistic conditions. In some cases, an organization may deliberately shift or interrupt production activity as part of the test. That can provide valuable evidence, but it also introduces operational risk. A full interruption should not be treated as an automatic maturity goal. Use it only when the objective justifies the disruption, appropriate safeguards are in place, and the organization has approved the risk. ## Choose the Exercise Type Based on the Question | Question You Need to Answer | Useful Approach | | --- | --- | | Do participants understand their responsibilities? | Training, walkthrough, or tabletop | | Can the team make decisions as conditions change? | Tabletop or simulation | | Can a manual workaround actually be performed? | Drill or functional exercise | | Can an application be recovered within the required timeframe? | Technical recovery test | | Can business users operate using recovered technology? | Integrated functional or parallel exercise | | Can several response and recovery capabilities work together? | Integrated or full-scale exercise | ## Define Objectives Before You Design the Exercise "Test the business continuity plan" is too broad to be a useful objective. A stronger objective identifies what the participants or recovery capability are expected to demonstrate. For example: - Validate that the customer-service team can activate its documented manual workaround after loss of its primary application. - Determine whether the crisis team can assemble, establish a common operating picture, and make an escalation decision using the current plan. - Demonstrate restoration of a critical application and confirm that business users can access the recovered service. Clear objectives make it easier to decide what evidence to collect and whether the exercise actually answered the question. ## Set Evaluation Criteria Before Testing Begins Do not wait until the hotwash to decide what success means. For each important objective, identify the observable behavior, output, or result that will be evaluated. Depending on the exercise, that may include: - time required to activate the plan - whether required participants were reached - whether the correct procedure was followed - whether an alternate could perform the task - whether required data was available - whether a workaround supported the required workload - whether a system was restored within the expected timeframe - whether the recovered service worked for the business user ## Capture Evidence, Not Just Impressions "The exercise went well" does not tell management whether the recovery capability actually worked. Useful evidence may include: - timestamps - notification results - system logs - screenshots - recovery records - completed forms - observer notes - decision logs - participant outputs - evidence that a business user successfully accessed the recovered service The evidence should match the objective. Do not collect documentation simply for the sake of creating a larger exercise file. ## The Exercise Is Not Finished at the Hotwash The findings have to go somewhere. Document significant observations and determine which ones require: - a plan update - a procedure change - additional training - a technology change - a different recovery strategy - a supplier discussion - a management decision - additional testing Important corrective actions should have an owner and a clear way to demonstrate closure. Some findings should also be retested. Completing an action item does not automatically prove that the underlying recovery capability now works. [![FREE BC GUIDE](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/46330580/interactive-223452953604.png)](https://mha-it.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLL3lg1BY8E9wdk%2F6mdUBIjZkfqXhierUfncGIRKp%2BAbPuYTjQKTOKajTpLwU8dIp3wbT6RrG2EhzgZqcxCIXQ69aYGC0OL3BP9eXyp0NYR0WnmzkIxqq1UreV3n8gJet73dJK3vmeSKHNtViilwW16bL9hXYr4ExEPYN9%2Bttr3fEcigOU%2BaVR2rOz2fIrNd051QQBYo5qzefKdxFzTp7YJn0KSsrFJLN%2B1gcb6fj0o1vTXzKm%2BvNp5POkt7jFqkUytYW84CdSm1FZ0idzKQv8wv6Sc1SQjWNZx%2BnV0irCHDI%2BK7B8Vh%2FUah%2FEmHhFhPYooG3sM3WuJh%2ByS7UoJT9xxMyWGfP8%2FRqdxxbNoM19cGLBdr3veHVWwjzn9srTaqZ0Z7&webInteractiveContentId=223452953604&portalId=46330580) ## How Often Should Business Continuity Plans Be Tested? There is no single testing frequency that fits every organization, plan, or recovery capability. Set the testing cadence based on factors such as: - business criticality - applicable regulatory, contractual, or internal requirements - risk and previous exercise findings - the maturity of the recovery capability - the rate of change in the business or technology environment Additional testing may also be appropriate after material changes such as technology migrations, facility moves, major process changes, supplier changes, reorganizations, significant incidents, or recovery-strategy changes. A calendar tells you when the next exercise is scheduled. It does not tell you whether unresolved findings should be tested sooner. ## Where Training Fits Testing should not be the first time participants see the plan. Training gives people enough familiarity with their responsibilities to make the exercise meaningful. Key participants should understand: - when and how the plan is activated - their responsibilities and authority - where the current plan is located - how communication and escalation work - which procedures they may be expected to perform - who their alternates are Alternates deserve particular attention. Naming a backup resource does not help much if that person does not know the procedure or cannot access the systems and information needed to perform it. ## Common BC/DR Testing Mistakes - Choosing the exercise type before deciding what