# Claude Certified Architect exam guide: 60 questions, 720 to pass > The Claude Certified Architect exam is sixty scenario questions in 120 minutes, scored out of 1000 with 720 to pass, delivered by Pearson VUE. This guide covers the format, the five domains, registration and cost, and links the official exam guide PDF for each cert. **Canonical:** https://claudearchitectcertification.com/exam-guide **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-11 ## Hero stats - Questions: **60** (evidence 🟢) - Time limit: **120 min** (evidence 🟢) - Passing score: **720 / 1000** (evidence 🟢) - Domains: **5** (evidence 🟢) - Scenarios in pool: **13** (evidence 🟡) - Exam fee: **$125 USD** (evidence 🟢) - Validity: **12 months** (evidence 🟢) ## Five domains and weights ### D1 - Agentic Architecture & Orchestration (27%) The largest single domain. Tests whether you can pick the right orchestration shape for a given problem: single agent, hub-and-spoke with subagents, or multi-agent coordination. You will see questions about Agent SDK loop structure, Messages API stop_reason values, and the rule that subagents never inherit parent context. Key concepts: agentic-loops, subagents, stop-reason, session-state, escalation. ### D2 - Tool Design & MCP Integration (18%) Tool descriptions as the deterministic selector, the four isError categories, the 18-tool degradation cliff, and how tool_choice modes change behavior. MCP questions focus on when to expose a capability as a tool versus a skill. Key concepts: tool-calling, tool-choice, mcp, evaluation. ### D3 - Claude Code Configuration & Workflows (20%) CLAUDE.md hierarchy and precedence, YAML frontmatter glob scoping, Skills frontmatter shape, when to enter Plan Mode, and how to wire Claude Code into CI/CD with the -p headless flag. Expect at least one question on PostToolUse hooks. Key concepts: claude-md-hierarchy, skills, plan-mode, hooks. ### D4 - Prompt Engineering & Structured Output (20%) tool_use as the canonical structured-output mechanism, JSON schema validation with retry loops, few-shot for determinism, and the 4D framework for prompt construction. Expect to choose between several plausible-looking prompts based on attention-engineering principles. Key concepts: structured-outputs, prompt-engineering-techniques, 4d-framework, attention-engineering, system-prompts. ### D5 - Context Management & Reliability (15%) The progressive-summarization trap, lost-in-the-middle, structured HITL handoff patterns, prompt caching with CacheControlEphemeral, and the case-facts block discipline. The smallest domain by weight but the most common source of careless wrong answers. Key concepts: context-window, prompt-caching, case-facts-block, checkpoints, escalation. ## Scenario pool The official Anthropic exam guide PDF (🟢 Feb 10 2025) lists 6 scenarios. The real exam (🟢 launched 2026-03-12) draws from 13. Both are true at the same time, and the gap is the single most common point of confusion for candidates relying on stale prep material. Here is the reconciliation. The PDF was authored a full thirteen months before the exam went live. Between the PDF date and launch, Anthropic shipped the Agent Skills primitive, expanded the Claude Code surface, and published the Conversational AI patterns guidance. The scenario pool grew with the product. The PDF was not updated; the exam was. Beta cohort write-ups (🟢 zintaen 985/1000, paullarionov, this author 791/1000) all confirm scenarios beyond the original six were sat in the live exam. What this means for you. Treat the six PDF scenarios as the load-bearing core. Treat the additional seven as the surface area Anthropic added between authoring and launch. Both blocks are fair game. We mark each entry below with `inOfficialGuide` so you can see the split at a glance and prioritize accordingly. If a competitor prep site tells you there are only six scenarios, they have not updated their material since early 2025. If they tell you there are 13 without flagging which six are PDF-canonical, they are blurring the source distinction. We keep both visible because that is the only way to study honestly against this exam. - 1. **Customer Support Resolution Agent** (in Anthropic's official PDF) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/customer-support-resolution-agent - 2. **Code Generation with Claude Code** (in Anthropic's official PDF) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/code-generation-with-claude-code - 3. **Multi-Agent Research