# CCA-A (CCAO-F) exam guide: 60 questions, 720 to pass

> Client-facing / delivery practitioners (consultants, sellers, delivery, ops, PM). Non-technical.

**Format:** 60 questions · 120 minutes · 7 domains · 720 / 1000 to pass  
**List price:** $99 · **Validity:** 12 months · **Delivery:** Pearson VUE  
**Evidence badges:** Guide v1.0 · July 2026 (green) · 60 Qs · 120 min (yellow) · 720 / 1000 to pass (yellow) · Validity: 12 months (green) · Pearson VUE (orange)  
**Canonical:** https://claudearchitectcertification.com/exam-guide/ccao-f  
**Certification hub:** https://claudearchitectcertification.com/certifications/ccao-f

## Is this the right exam?

The CCA-A has no prerequisite courses, exams, or prior experience requirements - the credential is awarded on exam performance alone. Registration for these certifications is through the Anthropic Partner Network (on the Anthropic Partner Academy) - partner-network access is required; you then schedule your proctored session with Pearson VUE. Walk this path top to bottom before you schedule.

## Domains and weights

The same blueprint summarized as discrete Q&A so AI assistants can lift one domain at a time. Weights mirror the table above.

| Domain | Weight | What it covers |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CCAOF-D1 · Prompting & Task Execution | 14% | Creating effective prompts for business and technical tasks, applying task-decomposition techniques to structure complex requests, iterating prompts to improve output quality, and adapting prompting strategy to the task type - analysis, research, drafting, or brainstorming. |
| CCAOF-D2 · Output Evaluation & Validation | 21% | The most heavily weighted domain. Evaluating Claude-generated output for accuracy and completeness, identifying hallucinations, inconsistencies, and bias, applying fact-checking and validation technique, judging when human review or additional verification is required, and editing, adapting, and formatting outputs (artifacts, inline, structured data) for the intended audience. |
| CCAOF-D3 · Product & Model Selection | 12% | Selecting the right Claude product feature for a task (Projects, research mode, chat, artifacts), differentiating Claude's model tiers (Haiku, Sonnet, Opus), aligning model choice to cost/speed/quality requirements, and managing context limitations and memory - when to restart, summarize, or persist. |
| CCAOF-D4 · Workflow Integration & Solution Design | 16% | Using Claude to analyze requirements and use cases, leveraging it for research, planning, and process optimization, supporting solution design and iteration, integrating Claude into existing workflows to augment or redesign them, and communicating Claude's value and limitations to stakeholders. |
| CCAOF-D5 · Configuration & Knowledge Management | 12% | Configuring Claude Projects with instructions and knowledge sources, managing uploaded knowledge and connectors (e.g. Google Drive, Gmail), writing effective system-level instructions, and keeping configurations, knowledge sources, and instructions current over time. |
| CCAOF-D6 · Governance, Risk & Responsible Use | 15% | Identifying appropriate versus inappropriate AI use cases, applying data-sensitivity, regulatory, and privacy considerations before data enters Claude, following organizational AI governance policy, and reasoning through the ethical implications of AI usage. |
| CCAOF-D7 · Troubleshooting & Optimization | 10% | The smallest domain by weight: identifying, diagnosing, and resolving issues with underperforming prompts or weak output, adjusting approach based on feedback and results, and optimizing workflows for efficiency and effectiveness - fixing the workflow, not just the one output. |

**Q: What is CCAOF-D2 (Output Evaluation & Validation) and how much of the CCA-A does it weight?**

Output Evaluation & Validation is the heaviest domain at 21% of the CCA-A. It covers evaluating Claude-generated output for accuracy and completeness, identifying hallucinations and bias, applying fact-checking technique, and adapting outputs for the intended audience.

**Q: What is CCAOF-D4 (Workflow Integration & Solution Design) and what weight does it carry?**

Workflow Integration & Solution Design is 16% of the CCA-A, the second-heaviest domain. It tests using Claude for requirements analysis, research and planning, integrating Claude into existing workflows, and communicating Claude's value and limitations to stakeholders.

**Q: What is CCAOF-D6 (Governance, Risk & Responsible Use) and what weight does it carry?**

Governance, Risk & Responsible Use is 15% of the CCA-A. It covers identifying appropriate vs. inappropriate AI use cases, data-sensitivity and privacy considerations, organizational AI governance policy, and the ethical implications of AI usage.

