CAPM Practice Question: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts
A project manager is leading a project to develop a new mobile application. The project sponsor asks for a document that formally authorizes the project and gives the project manager authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. Which document should the project manager provide?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse the project charter with the project management plan, which are distinct documents with different purposes and timing.
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 assigns the project manager the authority to use organizational resources. It is created during the Initiating process group and is essential for legitimizing the project. The other documents, while important, serve different purposes and do not provide the formal authorization required.
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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Project management plan
Why it's wrong here
The project management plan is a comprehensive document that describes how the project will be executed, monitored, and controlled. It integrates all subsidiary plans and baselines. However, it does not formally authorize the project or grant the project manager authority. That authorization comes from the project charter, which is typically created before the project management plan is developed.
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Project charter
Why this is correct
The project charter is the document issued by the project initiator or sponsor 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 a key input to developing the project management plan and serves as the foundation for the project.
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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 and that is used as a basis for the authorization of further project management activities. It justifies the project but does not formally authorize it or grant authority to the project manager.
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Benefits management plan
Why it's wrong here
The benefits management plan describes how and when the benefits of the project will be delivered and how they will be measured. It is a component of the project business documents and helps ensure the project delivers the intended value. It does not authorize the project or give the project manager authority over resources.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PMI exam blueprint
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