How long is the CCA-F exam and what is the passing score?

The CCA-F is a 60-question, 90-minute proctored exam. The passing threshold is 72%, which means you need at least 44 correct answers out of 60. All questions are single-answer multiple choice.

Which domain carries the most weight on the exam?

Domain 1, Agentic Architecture & Orchestration, is the largest at 27%. A strong grasp of multi-agent topology, task decomposition, and lifecycle hooks has an outsized impact on your overall score.

Do I need to memorise specific API parameter names?

No. The exam is scenario-based rather than recall-based. Questions describe an engineering situation and ask you to select the best approach. You need to understand the reasoning behind Claude's design principles, not enumerate parameter names.

How many mock tests should I take before sitting the exam?

We recommend working through all six standard 60-question mock tests before attempting the three full official-format simulations. Take the simulations under timed, exam-like conditions to calibrate your pacing. Most candidates who pass on their first attempt have taken at least two timed simulations.

Is there a recommended order for studying the five domains?

The four-week plan in this guide works well: start with Agentic Architecture (Domain 1) because it provides the conceptual frame for the other domains, then move to Tool Design and Claude Code (Domains 2 and 3) together, then finish with Prompt Engineering and Context Management (Domains 4 and 5). That said, if you are already working with agentic Claude systems professionally, you can start wherever your Domain Readiness panel shows the lowest accuracy.

How to Pass the Claude Certified Architect – Foundations Exam — Claude Cert Academy

The Claude Certified Architect – Foundations (CCA-F) exam tests whether you can design, configure, and operate AI-powered systems built on Claude. It is not a recall quiz about API parameter names. Every question places you in a realistic engineering scenario and asks you to choose the approach that best balances capability, reliability, safety, and cost. If you understand the reasoning behind Claude's design, the right answers become the obvious ones.

What the exam covers

The CCA-F is a 60-question, 90-minute proctored exam. Questions are multiple-choice (single correct answer) drawn from five domains. A passing score is 72%, meaning you need at least 44 correct answers. Every question is scenario-based: expect two to five sentences of context before the stem.

The five exam domains

Domain 1 — Agentic Architecture & Orchestration (27%): Designing multi-agent systems, choosing orchestration topologies, decomposing tasks, wiring lifecycle hooks, and handling partial failures in long-running pipelines.
Domain 2 — Tool Design & MCP Integration (18%): Writing effective tool descriptions, handling tool disambiguation, configuring MCP servers, and designing robust error contracts for tool calls.
Domain 3 — Claude Code Configuration (20%): Structuring CLAUDE.md files at the repo and global level, defining custom skills, applying path-scoped rules, and integrating Claude Code into CI/CD workflows.
Domain 4 — Prompt Engineering & Structured Output (20%): Enforcing JSON schema via tool use, designing few-shot examples, choosing the right output format for downstream consumption, and building validation-retry loops.
Domain 5 — Context Management & Reliability (15%): Avoiding long-context pitfalls, designing handoff patterns for multi-turn sessions, calibrating model confidence, and applying safety constraints correctly.

A four-week study plan

This plan assumes roughly six to eight hours of study per week. Adjust the pace based on how much production Claude experience you already have.

Week 1 — Foundations and Domain 1

Start with the Claude documentation on the agent SDK, then work through the CCA-F lessons on Agentic Architecture. Focus on understanding orchestrator-vs-subagent topology decisions, not on memorising class names. Complete the Domain 1 practice questions and review every rationale, including the questions you got right — the rationale explains the trap the wrong answers were designed to exploit.

Week 2 — Domains 2 and 3

Tool Design and Claude Code Configuration are closely related: both are about giving Claude accurate, scoped information about its environment. Study MCP server configuration and the CLAUDE.md hierarchy together. Pay close attention to how path-scoped rules interact with global rules — this is a favourite exam topic. Complete the Domain 2 and Domain 3 practice sets.

Week 3 — Domains 4 and 5

Prompt Engineering and Context Management questions are the most scenario-rich. Many candidates underestimate Domain 5 because it carries only 15% of the exam weight, but the questions are tricky: they test whether you understand the difference between a model limitation and a configuration problem. Complete the Domain 4 and Domain 5 practice sets, then take your first full mock test under timed conditions.

Week 4 — Consolidation and mock tests

Take mock tests 2 and 3 under exam conditions (90 minutes, no references). After each test, use Smart Review to drill the questions you missed. Spend the last two days reviewing the domain deep-dive guides for your two weakest areas. Do not try to learn new material in the final 48 hours — consolidate what you know.

How to use this platform's practice tools

Practice questions: each cert lesson ends with graded questions that map to one of the five domains. The explanation panel after each question tells you which domain it belongs to and why each wrong answer is wrong — read these even when you get the question right.
Mock tests: the CCA-F has six standard mock tests (60 questions each) plus three full official-format simulations (60 questions, 90 minutes, 72% threshold). Take the simulations only after you have worked through all the standard mocks.
Smart Review: any question you answer incorrectly in a mock test is automatically added to your Smart Review deck. The spaced-repetition scheduler resurfaces missed questions at optimal intervals so you are not wasting time re-studying material you already know.
Domain Readiness panel: the Dashboard shows your per-domain accuracy across all practice attempts. If any domain is below 70%, focus your remaining study time there before taking the official exam.

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