**Q: What is the lightest-weighted domain on the CCA-A exam?**

Troubleshooting and Optimization (CCAOF-D7) at 10% - the smallest domain. It covers diagnosing underperforming prompts or weak output, adjusting approach based on feedback, and optimizing workflows for efficiency.

**Q: Why is Output Evaluation weighted so heavily on a non-technical exam?**

Because the CCA-A is built for people who use Claude without writing code - their core professional risk is trusting a fluent-but-wrong output. At 21%, Output Evaluation & Validation is the single heaviest domain, reflecting that judging, fact-checking, and adapting Claude's output is the exam's central skill, more heavily weighted than prompting itself (14%).

**Q: What is the full domain-weight breakdown for the CCA-A exam?**

The seven competency domains sum to 100%: Prompting and Task Execution 14%, Output Evaluation and Validation 21%, Product and Model Selection 12%, Workflow Integration and Solution Design 16%, Configuration and Knowledge Management 12%, Governance/Risk and Responsible Use 15%, Troubleshooting and Optimization 10%.

## Scenarios

CCA-A currently ships 5 dedicated scenarios: Client Deliverable Drafting and Validation, Choosing the Right Claude Product and Model, Embedding Claude in a Delivery Workflow, Responsible Use and Governance Decision, and Troubleshooting a Weak Claude Output - each walked as a full non-technical workflow (source material, validation pass, sign-off record, no code). Filter to CCA-A on the scenarios hub to study them in isolation.

## Format, proctoring and scoring

The format is tightly defined in Anthropic's version 1.0 exam guide. Read the proctoring rules before you schedule - a clean workspace and a full room sweep are non-negotiable, whether you test online or at a Pearson VUE test center.

- **Items:** 60 scored questions (evidence 🟢) — Number of items on the live exam (exam guide §5, Exam Details at a Glance).
- **Time limit:** 120 minutes total (evidence 🟢) — Same across all 4 Claude certifications.
- **Item format:** Multiple-choice and multiple-response (evidence 🟢) — Each item states how many responses to select - read the instruction line on every item.
- **Passing score:** Scaled score of 720 on a 100-1,000 scale (evidence 🟢) — Criterion-referenced: a formal standard-setting study set the cut score against a fixed performance standard, not against other candidates.
- **Result reporting:** Pass/fail with scaled score, plus percent-correct by domain (evidence 🟢) — Domain-level percentages help you see your own performance but are NOT used to determine pass/fail - only the total scaled score is.
- **Delivery:** Online-proctored or test center via Pearson VUE (evidence 🟢) — Testing online, you must remain within view of the proctor and webcam for the entire session.
- **Identification:** Valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID (evidence 🟢) — The name on your ID must match the name on your registration exactly.
- **Workspace rules:** Effectively closed and proctored (evidence 🟢) — Keep your workspace clear of notes, books, phones, and secondary monitors; refrain from communicating with anyone during the exam; do not capture, copy, photograph, or reproduce any exam content.
- **Prohibited items:** Mobile phones, smart watches, headphones, study materials, recording devices (evidence 🟢) — Any permitted items (e.g. proctor-provided scratch paper) are specified by Pearson VUE at your session.
- **Misconduct:** Invalidation of result, revocation of credential, ban from future exams (evidence 🟢) — Applies to cheating, attempting to access prohibited resources, or disclosing exam content.
- **Appeals:** Within 14 days, submitted to Pearson VUE (evidence 🟢) — 14 days of the decision notification, or of your exam date for a result concern. The standard-setting outcome and individual item content are not subject to appeal.
- **Cancel / reschedule:** Up to 24 hours before your appointment (evidence 🟢) — Changes made within 24 hours forfeit the exam fee. A no-show or late arrival past the permitted window also forfeits the fee and requires re-registration.

## Free practice

- Diagnostic: https://claudearchitectcertification.com/practice/diagnostic?start=1&cert=ccao-f
- Quick check: https://claudearchitectcertification.com/practice/quick-check/ccao-f
- Warm-up: https://claudearchitectcertification.com/practice/warmup/ccao-f

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: What is the Claude Certified Associate - Foundations (CCA-A) exam?** _(definition)_

The CCA-A (exam code CCAO-F) is Anthropic's non-technical certification. It is a 60-question, 120-minute, proctored exam scored out of 1000 with a 720 pass mark, targeting consultants, sellers, delivery leads, and PMs who use Claude as a productivity tool without writing code.

**Q: How do I register for the CCA-A 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 to register: go to the CCA-A certification page on the Partner Academy, review the exam guide and terms, register and complete checkout (the fee reflects your partner-tier discount), then use the confirmation instructions to create a Pearson VUE account and schedule your session (online-proctored or a test center).

