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Appendix · Claude

Resources

Official exam guides, registration, documentation, free courses and background reading for all four certifications.

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Official programme

ResourceURL
Anthropic Partner Academy (registration, exam guides, prep courses, FAQ)https://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/
CCAO-F certification pagehttps://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/claude-certified-associate-foundations-certification
CCDV-F certification pagehttps://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/claude-certified-developer-foundations-certification
CCAR-F certification pagehttps://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/claude-certified-architect-foundations-certification
CCAR-P certification pagehttps://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/claude-certified-architect-professional-certification
Pearson VUE – Anthropic programme (scheduling, OnVUE, retake policy)https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/anthropic.html
Claude Partner Network (join free)https://claude.com/partners
Certification support (name corrections)certifications-support@anthropic.com

Download the current Exam Guide PDF for your exam from its Partner Academy page before booking; blueprints and weights can change between versions (this site reflects v1.0, July 2026).

Free training (Anthropic Academy on Skilljar)

https://anthropic.skilljar.com/

CourseMost relevant to
Claude 101CCAO-F
AI Capabilities and LimitationsCCAO-F
AI Fluency (role tracks)CCAO-F
Building with the Claude APICCDV-F, CCAR-F, CCAR-P
Introduction to Model Context ProtocolCCDV-F, CCAR-F
MCP: Advanced TopicsCCAR-F, CCAR-P
Claude Code in Action / Claude Code 101CCDV-F, CCAR-F, CCAR-P
Introduction to Agent SkillsCCDV-F, CCAR-F
Introduction to SubagentsCCDV-F, CCAR-F
Claude with Amazon Bedrock / Google Vertex AICCAR-P

Documentation

Claude API and platform – platform.claude.com/docs/en/

  • Models overview · Pricing · Model deprecations · Fable 5.1 migration guide
  • Messages API · Streaming · Handling stop reasons · Refusals and fallback
  • Tool use overview · Tool search tool · Programmatic tool calling · Memory tool · MCP connector
  • Thinking · Preserved thinking · Effort · Task budgets · Mid-conversation system messages
  • Prompt caching · Cache diagnostics · Context editing · Compaction
  • Structured outputs · Citations · Vision · PDF support · Files API
  • Message Batches · Rate limits · Errors
  • Managed Agents overview · ant CLI · Admin API
  • Prompt engineering guide

Claude Code – code.claude.com/docs/en/

  • Overview · CLI reference · Settings · Memory and CLAUDE.md
  • Subagents · Skills · Commands · Hooks · Plugins · MCP
  • Agent teams · Dynamic workflows · Routines
  • Claude Agent SDK overview (/agent-sdk/)
  • Changelog: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md

Model Context Protocol – modelcontextprotocol.io

  • Introduction · Specification · Transports · Authorization
  • Python SDK (mcp, FastMCP) · TypeScript SDK (@modelcontextprotocol/sdk)

Background reading (Anthropic engineering and research)

TitleWhy it matters
Building Effective AgentsThe workflow-vs-agent framing and the six patterns the Architect exams test
Effective Context Engineering for AI AgentsContext economics, compaction, isolation
Advanced Tool UseTool search, programmatic tool calling, description quality
Anthropic Usage PolicyAppropriate vs inappropriate use (Associate and Professional governance domains)

Community study material (unofficial)

ResourceNotes
github.com/dnacenta/claude-certified-architectActively maintained CCAR-F deep dive with sibling-exam overviews; September 2026 refresh
github.com/SGridworks/claude-certified-architect-training12-week training programme

Community material is helpful but unofficial. When it disagrees with the live documentation or the current Exam Guide, the official sources win.

How to verify facts live

python
from anthropic import Anthropic
client = Anthropic()


for m in client.models.list():
    print(m.id, m.display_name)


info = client.models.retrieve("claude-opus-5")
print(info.max_input_tokens, info.max_tokens, info.capabilities)

Use this before an exam to confirm the lineup, and in production instead of hard-coding limits.

Annotated reading list

Read in this order; each builds on the last. Annotations say why an item earns your time and which exam objective it serves.

