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Certification hub · CCA-F

Claude Certified Architect - Foundations (CCA-F, officially CCAR-F)

Solution architects building production Claude apps (6+ months practical experience).

CCA-FCCAR-FLive practice exam
60Questions
120 minTime allotted
720 / 1000Pass mark
5Domains
12 moValidity
$125List price
Loop the mascot with the CCA-F (CCAR-F) certification blueprint, painterly composition.
01 · Overview

What is the CCA-F certification?

Claude Certified Architect - Foundations (CCA-F, officially CCAR-F) is delivered as a 60-question, 120-minute, closed-book exam, proctored online or at a test center through Pearson VUE. It is scored on a 1000-point scale with a 720 pass mark, stays valid for 12 months, and issues a Credly digital badge on passing. The exam questions are built around applied scenarios rather than isolated recall items.

List price is $125; the checkout price reflects any discount that applies to your partner tier.

02 · 5 domains with exam weights

What gets tested, weighted by importance

CodeDomainWeight
D1Agentic Architecture & Orchestration
27%
D2Tool Design & MCP Integration
18%
D3Claude Code Configuration & Workflows
20%
D4Prompt Engineering & Structured Output
20%
D5Context Management & Reliability
15%
03 · How to prepare

Prep content by domain

45 topics across this cert's 5 domains. Live pages link straight through; topics still in progress are listed so you know what is coming.

04 · Practice status

Full practice exam live

CCA-F has a free 10-question diagnostic, a full mock exam, and a complete question bank live today.

05 · Worth it?

Is the CCA-F certification worth it?

Yes - if you design, build, or operate Claude-powered agentic systems for a living, the CCA-F (Anthropic's exam code CCAR-F) is the claude certification architect credential built specifically for that work.

It is the original Claude certification and the most established of the 4: the flagship claude architect certification, scenario-based (4 of Anthropic's 6 official scenarios appear on every form), and backed by the deepest, most mature practice exam and question bank on this site. For a working AI engineer or solution architect, the return is a portable, third-party signal that you can design agentic architecture, wire up tool/MCP integrations, configure Claude Code workflows, and keep a production Claude deployment reliable - exactly the shape of the exam's 5 weighted domains. At $125 it is priced below CCA-P ($175) and matched with CCD-F ($125), and the credential stays valid for 12 months once awarded.

06 · Who should take it

Who should take the CCA-F?

Solution architects building production Claude apps, with 6+ months of practical experience, are the intended CCA-F audience.

That covers AI/ML engineers and platform engineers who own agentic-orchestration decisions (workflow vs. agent patterns), tool and MCP server design, Claude Code configuration and CLAUDE.md hierarchies, prompt engineering for structured output, and context-window/reliability engineering in a live system. Anthropic frames this as an audience recommendation rather than a separate prerequisite course or exam - there is no mandatory course to sit first, but the exam content assumes you have already spent time building with Claude in production, not just experimenting with it.

07 · Cost + free prep

How much does the CCA-F cost? Is it free?

$125 USD list price through Pearson VUE - the checkout price you actually pay reflects any discount that applies to your partner tier.

The exam itself is not free, but the prep is: this site's free 10-question diagnostic and the full CCA-F question bank are open to work through today, at no cost, before you spend anything on the exam fee.

Take the free CCA-F diagnostic →
08 · Difficulty + format

How hard is the CCA-F? Format + pass rate

The CCA-F is a 60-question, 120-minute exam scored on a 100-1,000 scale with a 720 pass mark - a criterion-referenced bar set by a formal standard-setting study, not a percentile against other candidates. Anthropic does not publish an official pass rate for the CCA-F, so treat any specific percentage you see quoted elsewhere as unverified.

What makes it harder than a recall quiz: 4 of Anthropic's 6 official scenarios appear on every form, so questions are built around applied situations rather than isolated definitions - the orchestration shapes, tool/MCP tradeoffs, and Claude Code configuration choices need to be reflexive, not memorized. Items mix multiple-choice and multiple-response, and each one states how many responses to select. The exam is effectively closed-book and proctored, online or at a Pearson VUE test center.

09 · How long to prepare

How long should I prepare for the CCA-F?