System** (in Anthropic's official PDF) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/multi-agent-research-system - 4. **Developer Productivity Tools** (in Anthropic's official PDF) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/developer-productivity-agent - 5. **Claude Code in CI/CD** (in Anthropic's official PDF) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/claude-code-for-cicd - 6. **Structured Data Extraction** (in Anthropic's official PDF) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/structured-data-extraction - 7. **Agentic Tool Design** (added after PDF publication) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/agentic-tool-design - 8. **Long Document Processing** (added after PDF publication) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/long-document-processing - 9. **Claude for Operations** (added after PDF publication) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/claude-for-operations - 10. **Conversational AI Patterns** (added after PDF publication) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/conversational-ai-patterns - 11. **Agent Skills for Enterprise KM** (added after PDF publication) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/agent-skills-for-enterprise-km - 12. **Agent Skills for Developer Tooling** (added after PDF publication) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/agent-skills-for-developer-tooling - 13. **Agent Skills with Code Execution** (added after PDF publication) - https://claudearchitectcertification.com/scenarios/agent-skills-with-code-execution ## Format, proctoring and scoring The format is tightly defined and lightly documented. Anthropic publishes the headline numbers; the proctoring detail comes from the Skilljar entitlement flow and beta cohort reports. Here is the consolidated picture, with each item tagged for source quality. Read the proctoring rules before you schedule. Several beta candidates lost their seat for trivial setup mistakes (a second monitor connected, a phone visible on the desk, a tab open that the proctor flagged). The exam is closed-book and the room sweep is real. - **Question shape:** 60 scenario-based items: multiple-choice + multiple-response (evidence 🟢) — The v1.0 guide confirms a mix of multiple-choice and multiple-response items; each item states how many responses to select. Read the instruction line on every item - do not assume single-answer (beta-cohort reports saw mostly single-answer, but the guide is authoritative). - **Time limit:** 120 minutes total (evidence 🟡) — Approximately 2 minutes per question. The clock does not pause. - **Per-question time:** No per-question cap (evidence 🟡) — You can spend 30 seconds on easy questions and 4 minutes on hard ones; the total budget is what matters. - **Delivery:** Online-proctored or test center (evidence 🟢) — The v1.0 guide states delivery as "proctored: online proctored and/or test center, per program policy." Proctored delivery is through Pearson VUE (partner materials); entitlement in the beta cohort ran through the Skilljar/Anthropic Academy attestation. - **Book status:** Closed-book (evidence 🟢) — No notes, no documentation, no second tab, no second monitor. - **Claude open during exam?:** No (evidence 🟢) — You cannot have Claude.ai, Claude Code, or any Anthropic surface running. The proctor will fail the room sweep if it is open. - **Webcam:** Required, on for the full session (evidence 🟢) — Standard online-proctoring policy. A second face in the room ends the session. - **Screen share:** Required, full desktop (evidence 🟢) — Not just the browser tab. The proctor sees your full screen. - **Breaks:** No scheduled breaks (evidence 🟡) — If you leave the room or the camera, the proctor may end the session. - **Scoring model:** Scaled score, 720 / 1000 to pass (evidence 🟡) — Equating across forms; raw question count to pass is not published. - **Guessing penalty:** None (evidence 🟡) — Answer every question. A blank is identical to a wrong answer. - **Result delivery:** 2 business days (Anthropic) / 7-10 days (community) (evidence 🟠) — Set expectations to the longer window; the badge is issued on Credly (Anthropic's badge platform as of 2026). ## Frequently asked questions **Q: What is CCA-F?** CCA-F is short for the Claude Certified Architect - Foundations exam, also searched as the 'Claude Certified Architect exam' - Anthropic's official certification for engineers who design, build, and operate Claude-powered agents. It is a 60-question, 120-minute, online-proctored, closed-book exam scored out of 1000 with a 720 pass mark, launched 2026-03-12 through the Anthropic Partner Network. (🟢) **Q: How do you get Claude certified?