needs to be validated - Using objectives that are too broad to evaluate - Measuring participation instead of capability - Giving participants information or resources they would not have during a real event - Assuming a tabletop proves an operational recovery capability - Collecting findings without assigning follow-up actions - Closing corrective actions without validating the fix - Repeating the same exercise without increasing what the organization learns or validates A useful exercise does not have to produce a clean result. Finding a significant weakness during an exercise gives the organization an opportunity to address it before a real disruption exposes the same problem. ## Need Help Strengthening Your Disaster Recovery Testing? MHA helps organizations design recovery exercises, test DR capabilities, identify gaps, and turn findings into practical improvements. Learn more about MHA's [disaster recovery consulting services](https://mha-it.com/disaster-recovery-consulting-services) or [contact MHA Consulting](https://mha-it.com/contact). --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is business continuity testing? Business continuity testing evaluates whether continuity plans, procedures, resources, workarounds, and recovery capabilities can support the organization's requirements during a disruption. ### How do you test a business continuity plan? Start with a defined objective, choose an exercise or test method that matches that objective, establish evaluation criteria, conduct the activity, capture evidence, document findings, assign corrective actions, update affected plans, and retest important changes when necessary. ### What are the main types of business continuity exercises? Common approaches include tabletop exercises, drills, simulations, functional exercises, technical recovery tests, integrated exercises, and controlled full-scale exercises. Terminology varies, so choose the method according to what needs to be practiced or validated. ### What is the difference between a BCP drill and a DR drill? A business continuity drill usually practices a business response or recovery procedure such as notification, relocation, or a manual workaround. A disaster recovery drill focuses more directly on restoring technology, data, infrastructure, or technical services. Some exercises intentionally combine both. ### How often should a business continuity plan be tested? There is no universal testing frequency for every organization. Establish a cadence based on business criticality, applicable requirements, risk, prior findings, recovery maturity, and the rate of change. Significant changes or incidents may justify additional testing. ### What should happen after a BC or DR exercise? Document what happened, compare performance with the objectives and evaluation criteria, identify material findings, assign corrective actions and owners, update affected plans or procedures, and retest important changes when needed. ## Further Reading - [Beginner's Guide to Recovery Exercises](https://mha-it.com/blog/recovery-exercises) - [How to Plan a Mock Disaster Exercise](https://mha-it.com/blog/plan-a-mock-disaster-exercise) - [8 Dos and 1 Don't for Conducting Disaster Recovery Tests](https://mha-it.com/blog/conducting-disaster-recovery-tests) --- ![](https://mha-it.com/hubfs/Richard%20Long-MHA-Consulting.png) #### Richard Long Richard Long is one of MHA’s practice team leaders for Technology and Disaster Recovery related engagements. He has been responsible for the successful execution of MHA business continuity and disaster recovery engagements in industries such as Energy & Utilities, Government Services, Healthcare, Insurance, Risk Management, Travel & Entertainment, Consumer Products, and Education. Prior to joining MHA, Richard held Senior IT Director positions at PetSmart (NASDAQ: PETM) and Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT) and has been a senior leader across all disciplines of IT. He has successfully led international and domestic disaster recovery, technology assessment, crisis management and risk mitigation engagements. ## Start building a stronger future ##### Navigate uncertainty with an expert - schedule your free consultation with our CEO, Michael Herrera. [Schedule your consultation](https://mha-it.com/contact) ## Other resources you might enjoy ![Resiliency Consulting: Helping Companies Get In Peak Condition ](https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/46330580/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/resiliency-consulting-1.jpg?height=245&name=resiliency-consulting-1.jpg) #### [Resiliency Consulting: Helping Companies Get In Peak Condition  - MHA Consulting](https://mha-it.com/blog/resiliency-consulting) [Read More](https://mha-it.com/blog/resiliency-consulting) ![Common Business Continuity Disasters](https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/46330580/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/untitled-design-10.jpg?height=245&name=untitled-design-10.jpg) #### [Common Business Continuity Disasters - MHA Consulting](https://mha-it.com/blog/common-business-continuity-disasters) [Read More](https://mha-it.com/blog/common-business-continuity-disasters) ![Risks of Generative AI](https://mha-it.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Risks-of-Generative-AI.jpg?height=245&name=Risks-of-Generative-AI.jpg) #### [A BC Consultant’s View of the Risks of Generative AI - MHA Consulting](https://mha-it.com/blog/a-bc-consultants-view-of-the-risks-of-generative-ai) [Read More](https://mha-it.com/blog/a-bc-consultants-view-of-the-risks-of-generative-ai) ## Ready to start focusing on higher-level challenges? 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