Spend study time proportional to the domain weights: Agentic Architecture & Orchestration (27%) plus the two 20% domains, Claude Code Configuration & Workflows and Prompt Engineering & Structured Output, together make up more than two-thirds of the exam.

Work the free diagnostic first to see which domains you are weakest on, then move to the full 60-question mock timed at 120 minutes before you book the real exam. The CCA-F exam guide has the full registration walkthrough, format rules, and study-plan detail if you want the deeper version of this page.

10 · Certification pathway

CCA-F vs the other Claude certifications

CCA-F is the original, broadest Claude certification - here is how it lines up against the other 3 on the certification pathway.

CertificationDomains / items / feeHow it compares to CCA-F
CCA-P
Claude Certified Architect - Professional
7 domains · 63 items · $175CCA-P is the deeper, more senior architect tier: same architecture core, plus governance/safety/risk, stakeholder communication, and evaluation domains CCA-F does not test at the same depth, aimed at architects with 3+ years of systems experience versus CCA-F's 6+ months bar.
CCD-F
Claude Certified Developer - Foundations
8 domains · 53 items · $125CCD-F is the hands-on developer track and the anchor for claude code certification: its heaviest domain, Applications & Integration (33.1%), is about writing and shipping code, where CCA-F tests architecture and orchestration judgment instead.
CCA-A
Claude Certified Associate - Foundations
7 domains · 60 items · $99CCA-A is the only non-technical Claude credential - built for consultants, sellers, and delivery/PM roles that use Claude but do not architect or ship code, unlike CCA-F's hands-on technical bar.
11 · FAQ

20 questions answered

Every Q is phrased as a real search query and tagged by intent.

