PK0-005 Project Life Cycle Practice Question
A project manager is leading a construction project that follows a predictive life cycle. The sponsor asks for a document that formally authorizes the project and gives the project manager authority to apply organizational resources. Which document should the project manager provide?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse the project charter with the project management plan, since both are high-level documents but only the charter grants formal authorization.
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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Project charter
The project charter is the formal document that authorizes the project and empowers the project manager to use organizational resources. It is created during the Initiating process group and is essential before planning begins. The business case justifies the project, the project management plan guides execution, and the stakeholder register supports engagement, but none of these authorize the project.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Stakeholder register
Why it's wrong here
The stakeholder register is a project document that identifies stakeholders, their interests, involvement, and impact on the project. It is used for stakeholder engagement planning and management. It does not authorize the project or confer authority on the project manager. Providing this document would not satisfy the sponsor's request for formal project authorization.
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Business case
Why it's wrong here
The business case is a documented economic feasibility study used to establish the validity of the benefits of a selected component lacking sufficient definition. It justifies the project but does not authorize it or grant authority to the project manager. The business case often precedes the charter and is an input to developing it. It does not fulfill the sponsor's request for formal authorization.
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Project charter
Why this is correct
The project charter is the document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. It is typically issued by the sponsor or initiating entity. In a predictive life cycle, the charter is created during Initiating and serves as the foundation for planning. This matches the sponsor's request exactly.
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Project management plan
Why it's wrong here
The project management plan describes how the project will be executed, monitored, controlled, and closed. It integrates baselines and subsidiary plans but does not formally authorize the project or grant the project manager authority. It is created during Planning, after the charter. The sponsor's request for authorization points to the charter, not the plan.
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Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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