#ReadWhy it earns your timeServes
1Building Effective Agents (Anthropic)The canonical workflow-vs-agent framing and the six composable patterns. Almost every Architect “which pattern” item traces here. Note the repeated advice to prefer the simplest design.F, P (D1)
2Effective Context Engineering for AI AgentsContext as a budgeted resource: compaction vs editing, isolation via subagents, why long context is not free. Underlies reliability items.F, P (D5)
3Advanced Tool Use (Anthropic engineering)Tool description quality, tool search, defer_loading, programmatic tool calling, parallel calls. The “why won’t it call my tool” answers live here.D, F (D4/D5)
4Messages API + Handling stop reasons docsThe one field every loop branches on; the full stop_reason set and correct handling.D, F (D1/D3)
5Prompt caching + Context editing docsBreak-even math, breakpoint layout, server-side trimming for append-only models.D, F, P
6Fable 5.1 migration guideThe breaking-change cluster (forced tools, thinking binding, append-only, retention) that seeds many distractors.D, F, P (D2)
7MCP Specification + AuthorizationPrimitives, transports, capability negotiation, OAuth 2.1/PKCE, identity propagation.D, F (D4)
8Claude Code: Memory, Hooks, Subagents, Skills docsThe configuration hierarchy and the enforcement-via-hooks principle; Skill-vs-CLAUDE.md-vs-command-vs-subagent-vs-MCP decision.F, P (D2)
9Anthropic Usage PolicyAppropriate vs inappropriate use, disclosure, high-risk domains.A, P (governance)
10RAG / retrieval docs + reranking guidanceChunking, hybrid retrieval, reranking, retrieval-vs-generation eval separation.P (D3)
11Anthropic evals guidanceGolden sets, rubric grading, LLM-as-judge in a separate session, pairwise A/B, per-segment reporting.D, P (D4/D8)

Reading discipline

Read for the decision rule, not the prose. After each item, write the one-sentence “signal → choice” you extracted and add it to your Lexique review. If you cannot state the rule, re-read that section.

Jump straight to the doc that owns each blueprint domain. Paths are under platform.claude.com/docs/en/ (API) and code.claude.com/docs/en/ (Claude Code) unless noted.

CCAO-F (Associate – Foundations)

DomainPrimary docs / courses
D1 Prompting & Task ExecutionPrompt engineering guide; Academy Claude 101
D2 Output Evaluation & ValidationAI Capabilities and Limitations; hallucination and provenance guidance
D3 Product & Model SelectionModels overview; Pricing; claude.ai vs Desktop vs Code
D4 Workflow Integration & Solution DesignAI Fluency; Projects and Connectors overview
D5 Configuration & Knowledge ManagementProjects, custom instructions, knowledge files; Memory (product)
D6 Governance, Risk & Responsible UseUsage Policy; data handling; disclosure guidance
D7 Troubleshooting & OptimizationPrompt engineering: iterating; when to escalate to a developer

CCDV-F (Developer – Foundations)

DomainPrimary docs
D1 Applications & IntegrationMessages API; Streaming; Vision; PDF; Files API; Errors; Rate limits
D2 Model Selection & OptimizationModels; Pricing; Prompt caching; Message Batches; Effort; Thinking
D3 Agents & WorkflowsTool use; Building Effective Agents; Subagents
D4 Prompt & Context EngineeringPrompt engineering guide; Context editing; Compaction
D5 Tools & MCPsTool use overview; Tool search; MCP intro; MCP connector
D6 Security & SafetyPrompt injection; Usage Policy; permissions/hooks
D7 Claude CodeClaude Code overview; CLI reference; headless mode
D8 Eval, Testing & DebuggingEvals guidance; structured outputs; traces

CCAR-F (Architect – Foundations)

DomainPrimary docs
D1 Agentic Architecture & OrchestrationBuilding Effective Agents; Subagents; Dynamic workflows; Agent teams
D2 Claude Code Configuration & WorkflowsMemory/CLAUDE.md; Settings; Hooks; Skills; Commands; Plan mode; Plugins
D3 Prompt Engineering & Structured OutputPrompt engineering; Structured outputs; strict; validation-retry
D4 Tool Design & MCP IntegrationAdvanced Tool Use; MCP Specification; Authorization; MCP inspector
D5 Context Management & ReliabilityContext engineering; Context editing; Compaction; stop reasons; retries

CCAR-P (Architect – Professional)

DomainPrimary docs
D1 Solution Design & ArchitectureBuilding Effective Agents; Managed Agents vs Agent SDK; ADR practice
D2 Claude Models, Prompting & ContextModels; Fable 5.1 migration; Prompt caching; Context editing
D3 Integration (RAG)RAG/retrieval docs; hybrid search; reranking; citations
D4 Evaluation, Testing & OptimizationEvals guidance; A/B and significance; CI regression; observability
D5 Governance, Safety & RiskUsage Policy; GDPR/HIPAA/FedRAMP; ZDR; DPIA; guardrail layering
D6 Stakeholder Communication & LifecycleSolution lifecycle; decision matrices; SLO/SLA; runbooks
D7 Developer Productivity & Operational EnablementClaude Code settings; managed policy; team onboarding; plugins

Verify live

Documentation URLs and course names change. If a link 404s, search the Partner Academy and platform.claude.com/docs rather than trusting a saved path — and always confirm the current Exam Guide weights before booking.

Last updated Sep 18, 2026