DefinitionIs there a claude certification architect exam?
Yes. The Claude Certified Architect - Foundations (CCA-F, exam code CCAR-F) is Anthropic's foundational claude certification architect credential: a 60-question, 120-minute, proctored exam scored out of 1000 with a 720 pass mark.
DefinitionIs 'claude architect certification' the same thing as 'claude architecture certification'?
Yes - both phrasings describe the same credential. CCA-F (CCAR-F) is Anthropic's architect-track certification covering agentic architecture, tool/MCP integration, Claude Code configuration, prompt engineering, and context management across 5 weighted domains.
ComparisonIs the CCA-F certification worth it?
If you design, build, or operate Claude-powered agents for work, yes. It is Anthropic's foundational architect credential, scenario-based, and the cert with the deepest, most mature practice exam and question bank on this site - a portable signal you can point to alongside your own project work.
ScopeWho should take the CCA-F exam?
Solution architects building production Claude apps with 6+ months of practical experience - AI/ML engineers and platform engineers who own agentic-orchestration, tool/MCP design, Claude Code configuration, and prompt/context-engineering decisions in a live system.
DefinitionHow much does the CCA-F certification cost?
$125 USD list price through Pearson VUE. The checkout price shown reflects any discount that applies to your partner tier.
ScopeIs there a free claude certification option for CCA-F?
The CCA-F exam has a $125 list fee - it is not free to sit. What is free: this site's 10-question diagnostic and full question bank, so you can gauge readiness before paying for the exam.
ScopeIs there a claude ai certification free version, or does CCA-F always cost money?
Anthropic does not offer a no-cost CCA-F sitting for the general public - any discount is set by your Anthropic Partner Network tier at checkout, not a universal free tier. The free part of this site's offering is the prep (diagnostic + question bank), not the exam fee itself.
DefinitionHow hard is the CCA-F exam?
Built around applied scenarios rather than isolated recall - 4 of Anthropic's 6 official scenarios appear on every form. The pass mark is a criterion-referenced 720 out of 1000, and items mix multiple-choice with multiple-response.
DefinitionWhat is the CCA-F pass rate?
Anthropic does not publish an official pass rate for the CCA-F. Treat any specific percentage quoted elsewhere as unverified; focus your prep on the domain weights and the free diagnostic instead of chasing a rumored number.
DefinitionHow many questions are on the CCA-F exam?
60 scored items, a mix of multiple-choice and multiple-response - each item states how many responses to select.
DefinitionHow long is the CCA-F exam?
120 minutes total for 60 questions, about 2 minutes per question on average.
How-toHow do I register for the CCA-F exam?
Registration and scheduling run through the Anthropic Partner Network (on the Anthropic Partner Academy) and Pearson VUE - partner-network access is required to register, then you schedule your proctored session (online or at a test center) with Pearson VUE.
How-toHow long should I study for the CCA-F exam, and how do I prepare?
Study time proportional to domain weight: Agentic Architecture & Orchestration (27%) and the two 20% domains together are over two-thirds of the exam. Start with the free diagnostic to find your weak domains, then work the full 60-question, 120-minute mock before booking the real exam.
ComparisonWhat is the difference between CCA-F and CCA-P (Architect - Professional)?
CCA-P is the deeper, more senior tier: it adds governance/safety/risk, stakeholder communication, and evaluation/optimization domains CCA-F does not test at the same depth, and targets architects with 3+ years of systems-architecture experience versus CCA-F's 6+ months bar.
ComparisonWhat is the difference between CCA-F and CCD-F (the claude code certification / Developer track)?
CCD-F is the hands-on developer credential - its heaviest domain, Applications & Integration, is 33.1% and is about writing and shipping code. CCA-F instead tests architecture and orchestration judgment: agentic design patterns, tool/MCP integration, and Claude Code configuration at the system level.
ComparisonWhat is the difference between CCA-F and CCA-A (Associate - Foundations)?
CCA-A is Anthropic's only non-technical certification, for consultants, sellers, and delivery/PM roles that use Claude without writing code or designing architecture - a different audience entirely from CCA-F's hands-on technical bar.
DefinitionHow long is the CCA-F certification valid?
12 months from the date it is awarded. Renewal before then is a free, non-proctored assessment on the Anthropic Partner Academy; if it lapses, you must retake the full exam at the full fee.
How-toCan I retake the CCA-F exam if I fail?
Yes, after a waiting period that increases with each failed attempt: 14 days after the first fail, 30 days after the second, 90 days after the third. You can attempt the exam up to 4 times within a rolling 12-month period, and the exam fee applies to each attempt.
ScopeDo I need to be in the Anthropic Partner Network to take the CCA-F exam?
Yes - registration and checkout for CCA-F run exclusively through the Anthropic Partner Network (via the Partner Academy); there is no direct-to-consumer registration path outside it. Once registered, you schedule your proctored session with Pearson VUE.
How-toIs there a practice exam for the CCA-F?
Yes - a free 10-question diagnostic and a full 60-question, 120-minute mock exam are both live today, sampled from the CCA-F question bank across all 5 domains.
12 · Official path vs this site

The official CCA-F path vs this site

Anthropic runs the CCA-F: you register on the Anthropic Partner Academy and the exam is delivered by Pearson VUE. This site is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic — it does not issue the credential, score it, or grant eligibility. What it does is get you ready to sit it.

The official pathWhat this site adds
Register and check out on the Partner Academy; the fee shown reflects your partner-tier discount. List price is $125.A free 5-domain diagnostic and a full-length 60-question mock, no account needed to start.
Your score report shows the percentage of items you answered correctly in each content domain, alongside the scaled score.The same per-domain read before you pay, so a weak domain costs you a study week rather than an attempt.
Retakes wait 14, then 30, then 90 days, up to four attempts in a rolling twelve months. The fee applies to every attempt.Unlimited practice attempts at no cost, scored against the same 720 cut.
The credential is valid 12 months. On-time renewal is a free, non-proctored assessment on the Partner Academy; let it lapse and you retake the full exam at the full fee.Prep that stays current with the blueprint, so renewal is a re-read rather than a re-learn.

Where the official material stops. The CCA-F exam guide publishes sample questions with an answer key and rationale printed beside them. That is the right way to show you the shape of the exam, and it is the reason those samples cannot measure you against it — you cannot sit a test whose answers you have just read. A scored attempt is the gap, and it is the one this site fills.

Confirmed against the official CCA-F exam guide. Statements about this site are our own and carry no pip. Tiers are defined in the evidence ledger.

Take the free CCA-F diagnostic →

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