Claude Certification Tutorial: Free Course from Beginner to Advanced

Free Course · Updated November 2026

Prepare for Anthropic’s Claude Certified Architect – Foundations (CCAR-F) exam with 22 plain-English lessons mapped to every official exam objective, eight hands-on labs and 5 timed mock tests with an explanation for every answer.

7Modules
22Lessons
5Mock tests
150Practice questions
100%Free

Start the Course → View Full Syllabus Take a Mock Test

How This Course Works

1LearnShort lessons mapped to all 30 official task statements.
2BuildHands-on labs with the Claude API, Agent SDK, Claude Code and MCP.
3PractiseTimed, scenario-based mock tests with explanations for every option.
4CertifyBook the exam once you score 85%+ on three mocks.

Your Learning Path

BeginnerModule 1Certifications, exam format and scenarios IntermediateModules 2–4Agentic architecture, tools and MCP, Claude Code AdvancedModules 5–6Prompting and structured output, context and reliability Projects & CareerModule 7Labs, study plan, cheat sheet and mock tests
⚠️ Which exam does this cover? This course targets Claude Certified Architect – Foundations (CCAR-F): 60 items, 120 minutes, scaled pass mark 720/1000. Anthropic updates the Associate, Developer and Architect – Professional exams on 7 December 2026 (new exam guides due 17 November 2026); CCAR-F is not part of that update. Courses for the other three certifications will follow the new guides.

Claude Certification Tutorial Syllabus

01

Module 1: Getting Started with Claude Certification

The four Claude certifications, the CCAR-F exam format and its six scenarios.

Beginner 3 lessons
  1. 01Claude Certifications Explained: All 4 Anthropic Exams (2026)
  2. 02Claude Certified Architect – Foundations (CCAR-F) Exam Guide
  3. 03The 6 CCAR-F Exam Scenarios Explained

📝 Test yourself: Mock Test 1 (30 questions in 60 minutes)

02

Module 2: Agentic Architecture & Orchestration

Agentic loops, coordinators and subagents, hooks and gates, decomposition and sessions.

Domain 1 · 27% 4 lessons
  1. 04Claude Agentic Loop: stop_reason, Tool Results and Anti-Patterns
  2. 05Multi-Agent Orchestration with Claude: Coordinators and Subagents
  3. 06Claude Agent SDK Hooks, Prerequisite Gates and Human Handoffs
  4. 07Task Decomposition and Session Management in Claude Code

📝 Test yourself: Mock Test 1 · Mock Test 2 (30 questions in 60 minutes)

03

Module 3: Tool Design & MCP Integration

Tool descriptions, tool_choice, structured MCP errors, server scopes, resources and built-in tools.

Domain 2 · 18% 3 lessons
  1. 08Claude Tool Design: Descriptions, Tool Distribution and tool_choice
  2. 09MCP Tool Error Handling: isError, Error Categories and Retries
  3. 10MCP Integration in Claude Code: Scopes, Resources and Built-in Tools

📝 Test yourself: Mock Test 2 · Mock Test 3 (30 questions in 60 minutes)

04

Module 4: Claude Code Configuration & Workflows

CLAUDE.md hierarchy, rules, commands and skills, plan mode, and Claude Code in CI/CD.

Domain 3 · 20% 4 lessons
  1. 11CLAUDE.md Configuration Guide: Hierarchy, @import and Path-Specific Rules
  2. 12Claude Code Slash Commands and Skills (SKILL.md Frontmatter)
  3. 13Claude Code Plan Mode vs Direct Execution and Iterative Refinement
  4. 14Claude Code in CI/CD: -p Flag, JSON Output and Automated PR Review

📝 Test yourself: Mock Test 1 · Mock Test 4 (30 questions in 60 minutes)

05

Module 5: Prompt Engineering & Structured Output

Explicit criteria, few-shot examples, JSON schemas, validation-retry and the Batches API.