** Register for the CCA-F through Anthropic's Skilljar flow (partner-employer attestation), study the five weighted domains, then pass the 60-question proctored exam at 720/1000. Start with the free practice test (the 10-question diagnostic, no login) to find your weak domains, then work a study plan. (🟢) **Q: Is it called the Claude certification or the Anthropic certification?** Both name the same credential: the Claude Certified Architect - Foundations (CCA-F), issued by Anthropic. 'Claude certification', 'Anthropic certification', and 'Anthropic Claude certification' are all common search names for the CCA-F. (🟢) **Q: How long is the Claude Certified Architect Foundations exam?** 120 minutes total for 60 scenario-based multiple-choice questions, which works out to roughly 2 minutes per question. (🟡 public consensus across beta cohort write-ups.) **Q: What is the passing score for the CCA-F exam?** 720 out of 1000 on a scaled score. (🟡) Anthropic does not publish the raw question count required, because the form is equated. **Q: How many questions are on the Claude Architect exam?** 60 scenario-based items in a mix of multiple-choice and multiple-response; each item states how many responses to select. (🟢, v1.0 guide) Beta-cohort reports saw mostly single-answer items, but the guide confirms multi-response items exist - read the instruction on each item. **Q: How many domains does the CCA-F cover?** Five. Agentic Architecture & Orchestration (27%), Tool Design & MCP Integration (18%), Claude Code Configuration & Workflows (20%), Prompt Engineering & Structured Output (20%), and Context Management & Reliability (15%). (🟡 sample-PDF and Preporato consensus.) **Q: Are there any multi-select questions on the CCA-F?** Yes. (🟢, v1.0 guide) The guide specifies a mix of multiple-choice and multiple-response items, and each item states how many responses to select - so read the instruction line on every item and select exactly that many. Beta-cohort reports saw mostly single-answer items, but do not assume single-answer. **Q: Is there a guessing penalty on the CCA-F exam?** No. (🟡) Answer every question. A blank is scored identically to a wrong answer, so always commit to your best guess. **Q: What is the time limit per question on the Claude Architect exam?** There is no per-question cap. (🟡) The 120-minute total budget is what matters; you can spend 30 seconds on easy questions and bank time for the harder ones. **Q: Is the CCA-F exam open-book?** No. (🟢) The exam is closed-book, online-proctored, and the proctor verifies a clean desk and a full-screen share before starting. **Q: How long is the CCA-F certification valid?** 12 months from the date the credential is awarded, per Anthropic's version 1.0 exam guide (effective July 2026). (🟢) The figure has been corrected twice: competitor prep sites still say '2 years' (an LLM hallucination); the beta-era Skilljar entitlement page showed six months (confirmed by user Sea_Creme5238 on r/ClaudeAI thread 1ruf70b, seven-plus commenters corroborating); the v1.0 guide then set the standard at 12 months. Trust the guide. **Q: Why do other prep sites say the CCA-F is valid for 2 years?** Because they copied each other and never checked a primary source. (🟢) The current validity, per Anthropic's v1.0 exam guide (effective July 2026), is 12 months from the award date - not 2 years. (The beta-era Skilljar entitlement page showed six months before the guide superseded it.) Trust the official guide, not the SEO clones quoting each other. Badges are reissued on Credly in 2026, so you can confirm the date on your Credly badge. **Q: Do I need to recertify for the CCA-F?** Yes for the standard certificate, after 12 months (per the v1.0 exam guide). (🟢) The Early Adopter badge awarded to the beta cohort has no expiration and does not require recertification. (🟢) **Q: Is the Early Adopter badge permanent?** Yes. (🟢) The Early Adopter badge was awarded only to the beta cohort that sat the exam before general launch on 2026-03-12 and carries no expiration. It is not awarded post-launch. **Q: Anthropic is moving my Claude certification badge to Credly - what do I do?