# CCDV-F: Claude Certified Developer - Foundations (ccdvf)

> CCDV-F is the Claude Certified Developer - Foundations exam; people also type ccdvf and ccd-f. It has 53 questions in 120 minutes, eight weighted domains, a $125 list price and a 720/1000 pass mark (per the live exam guide). Below: the domains, the format, and free practice.

**Exam code:** CCDV-F (also written CCD-F)  
**Format:** 53 questions · 120 minutes · 8 domains · flat item pool  
**Pass mark:** 720 / 1000 · **List price:** $125 · **Validity:** 12 months via Pearson VUE  
**Canonical:** https://claudearchitectcertification.com/certifications/ccdv-f  
**Exam guide:** https://claudearchitectcertification.com/exam-guide/ccdv-f

## Overview

Claude Certified Developer - Foundations (CCD-F, officially CCDV-F) is delivered as a 53-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 drawn from a flat item pool covering every domain below.

## Domains and weights

| Domain | Weight | What it covers |
| --- | --- | --- |
| D1 · Agents & Workflows | 14.7% | Choosing between a workflow and an agent, constructing agents with the Claude Agent SDK, custom agent loops and harnesses, self-hosted vs. Anthropic-hosted deployment, and common agent design patterns via frameworks such as Strands, LangGraph, or PydanticAI. |
| D2 · Applications & Integration | 33.1% | By far the heaviest domain - about a third of the exam. Translating requirements into working code, Claude API mechanics (messages, tools, streaming, vision, thinking, caching, Batches API), core software-engineering practice, application design across interfaces, and configuration management (CLAUDE.md, settings.json, model pinning). |
| D3 · Claude Code | 3.1% | A narrow but hands-on domain: core components (Rules, Skills, Commands, Agents, Agent Memory), interaction modes, the CLAUDE.md hierarchy, repository initialization, and settings.json. It is CCA-F that weights the Claude Code CLI heavily (a dedicated 20% domain). |
| D4 · Evaluation, Testing & Debugging | 2.6% | The lightest domain: debugging and error-handling technique for Claude applications - identifying error types, selecting a recovery strategy, tracing failures to the integration layer or model output. |
| D5 · Model Selection & Optimization | 16.8% | LLM fundamentals (tokens, context windows, sampling, non-determinism), wrapping REST APIs and websockets, choosing between Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku on quality-latency-cost trade-offs, and managing tokens and cost through budgeting, caching, and cache checkpointing. |
| D6 · Prompt & Context Engineering | 11% | Context and memory management (preventing drift and bloat via pruning/compaction, isolation through subagents), prompt-engineering principles, and output handling - structured-output patterns, response validation, defensive parsing. |
| D7 · Security & Safety | 8.1% | Prompt-injection awareness and mitigation, untrusted-input handling, data-leakage prevention, PII handling, guardrails and secure-by-design deployment, Claude Hooks for deterministic guardrails, and identity/secrets/API-key management. |
| D8 · Tools & MCPs | 10.6% | Tool implementation practice (function calling, description writing, error handling, client- vs. server-side tools), MCP server development (authoring, deployment, resources, prompts, stdio vs. socket transports), and choosing among built-in tools, custom tools, Skills, and MCPs. |

## What to study, by domain

- **D1:** Workflow vs Agent: Choosing the Right Architecture, Agent Construction with the Claude Agent SDK, Agent Design Patterns & Third-Party Frameworks
- **D2:** CLAUDE.md Hierarchy, Batch API, Vision & Multimodal, Streaming, Translating Business Requirements into Claude Solutions, Systems Life Cycle Management for Claude Applications, Software Engineering Foundations for Claude Applications, Claude Application Design Across Interfaces
- **D3:** 
- **D4:** Debugging LLM System Failures
- **D5:** Prompt Caching, Claude Model Selection & Tradeoffs, LLM Fundamentals: Tokens, Sampling & Non-Determinism, Technical Fundamentals: SDKs, REST, and WebSockets
- **D6:** Structured Outputs, Attention Engineering, Prompt Engineering Techniques, Context Window Management
- **D7:** SDK Hooks (Pre/PostToolUse), Authentication & Access Control for Agent Systems, Guardrails & Safe Deployment Practices, AI Application Security: Prompt Injection & Untrusted Input
- **D8:** Tool Calling, Model Context Protocol (MCP), Built-In Tools vs Custom Tools vs Skills vs MCP

## Is the CCD-F certification worth it?

Yes, if you build, integrate, and ship Claude-powered applications, agents, or workflows for work - the CCD-F is Anthropic's claude code certification for exactly that scope.

Its heaviest domain, Applications & Integration, is 33.1% of the exam, covering Claude API mechanics, core software-engineering practice, and application design across Claude Code, Desktop, claude.ai, API, and SDKs. That makes CCD-F distinct from CCA-F's architecture focus and CCA-P's senior-ownership focus. At $125 it matches CCA-F's list price and undercuts CCA-P's $175.

## Who should take the CCD-F?

AI/ML engineers and senior software engineers shipping production Claude apps, agents, and workflows are the intended CCD-F audience - this is Anthropic's claude developer certification, not an architecture or non-technical credential.

There are no mandatory prerequisites or courses, but Anthropic recommends 1-5 years of software-engineering experience, 6+ months hands-on with Claude or a comparable LLM system, proficiency in Python and/or TypeScript, and fluency with REST APIs and CLI tools. Non-technical roles fit CCA-A instead.

## How much does the CCD-F cost? Is it free?

$125 USD list price through Pearson VUE - the same as the CCA-F flagship exam. The checkout price you actually pay reflects any discount that applies to your partner tier.

