Lesson 1 of 4 · Claude Certified Architect — Foundations
What is the Claude Certified Architect Certification?
The Claude Certified Architect -- Foundations (CCA-F) is Anthropic's first official technical certification. Launched on March 12, 2026, it validates your ability to design, build, and optimize production systems powered by Claude.
The CCA-F targets professionals with 6+ months of hands-on Claude experience -- developers, architects, and technical leads who build agentic systems, tool integrations, and prompt pipelines with the Claude API, Claude Code, and the Agent SDK.
Why This Certification Matters
This is the first AI-architect certification of its kind. Unlike vendor-neutral AI certs that test general ML theory, the CCA-F tests practical, scenario-based decision-making for production Claude systems.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Issuer | Anthropic |
| Level | Foundations (entry-level architect) |
| Format | 60 scenario-based multiple-choice questions |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Cost | $99 USD |
| Passing score | 720 / 1000 |
| Delivery | Online, proctored |
| Validity | Subject to Anthropic's recertification policy |
The Five Exam Domains
The exam covers five domains, each weighted differently:
Prerequisites
Anthropic recommends completing these free courses on Anthropic Academy before attempting the exam:
- Claude 101
- Building with the Claude API
- Introduction to MCP
- Claude Code in Action
- Introduction to Agent Skills
- MCP: Advanced Topics
This course does NOT recreate the prerequisites. We assume you've completed them. Instead, we go deeper into exam-tested scenarios, anti-patterns, and decision frameworks that the Academy courses don't cover.
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