** Anthropic announced in 2026 that Claude certification badges are being reissued on Credly, its badge platform. You will get an email from Credly with a link to your reissued Claude Certified Architect badge. Open it, accept the badge, and it lands in your Credly profile, ready to share to LinkedIn or embed. Your certification itself is unchanged. (🟡 per Anthropic's 2026 certificate-holder email; the Credly reissue was announced but the badge platform migration is still rolling out.) **Q: Is my Claude Certified Architect certification still valid after the platform change?** Yes. Anthropic confirmed that existing Claude Certified Architect certifications stand and nothing you earned is affected by the move to new certification platforms. The badge is being reissued on Credly (watch for the acceptance email); the credential you passed is unchanged. (🟡 per Anthropic's 2026 certificate-holder email.) **Q: How do I register for the Claude Architect Foundations exam?** Through the Skilljar entitlement flow triggered by Anthropic Partner Network attestation. (🟢) Your employer must be in the Partner Network and you must use a corporate email on a recognized corporate domain. Personal email addresses are rejected. **Q: What is the Anthropic Partner Network?** Anthropic's formal partner program, announced alongside the certification launch on 2026-03-12 at anthropic.com/news/claude-partner-network. (🟢) Partner-employer attestation is the eligibility gate for the CCA-F exam during the current access phase. **Q: Why was my @gmail.com address rejected when I tried to register?** Because the Skilljar attestation flow requires a corporate email on a recognized corporate domain. (🟢) Personal addresses (gmail, outlook, yahoo, icloud) cannot map to a partner employer. Use your work email. **Q: What if my employer is not in the Anthropic Partner Network?** Wait for general access or use the Skilljar public catalog for learning. (🟢) We do not publish workarounds for non-partner employees; the eligibility gate is intentional and bypassing it puts your future certificate at risk. **Q: How long do I have to take the exam after I register?** Per the Skilljar entitlement window. (🟠) Beta cohort reports indicate a 30-day scheduling window from entitlement issuance, but Anthropic does not publish a fixed number. Confirm the date on your Skilljar dashboard. **Q: Can I have notes open during the CCA-F exam?** No. (🟢) Closed-book means closed-book. No notes, no scratch paper without proctor approval, no second monitor, no second tab. **Q: Can I have Claude open during the CCA-F exam?** No. (🟢) You cannot have Claude.ai, Claude Code, the API console, or any Anthropic surface running. The proctor will flag it during the room sweep and end the session. **Q: What proctoring software is used for the Claude Architect exam?** Pearson VUE. (🟡) The v1.0 exam guide states delivery only as "proctored: online proctored and/or test center, per program policy" without naming a vendor; partner materials identify Pearson VUE as the proctored-delivery platform. The session uses standard screen-share plus webcam recording, consistent across beta cohort reports. **Q: Are two monitors allowed during the CCA-F exam?** No. (🟢) Disconnect or unplug your second monitor before the room sweep. The proctor will fail the session if a second display is detected. **Q: Can I take a break during the CCA-F exam?** No scheduled breaks. (🟡) If you leave the camera frame or the room, the proctor may end the session. Plan to sit the full 120 minutes in one stretch. **Q: Is the Claude Certified Architect certification worth it?** If you design, build, or operate Claude-powered agents for work, yes. The CCA-F is Anthropic's foundational architect credential for exactly those skills (the Professional level, CCA-P, goes deeper). The standard exam fee is $125 (v1.0 guide), and eligible partner-company employees get a 100% partner-network discount to $0. It is new (launched 2026-03-12), so treat it as an early-mover signal rather than an established industry standard. (🟠 this is a judgment call, not an Anthropic claim.) **Q: How much does the Claude Architect Foundations exam cost?** $125 USD, per Anthropic's version 1.0 exam guide (effective July 2026). (🟢) Eligible partner-company employees get a 100% partner-network discount that takes it to $0 (partner materials). During the beta cohort the figure quoted was $99 with the first 5,000 partner-employee seats free; the v1.0 guide sets the standard fee at $125. **Q: Is the CCA-F exam free for partner employees?