The exam fee is not free, but the prep is: a free diagnostic sampled across all 8 CCD-F domains, a weakest-domain warm-up, and a full-length timed 53-question mock are all live on this site at no cost.

## How hard is the CCD-F? Format + pass rate

The CCD-F is a 53-question, 120-minute exam scored on a 100-1,000 scale with a 720 pass mark - a criterion-referenced bar, not a percentile. Anthropic does not publish an official pass rate.

At 53 items over 120 minutes, CCD-F allows about 2.3 minutes per question - the most time-per-question of any of the 4 Claude certifications - but the content leans heavily technical: Applications & Integration alone is a third of the exam, and Model Selection & Optimization (16.8%) tests LLM fundamentals like tokens, context windows, and sampling.

## How long should I prepare for the CCD-F?

Applications & Integration (33.1%) and Model Selection & Optimization (16.8%) together are just under half the CCD-F exam - prioritize hands-on API, tool, and caching practice over memorized definitions.

Start with the free diagnostic to find your weakest of the 8 domains, use the warm-up to close the biggest gap, then work the full 53-question, 120-minute mock before booking. Note Claude Code itself is only 3.1% here.

## CCD-F compared with the other Claude certifications

- **CCA-F:** CCA-F (the flagship) tests broad agentic-architecture and design judgment; CCD-F tests hands-on shipping - API integration, tool/MCP construction, model selection, and the testing/security work of a working production system.
- **CCA-P:** CCA-P tests senior architecture, governance, and stakeholder communication - owning a system's design and lifecycle. CCD-F is squarely aimed at engineers who write and ship the code.
- **CCA-A:** CCA-A is Anthropic's non-technical certification and assumes no coding or API experience; CCD-F is the opposite end of the spectrum, assuming Python/TypeScript proficiency and REST API fluency as a baseline.

## Official path and what this site adds

| Official (Anthropic / Pearson VUE) | Here |
| --- | --- |
| Register and check out on the Partner Academy; the fee shown reflects your partner-tier discount. List price is $125. | A free 8-domain diagnostic and a full-length 53-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. |

## Free practice

- Diagnostic: https://claudearchitectcertification.com/practice/diagnostic?start=1&cert=ccdv-f
- Quick check (exam questions with answers): https://claudearchitectcertification.com/practice/quick-check/ccdv-f
- Warm-up: https://claudearchitectcertification.com/practice/warmup/ccdv-f

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: Is there a claude code certification?** _(Definition)_

Yes - the Claude Certified Developer - Foundations (CCD-F, exam code CCDV-F) is Anthropic's hands-on builder certification: a 53-question, 120-minute, proctored exam scored out of 1000 with a 720 pass mark.

**Q: Is there a separate claude api certification?** _(Scope)_

Not as a standalone credential - Claude API mechanics (messages, tools, streaming, vision, caching, Batches API) are tested inside CCD-F's Applications & Integration domain, which at 33.1% is by far the heaviest domain on the exam.

**Q: Who should take the CCD-F exam?** _(Scope)_

AI/ML engineers and senior software engineers shipping production Claude apps, agents, and workflows. Anthropic recommends (but does not require) 1-5 years of software-engineering experience, 6+ months hands-on with Claude, and proficiency in Python and/or TypeScript.

**Q: How much does the CCD-F certification cost?** _(Definition)_

$125 USD list price - the same as the CCA-F flagship exam. The checkout price shown reflects any discount that applies to your partner tier.

**Q: How many questions are on the CCD-F exam, and how long is it?** _(Definition)_

53 scored items over 120 minutes - about 2.3 minutes per question, the most time-per-question of any of the 4 Claude certifications.

**Q: How do I register for the CCD-F exam?** _(How-to)_

Registration and scheduling run through the Anthropic Partner Network (on the Anthropic Partner Academy) and Pearson VUE - partner-network access is required. Register on the Partner Academy, complete checkout (the fee reflects your partner-tier discount), then schedule your proctored session with Pearson VUE.

**Q: Why is Claude Code only a small part of the CCD-F?** _(Scope)_

Claude Code is a narrow, hands-on domain at just 3.1% of CCD-F - it covers core components, interaction modes, and configuration, but it is CCA-F, the Architect exam, that dedicates a full 20% domain to Claude Code configuration and workflows.

**Q: What is the difference between CCD-F and CCA-F (Architect - Foundations)?** _(Comparison)_

CCD-F's heaviest domain, Applications & Integration, is weighted far above anything on CCA-F. CCA-F tests broad agentic-architecture and design judgment; CCD-F tests hands-on shipping - API integration, tool/MCP construction, model selection, and testing/security.

**Q: How long is the CCD-F certification valid, and how do I renew it?** _(Definition)_

12 months from the date it is awarded. Renewal before then is a free, non-proctored assessment on the Anthropic Partner Academy; if the credential lapses, you must retake the full exam at the full fee.

**Q: Can I retake the CCD-F exam if I fail?** _(How-to)_

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. Up to 4 attempts within a rolling 12-month period, and the exam fee applies to each attempt.

**Q: Do I need to be in the Anthropic Partner Network to take the CCD-F exam?** _(Scope)_

Yes - CCD-F registration runs exclusively through the Anthropic Partner Network (via the Partner Academy), with Pearson VUE handling scheduling and delivery. There is no direct-to-consumer registration path.

**Q: Is there a practice exam for the CCD-F?** _(How-to)_

Yes - a free diagnostic, a weakest-domain warm-up, and a full-length timed 53-question mock are all live today, sampled from the CCD-F question bank across all 8 domains.

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