**Q: How many questions are on the CCA-A exam?** _(definition)_

60 scored items, a mix of multiple-choice and multiple-response - each item states how many responses to select.

**Q: How long is the CCA-A exam?** _(definition)_

120 minutes total for 60 questions, exactly 2 minutes per question on average.

**Q: What is the passing score for the CCA-A exam?** _(definition)_

A scaled score of 720 on a 100-1,000 scale, set by a formal standard-setting study - a criterion-referenced bar, not a percentile against other candidates.

**Q: How much does the CCA-A exam cost?** _(definition)_

$99 USD list price - the lowest of any Claude certification. The checkout price shown reflects any discount that applies to your partner tier.

**Q: How long is the CCA-A certification valid?** _(definition)_

12 months from the date the credential is awarded, per Anthropic's version 1.0 exam guide (effective July 2026).

**Q: How do I renew my CCA-A certification?** _(how-to)_

Before your 12 months are up, review what has changed since you certified and complete a free, non-proctored assessment on the Anthropic Partner Academy - there is no fee for on-time renewal. If your credential lapses, you must retake the full exam at the full fee.

**Q: Can I retake the CCA-A 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. You can attempt the exam up to 4 times within a rolling 12-month period, and the exam fee applies to each attempt.

**Q: How many domains does the CCA-A exam cover?** _(definition)_

Seven: Prompting and Task Execution (14%), Output Evaluation and Validation (21%), Product and Model Selection (12%), Workflow Integration and Solution Design (16%), Configuration and Knowledge Management (12%), Governance/Risk and Responsible Use (15%), Troubleshooting and Optimization (10%).

**Q: What is the difference between the CCA-A and the CCA-F, CCA-P, and CCD-F?** _(comparison)_

CCA-A is the only Claude certification built for non-technical, client-facing roles - it assumes no coding or API experience. CCA-F, CCA-P, and CCD-F all assume hands-on technical work (architecture, senior architecture, or software engineering respectively); CCA-A instead focuses on prompting, evaluating output, and choosing the right product and model for a task.

**Q: Do I need to know how to code to take the CCA-A exam?** _(scope)_

No. The CCA-A is explicitly not intended for software developers who build against APIs or design agentic systems, nor for machine-learning or software-engineering specialists. Candidates are not expected to design enterprise-scale AI architectures or integrations - that scope belongs to the Architect and Developer credentials.

**Q: Who is eligible to take the CCA-A exam?** _(definition)_

There are no mandatory prerequisites or required courses, and no software-development or API experience is needed - the credential is awarded on exam performance alone. Anthropic recommends (but does not require) regular hands-on experience using Claude in a professional setting.

**Q: Who should NOT take the CCA-A exam?** _(scope)_

Software developers who build against APIs or design agentic systems, and specialists in machine learning, software engineering, or advanced AI system design, should look at the CCD-F (Developer) or CCA-F/CCA-P (Architect) credentials instead - those assume hands-on technical work the CCA-A does not test.

**Q: What proctoring vendor delivers the CCA-A exam?** _(definition)_

Pearson VUE, named directly in the exam guide's registration and scheduling section. You create a Pearson VUE account after registering through the Anthropic Partner Academy, then choose online proctoring or a Pearson VUE test center.

**Q: What happens if I miss my scheduled CCA-A exam?** _(troubleshoot)_

A no-show, or arriving after the permitted late-arrival window, forfeits the exam fee and requires you to re-register. Cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours before your appointment to avoid this - changes inside that window also forfeit the fee.

**Q: Can I appeal my CCA-A exam result?** _(how-to)_

Yes, within 14 days of being notified of a decision, or within 14 days of your exam date for a concern about your result - submitted to Pearson VUE support. The standard-setting outcome and the content of individual exam items are not subject to appeal.

**Q: Is the CCA-A exam open-book?** _(definition)_

No. The exam is proctored and effectively closed: your workspace must be clear of notes, books, phones, and secondary monitors, and prohibited items include mobile phones, smart watches, headphones, study materials, and recording devices.

**Q: Is the CCA-A certification worth it for a non-technical role?** _(comparison)_

If you use Claude daily as a productivity tool in a client-facing or delivery role and want an independent, portable signal of that skill, the CCA-A is Anthropic's only credential built for exactly that audience - at $99 it is also the most accessible of the 4 Claude certifications.

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