Exam logistics & eligibility
Everything the official exam guide and Partner Academy FAQ say about registering for and sitting the exam.
At a glance
- Items
- 60 items
- Time
- 120 minutes (about 135 minutes of seat time including check-in)
- Passing score
- 720 on a scaled 100–1,000 range
- Structure
- 4 scenarios drawn at random from the official bank of 6
- Fee
- $125 USD, since 2026-06-30 (was $99 before)
- Validity
- 12 months from the award date
- Renewal
- Free, non-proctored renewal assessment on the Partner Academy covering what changed since you certified. A lapsed credential means a full, paid retake, and Anthropic may require a full retake if exam content changes significantly.
- Retakes
- Wait 14 days after a first fail, 30 days after a second and 90 days after a third. At most 4 attempts per exam in any rolling 12 months; the full fee applies to every attempt.
- Delivery
- Proctored by Pearson VUE — online (OnVUE) or at a test center — since 2026-06-30. Register and pay on the Anthropic Partner Academy, then schedule through the Pearson VUE link.
- Language
- English only (exam and official prep content); browser translation tools are prohibited.
- Eligibility
- Only people at Claude Partner Network organizations, registering with a partner company email (personal addresses are rejected). Candidates must be 18+ and the name on their government ID must match the registration exactly.
Am I eligible?
Who can sit the exam?
Only people at Claude Partner Network organizations. You must register with your partner company email (personal addresses are rejected), be 18 or older, and the name on your government ID must match your registration exactly.
My company is not a partner yet — what now?
Any company can apply to the Claude Partner Network, and the Registered tier is free. Once accepted, its employees can register with their company email. CCDV-F, CCAR-F and CCAR-P certifications count toward higher partner tiers.
Are there discounts?
Registered-tier partners pay the full fee. Select, Preferred and Global Premier partners get 50% off, and Global Premier partners pay nothing through 2026-12-31.
How long does company-email validation take?
Candidates report that partner domain validation can take 7–10 days, so register well before the date you want to test.
Item format
Multiple-choice and multiple-response items; each item states how many responses to select. 60 items grouped under 4 scenarios drawn at random from the official bank of 6.
Your score report
You see pass/fail and your scaled score on-screen as soon as you finish; the Credly badge email follows. The report also lists percent-correct by domain — useful for planning a retake, but the domain percentages are not used to decide pass/fail. The cut score (720) comes from a formal standard-setting study and is the same across the exam’s equated forms.
How registration works
- 1Register on the Anthropic Partner Academy with your partner company email and pay the fee by card. The registration stays valid for 5 years.
- 2Follow the Pearson VUE link to schedule an online-proctored (OnVUE) appointment or a test-center seat.
- 3On exam day, accept the mandatory confidentiality agreement (no refund if you decline). The exam is English-only and browser translation tools are prohibited.
The exam guide lets you cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before your appointment, while Pearson VUE’s Anthropic page says 48 hours. Reschedule at least 48 hours ahead to be safe.
Official sources
- Claude Certified Architect – Foundations exam guide (v1.0, July 2026)
- Anthropic Partner Academy — certification FAQ
- Pearson VUE — Anthropic testing program
Exam facts on this page come from Anthropic’s official exam guide and Partner Academy FAQ as of the verification date shown above. Details change — always confirm with the official source before you register.