Chapter 04 · CCA-F

The morning checklist.

The CCA-F is online-proctored, single-tab, closed-book, single-monitor. For prepared candidates the questions are not the hard part; the environment rules are. This is the morning-of checklist plus the time tactics that move scores from 700 to 760 without extra study.

Online proctoredSingle tab · single monitor120 minutes · no breaks
Exam guide · 4 chapters
Overview
Download the full guide (PDF)
01 — Pre-exam checklist

Six things to confirm before you start.

0 of 6 confirmed · saved in this browser

Run this list 24 hours out, then again the morning of. Most candidates who fail to start fail on items 1, 2 or 4.

02 — Time management

Five tactics that move 700 to 760.

60 questions in 120 minutes is exactly two minutes a question. Bank time on the easy ones and spend it on the hard ones. Flag-and-return is the single most recommended tactic across people who passed.

01
Two minutes a question is the average
A soft budget, not a cap. 60 in 120 is exactly 2 min/Q.
02
Bank time on the easy ones
If it reads as obvious, answer in 30–60 seconds and move on. The buffer pays for the hard ones.
03
Flag and return
Not certain in 90 seconds? Flag it and come back with fresh eyes. Saves more candidates than any other tactic.
04
Watch the two distractor patterns
Model vs Design, Prompt vs Hook. When you see one, the architectural answer is usually right.
05
Don't change answers without a reason
First-instinct answers are typically right. Change only when you can name the evidence that contradicts your pick.
03 — Distractor patterns

Two patterns catch most candidates.

Model vs Design
Distractors suggest a bigger model, more tokens, higher temperature.The correct answer fixes system design: tool descriptions, few-shot examples, task decomposition, prompt structure.
If the fix is 'more model', it's probably the distractor.
Prompt vs Hook
For financial, security or compliance stakes, distractors tune the prompt.Deterministic SDK hooks (~100% enforcement) beat prompt tuning (~70%). If being wrong has real cost, the answer involves a hook.
Real stakes → hook, not prompt.
04 — After submit

What happens after you click submit.

1Immediate scaled scorePassed / not passed and your score out of 1000 appear at submit. The cut is 720.
2Certificate in 2–10 business daysAnthropic's guide says 2; the community reports 7–10. You get a PDF plus a Credly badge; watch for the acceptance email.
3Early Adopter badgeBeta-cohort candidates receive a badge with no expiration. Standard certificates issued post-launch expire in 12 months.
4Add it to LinkedInUnder Licenses & Certifications, not Skills. Your Credly badge URL is the canonical link.
5If you didn't passA retake is allowed; cooldown and cost aren't publicly documented. Use the domain breakdown to pick your weakest one or two and spend a focused week there.
Exam still ahead of you?
Verify 720 or better on the 30-question mock before you book.
Sit the mock