Domain 4 · 20% 3 lessons
  1. 15Prompt Engineering for Claude: Explicit Criteria and Few-Shot Examples
  2. 16Claude Structured Output with tool_use and JSON Schema
  3. 17Claude Message Batches API and Multi-Pass Review Design

📝 Test yourself: Mock Test 3 · Mock Test 5 (30 questions in 60 minutes)

06

Module 6: Context Management & Reliability

Case facts, lost-in-the-middle, escalation, error propagation, human review and provenance.

Domain 5 · 15% 3 lessons
  1. 18Claude Context Management: Case Facts, Lost-in-the-Middle and /compact
  2. 19Escalation Rules and Error Propagation in Claude Agents
  3. 20Human Review, Confidence Calibration and Source Provenance

📝 Test yourself: Mock Test 4 · Mock Test 5 (30 questions in 60 minutes)

07

Module 7: Labs, Study Plan & Exam Readiness

Eight hands-on labs, a six-week plan, a one-page cheat sheet and exam-day tactics.

Projects & Career 2 lessons
  1. 21Claude Architect Hands-on Labs: 8 Practical Exercises
  2. 22Claude Architect Exam: 6-Week Study Plan, Cheat Sheet and Exam-Day Tips

📝 Test yourself: Mock Test 1 · Mock Test 2 · Mock Test 3 · Mock Test 4 · Mock Test 5 (30 questions in 60 minutes)

Claude Certification Mock Tests

Each mock has 30 original, scenario-based questions in 60 minutes — the same pace as the real exam — weighted to the official domain percentages.

Mock Test 130 questions · 60 minCustomer Support Resolution Agent · Code Generation with Claude Code · Claude Code for Continuous IntegrationMock Test 230 questions · 60 minMulti-Agent Research System · Developer Productivity with Claude · Structured Data ExtractionMock Test 330 questions · 60 minCustomer Support Resolution Agent · Claude Code for Continuous Integration · Structured Data ExtractionMock Test 430 questions · 60 minCode Generation with Claude Code · Multi-Agent Research System · Developer Productivity with ClaudeMock Test 530 questions · 60 minCustomer Support Resolution Agent · Developer Productivity with Claude · Claude Code for Continuous Integration

Who This Course Is For

  • QA and automation engineers adding AI agents, Claude Code and CI review bots to their toolkit — start at Module 1.
  • Developers and SDETs building with the Claude API and Agent SDK — skim Module 1, focus on Modules 2–5.
  • Solution architects designing agentic systems for clients — every module, then all five mock tests.
  • Anyone at a Claude Partner Network organisation preparing for the proctored exam.

What You Need

  • Basic programming experience (Python or TypeScript) and comfort with the command line.
  • For the labs: a Claude API key, Python 3.10+ or Node.js LTS, and Claude Code installed from the official docs.
  • To sit the real exam: employment at a Claude Partner Network organisation and a company email on its partner domain.

Claude Certification Course FAQs

Is this Claude certification course free?

Yes. All lessons, labs and mock tests are free.

Can anyone take the Claude certification exam?

The proctored exams are currently open only to people who work at organisations in the Claude Partner Network. Anyone can study this course and Anthropic's free public Academy courses.

How much does the Claude Architect Foundations exam cost?

It costs $125 before partner discounts. Select, Preferred and Global Premier partner tiers receive discounts.

What is the passing score?

A scaled score of 720 on a 100–1,000 scale. Anthropic does not publish the raw percentage that equals 720, so aim for 85% or more on our mocks.

Are these the real exam questions?

No. All mock questions are original practice items written against the official exam objectives. Real exam content is confidential.

How long should I study?

About six weeks at six to eight hours a week if you already build software. The study-plan lesson has a week-by-week schedule.

More Free Resources

Independent study material by SQA Tools. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Anthropic. Claude is a trademark of Anthropic. Mock questions are original practice items, not real exam content. Exam facts checked against Anthropic's official exam guides and certification FAQ on 11 November 2026.

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