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PK0-005 Practice Question: A project manager is assigned to a project that…
A project manager is assigned to a project that has already started without a formal project charter. What should the project manager do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
The PK0-005 exam often tests the misconception that planning activities like creating a WBS or management plan can proceed without formal authorization, but the exam emphasizes that the charter must be approved first to establish the project's legitimacy and the project manager's authority.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
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Obtain approval for a project charter
Without a formal project charter, the project lacks official authorization and a clear link to organizational objectives. The project manager must first obtain approval for a project charter to secure the authority to apply organizational resources and formally initiate the project, as defined by PMI standards.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Obtain approval for a project charter
Why this is correct
The project charter formally authorises the project and grants the project manager authority over resources. Without it, the manager lacks legitimate mandate, so obtaining approval for a project charter satisfies the stem's constraint of a project already underway without formal authorisation.
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Create a work breakdown structure
Why it's wrong here
A work breakdown structure decomposes scope that the charter authorises; creating one first documents deliverables without an approved mandate, risking rework. The charter must be obtained and approved before scope planning proceeds. It tempts because decomposition is an early planning activity, but it depends on the charter's high-level scope and objectives being formally agreed.
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Develop a project management plan
Why it's wrong here
Developing the project management plan presumes an approved charter defining objectives, scope and authority; without one, planning lacks a baseline. It is tempting because the plan is the next major artefact once a charter exists, so it would be correct after the charter is formally authorised and baselined.
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Identify stakeholders
Why it's wrong here
Identifying stakeholders does not address the missing authorisation; without a charter the project lacks a sponsor-approved mandate, so the manager must first obtain or reconstruct that authorisation. Stakeholder identification is tempting because it is a genuine early activity, but it belongs after the project has been formally authorised.
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