Included · no account
4-question sample + 10-question diagnostic
Feel the exam style in 3 minutes, then find your weakest domain in 10. Instant per-question explanations. Nothing to sign up for.
Free courses vs paid exams
Is there a free Claude certification?
Not the exams. Anthropic Academy courses and completion badges are free; Anthropic's four certification exams are paid. Start with the diagnostic here - no account needed. Full mocks need a plan.
Diagnostic: includedNo credit card to start860 questionsExams: from $99 (Anthropic)
The short answer
What is free, and what the exams cost.
Anthropic Academy courses and completion badges are free. A badge is not the certification: the credential is a proctored exam, and Anthropic's four certification exams are paid, per attempt, to Anthropic. Fees per exam: Claude Certified Architect - Foundations (CCA-F) $125; Claude Certified Architect - Professional (CCA-P) $175; Claude Certified Developer - Foundations (CCD-F) $125; Claude Certified Associate - Foundations (CCA-A) $99. Partner-network discounts may apply; Anthropic sets eligibility.
Without an account you can take the 10-question diagnostic and the 4-question quick check. Full-length mock exams need a plan - see pricing.
Included vs paid
What every account includes
Two steps come with every account; full mocks and Pro tools need a paid plan; the official exam is a separate cost paid to Anthropic. Anything that claims otherwise - copied exam questions or guaranteed passes - is selling something else.
Included · with an account
Study/reading pages + progress tracking
An account saves your diagnostic result and gives you the study and reading pages across the five weighted domains, backed by concepts and production scenarios.
Paid plan
Full-length mock, real 720 pass bar, plus Pro study tools
Timed, stratified to the official blueprint, scored to 1000 with the real 720 cut. Pro and All-Access add the adaptive study plan, flashcards and readiness forecast.
Paid · Anthropic
The official CCA-F exam
A separate cost, paid to Anthropic, not to CAC: a proctored exam (CCA-F $125, CCA-P $175, CCD-F $125, CCA-A $99 per attempt; partner-network discounts may apply; currently Partner Network gated).
Why this split
Anthropic's courses are free; the exams are not.
The certification is new (Anthropic launched it in March 2026), so the honest split matters: learn on Anthropic Academy (free official courses with completion badges), get the diagnostic and study pages with any account, and pay CAC only for full-length mocks scored to the real 720 pass bar and the Pro study tools - Base, Pro and All-Access all cover four certifications for 90 days from confirmed payment. You then pay Anthropic separately, only when you sit the proctored exam. If you cannot register yet - the exam is currently gated through the Anthropic Partner Network - the diagnostic and study pages here are how you get ready before general access opens. The Claude knowledge library connects all of it, and — if your question was really about the product rather than the credential — whether Claude itself is free is answered separately, and the exam guide keeps the sourced facts. Review exam registration and cost before you book, and see pricing for exact plan prices.
FAQ
8 questions about a free Claude certification
Every Q is phrased as a real Google search query. Answers cite the same evidence-tagged sources used elsewhere on the site.
Is there a free Claude certification?
Not the credential. Anthropic Academy's official courses and completion badges are free, but Anthropic's four certification exams are paid, per attempt (CCA-F $125, CCA-P $175, CCD-F $125, CCA-A $99; $0 for eligible partner-company employees via the 100% partner-network discount). On this site, the 10-question diagnostic and the 4-question quick check start with no account. The 860-question bank's full mocks and the Pro study tools (adaptive plan, flashcards, readiness forecast) require a paid plan - see pricing.
What parts of the Claude certification path are free or included?
Anthropic Academy courses are free. This site also provides concepts and scenarios. The 10-question diagnostic and the quick check need no account, and every account adds the study/reading pages. Full-length mocks, scored to the real 720/1000 bar, and the Pro study tools (adaptive plan, flashcards, readiness forecast) require a paid plan - see pricing. The only cost outside CAC entirely is the official proctored exam, administered by Anthropic.
How much does the Claude certification exam cost?
$125 USD per attempt for the CCA-F per Anthropic's v1.0 exam guide (all four exams: CCA-F $125, CCA-P $175, CCD-F $125, CCA-A $99); partner-network discounts may apply, with eligibility set by Anthropic. Registration currently runs through the Anthropic Partner Network attestation on Skilljar, and the proctored exam is delivered via Pearson VUE. The fully sourced cost and eligibility facts, with an evidence label on every claim, live on the registration and cost guide.
Can I prepare for the CCA-F without paying CAC anything?
Yes, up to a point. The 4-question sample and 10-question diagnostic need no account. An account adds the study/reading pages and progress tracking. Full-length mocks and the Pro study tools (adaptive plan, flashcards, readiness forecast) require a paid plan - Base, Pro or All-Access - covering all four certifications for 90 days. See pricing for exact prices.
Is Anthropic Academy free?
Yes. Anthropic Academy is Anthropic's free, self-paced learning track - building with the Claude API, MCP, agent skills, and Claude Code - with completion badges. Important distinction: a completion badge is not the certification. The credential is the proctored CCA-F exam. The Claude certification overview explains the two tracks.
Are there free CCA-F exam seats?
Anthropic sets exam pricing and partner-network discounts; there is no public free-seat program for independents today. If you cannot register yet, use the diagnostic and study pages here so you are ready when general access opens.
Do I need a credit card to start?
No. The sample and diagnostic need no account at all. An account (email or Google sign-in, no credit card) unlocks the study/reading pages and progress tracking. A credit card is only needed if you choose to buy a plan for full mocks and the Pro study tools.
What does a paid CAC plan add?
Full-length mocks across all 860 questions, scored to the real 720/1000 bar, plus the Pro study tools: adaptive study plan, flashcards and readiness forecast. Base, Pro and All-Access all cover four certifications for 90 days from confirmed payment; Pro and All-Access add the study tools and more mock starts. See exact prices on pricing. Early learners from before the paid launch keep their existing remaining allowance of three mocks across all certifications, plus any saved XP bonus mocks.
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