The severity factors are delineated by the characteristics negligible, __________, _________, and catastrophic.

• A. marginal, critical
• B. minor, major
• C. moderate, severe
• D. minimal, extreme

Answer: (A)

Severe outcome levels are used to rank possible consequences so controls can be prioritized. The four levels typically form a progression from little to extreme impact: negligible, marginal, critical, catastrophic. Filling in the blanks with marginal and critical completes that clear escalation, giving negligible, marginal, critical, and catastrophic. Marginal denotes a minor effect with minimal action needed, while critical indicates a serious consequence that would require prompt attention. Catastrophic is the most severe, involving major harm or loss. The other pairings don’t fit this standard escalating sequence.