** For eligible partner-company employees, yes - Anthropic runs a 100% partner-network discount that takes the $125 list fee to $0 (partner materials). (🟡) During the beta this took the form of the first 5,000 partner-employee seats being free. Confirm your eligibility with your partner-network admin before assuming a free seat. **Q: Is recertification free for the CCA-F?** Anthropic has not published a separate recertification fee structure. (🔴) Plan for the standard $125 unless your partner agreement covers it. We will update this answer when Anthropic surfaces a recert SKU. **Q: How hard is the Claude Architect Foundations exam?** Calibrated for working AI engineers, not absolute beginners. (🟡) The beta pass rate is not public. The questions punish surface-level Claude knowledge: you need to know the orchestration shapes, the stop_reason values, the Skills frontmatter, and the case-facts-block discipline by reflex, not by recall. **Q: What score should I hit on the mock exam before sitting the real one?** Aim for 850 / 1000 on our mock exam before booking. (🟡) The mock is calibrated to the real exam's domain weights and difficulty; an 850 mock typically maps to a comfortable 720+ real-exam pass with margin for nerves and ambiguous questions. **Q: How long should I study for the Claude Architect exam?** Two to four weeks at 60-90 minutes a day if you already build with Claude. (🟡) Six to eight weeks if you are coming in cold on Agent SDK, MCP, and Claude Code. The 27% Agentic domain rewards repetition more than any other. **Q: Is the real CCA-F exam harder than the mock?** About the same difficulty when the mock is calibrated correctly. (🟡) The real exam has more curveballs in the 27% Agentic domain and slightly cleaner phrasing in Claude Code questions. If you are passing the mock at 850+, the real exam is well within reach. **Q: When did the Claude Certified Architect Foundations exam launch?** 2026-03-12, alongside the Anthropic Partner Network announcement. (🟢) Source: anthropic.com/news/claude-partner-network. The beta cohort sat the exam earlier and received the Early Adopter badge. **Q: Is CCA-F the same as a CCAF certificate?** In the context of Anthropic's Claude certification program, yes - "CCA-F," "CCAF," and "CCAF certificate" all refer to the same credential: the Claude Certified Architect - Foundations (also written Claude Certified Architect – Foundations, with an en dash). Anthropic's materials hyphenate it as CCA-F; CCAF (no hyphen) is a common variant spelling people search for. (🟡) Outside that context, "CCAF" is also the Community College of the Air Force - an unrelated credential with no connection to Claude or Anthropic. ## Sources - Official Anthropic: Claude Certified Architect Foundations Exam Guide (PDF, Feb 10 2025) (evidence 🟢) — The canonical document. 30+ pages covering format, six PDF-canonical scenarios, and domain structure. - Official Anthropic: Anthropic Partner Network announcement — https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-partner-network (evidence 🟢) — Confirms 2026-03-12 launch date and partner-employer eligibility model. - Official Anthropic: CCA-F Exam Guide v1.0 (effective July 2026) (evidence 🟢) — The authoritative source: $125 fee, 12-month validity, 60 items, 4 scenarios from a bank of 6, 720/1000. Supersedes beta-era figures. - Official Anthropic: Skilljar entitlement page (validity inspection, beta cohort) (evidence 🟢) — Surfaced the 6-month validity that killed the '2-year' hallucination during the beta; since superseded by the v1.0 guide's 12 months. - Community: zintaen, The Architect's Playbook (985/1000 debrief) (evidence 🟡) — Highest-scoring beta cohort write-up; corroborates scenario pool expansion beyond the official six. - Community: paullarionov, claude_architect_study_guide.pdf (evidence 🟡) — Independent beta cohort study guide. Cross-checks domain weights and confirms scenario coverage. - Community: r/ClaudeAI thread 1ruf70b (Sea_Creme5238 + 7 corroborators) (evidence 🟢) — The thread that broke the '2 years validity' hallucination via Skilljar screenshot. Single most load-bearing community source on this page. - Skilljar: Skilljar entitlement flow (registration, attestation) (evidence 🟢) — The enrollment and attestation platform (Anthropic Academy) for the exam. Authoritative on registration mechanics. Badge issuance moved to Credly in 2026, and proctored exam delivery moved to Pearson VUE. --- Cite the canonical HTML page: https://claudearchitectcertification.com/exam-guide