Anthropic now runs an official certification program through the Claude Partner Network. Here's what actually exists, who it's for, and how it's different from the free knowledge check on this site.
As of mid-2026, Anthropic offers four proctored certifications under the Claude Certification Program, delivered through Pearson VUE (including OnVUE online proctoring). Each targets a different role:
| Certification | Code | Who it's for | Format | Price | Prep path |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Certified Associate – Foundations | CCAO-F | Ops, marketing, PM, and consulting roles - no coding required | 60 questions 120 min |
$99 | View Guide → |
| Claude Certified Developer – Foundations | CCDV-F | Engineers building and shipping Claude-powered applications | 53 questions 120 min |
$125 | View Guide → |
| Claude Certified Architect – Foundations | CCAR-F | Solution architects designing Claude systems end to end | 65 questions 120 min |
$125 | View Guide → |
| Claude Certified Architect – Professional | CCAR-P | Advanced architects - production systems, RAG, governance | 63 questions 120 min |
$175 | View Guide → |
All four exams use a scaled score from 100-1,000 and require a 720 to pass, set through a formal standard-setting study. Prices and formats are set by Anthropic and Pearson VUE and can change - always confirm current details before registering. Each row links to a step-by-step prep guide with the official resources for that exam.
This isn't a public, buy-a-voucher-and-go exam the way some cloud certifications are. Registration is gated to the Claude Partner Network: you need a work email tied to an organization that's part of the network - personal addresses (Gmail, etc.) are rejected at signup. The good news is joining the network itself is free at the entry "Registered" tier, so the barrier is organizational registration, not a paywall on top of a paywall.
In practice, this program is built for consultants, agencies, and technical teams who advise clients on or build with Claude professionally - less "I use Claude at work" and more "my company sells or implements Claude solutions."
Official prep material lives in Anthropic Partner Academy (hosted on Skilljar) - self-paced courses available to Claude Partner Network members, covering things like building with the Claude API, Model Context Protocol, agent Skills, and running Claude Code sessions. That's the source to work from if you're actually sitting one of these exams; third-party prep sites exist too, but treat official Anthropic material as the baseline.
If you're earlier in the journey and just want to build real working knowledge first, our own guide series is a solid on-ramp before tackling official prep material - especially the Claude Glossary, Connecting Claude To Your Tools With MCP, and The Claude API, Explained For Builders.
Ready to prep for a specific exam? Each certification above links to a dedicated, step-by-step prep guide: Associate – Foundations, Developer – Foundations, Architect – Foundations, and Architect – Professional.
Our 15-question "Check Your Knowledge" quiz covers the fundamentals from this guide series - a good gut-check before you consider investing in an official certification.