Claude certification
Claude architect certification: what it covers, who can take it and what it costs
A plain guide for engineers and team leads. Every fact about the exam comes from Anthropic's own pages as read on 6 November 2026. Prices, rules and exam providers change, so check Anthropic's pages before you register.
The Claude Certified Architect: Foundations exam is Anthropic's technical exam for solution architects who build with Claude. Anthropic's Partner Academy (read 6 November 2026) says it tests foundational knowledge of Claude Code, the Claude Agent SDK, the Claude API and the Model Context Protocol, costs $125 before any partner discount, and is open only to people who work at organizations in the Claude Partner Network. Claude Code 101 is a separate, free Anthropic Academy course. This page covers who can sit the exam, price, renewal and how the two fit.
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What is the Claude architect certification?
Anthropic's page for the exam is named Claude Certified Architect: Foundations. It says the exam validates that practitioners can make informed decisions about tradeoffs when implementing real-world solutions with Claude, and that it tests foundational knowledge across Claude Code, the Claude Agent SDK, the Claude API and the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
Anthropic's July 2026 announcement lists four role-based certifications: Associate, Developer and Architect at Foundations level, and Architect at Professional level. Anthropic's FAQ says Foundations proves an architect can build with Claude, that Professional proves they can design and govern Claude solutions at enterprise scale, and that Foundations does not convert to Professional automatically.
Sources: Anthropic Partner Academy, exam page and certification FAQ (links in the sources list), and claude.com, Four role-based certifications, dated July 23, 2026; all read 6 November 2026.
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Who can take the Claude architect certification?
Anthropic's FAQ says certification is currently available only to organizations in the Claude Partner Network, and that you register with a partner email address on a recognized company domain, because personal email addresses will not work. Customers and people at non-partner organizations cannot sit the exam.
Anthropic's July 2026 article says membership of the network is free and open to firms through claude.com/partners. So the route for an individual is through an employer that has joined, not through a public sign-up.
Sources: Anthropic Partner Academy, FAQ and Who can take an exam; claude.com, Four role-based certifications; all read 6 November 2026.
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How much does the Claude architect certification cost?
Anthropic's exam page lists the Architect: Foundations exam at $125. Its FAQ says prices are in US dollars before any partner-tier discount, and that on June 30, 2026 the price rose from $99 to $125. A retake costs the full exam fee. Anthropic's FAQ says results are a scaled score of 100 to 1,000, that the minimum passing score is 720, and that the exam is 120 minutes of multiple choice and scenario-based multiple response questions.
If you fail, Anthropic's FAQ says the waiting periods are 14 days after the first failure, 30 days after the second and 90 days after the third, with up to four attempts per exam in a rolling 12 months. Anthropic says exams moved on June 30, 2026 to Pearson, and you can take them online proctored or at a Pearson test center.
Source: Anthropic Partner Academy, exam page and certification FAQ, read 6 November 2026.
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How long is the Claude architect certification valid?
Anthropic's FAQ says a certification is valid for 12 months from the date you earn it, and that on-time renewal is free. Certifications earned before June 30, 2026 under the earlier six-month validity were extended to 12 months from their original earn date. The FAQ also says that on June 30, 2026 exam delivery moved to Pearson and digital badging moved to Credly, so a badge earned now is issued through Credly. Anthropic says full renewal details will be shared before the first renewals fall due.
Source: Anthropic Partner Academy, certification FAQ, read 6 November 2026.
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What is Claude Code 101?
Claude Code 101 is a course on Anthropic Academy, hosted on Skilljar. Its page says it is designed for developers who are either new to software engineering or experienced engineers who have not yet explored AI coding agents, and that it runs from installation to advanced customization. The registration button reads Register, FREE.
The listed prerequisites are basic familiarity with a code editor and the command line, and a Claude account (Pro, Max or Enterprise) or an API key. The lessons cover what Claude Code is, how it works, installing it, daily workflows, and customizing it with the CLAUDE.md file, subagents, skills, MCP and hooks, ending in a course quiz. Anthropic's Claude Architect learning path lists the course at about 60 minutes, and Anthropic says Academy courses end with a quiz and passing earns a certificate of completion.
Source: Anthropic Academy, Claude Code 101 (https://anthropic.skilljar.com/claude-code-101), read 6 November 2026.
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Is Claude Code 101 a prep course for the architect exam?
It is not on Anthropic's list of exam prep courses, but it is part of Anthropic's Claude Architect learning path, which Anthropic says leads toward the exam. The Partner Academy page of free preparation courses for the Architect: Foundations exam lists seven: AI Fluency: Framework and Foundations; Building with the Claude API; Claude on Google Cloud; Claude Code in Action; Claude 101; Claude with Amazon Bedrock; and Introduction to Model Context Protocol. Claude Code 101 is not among them, and Claude Code in Action is. The list includes Claude 101, which Anthropic's page describes as a Claude Enterprise product course, so it is a different course from Claude Code 101. Anthropic describes the listed courses as free.
Source: Anthropic Partner Academy, Claude Certified Architect: Foundations prep courses, read 6 November 2026.
kriv role
Where Kriv helps
Anthropic runs the certification and Kriv AI does not issue one. Kriv AI trains whole teams on Claude Code, Cowork and Chat in their own repositories and documents, with a governance module in every engagement. Kriv AI has achieved the Select partner tier in the Claude Partner Network Services Track. Your own staff register for any exam through Anthropic.
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What this page could not confirm
We did not open Anthropic's exam guide PDF, so the number of questions and the topic weights are not stated here. Anthropic's pages also carry no last-updated date except the July 23, 2026 article. Third-party blogs list these figures and are not used. Prices, eligibility and the exam provider have already changed once this year, so check Anthropic's pages before you register.
Sources
Cited sources
- Anthropic Partner Academy: Claude Certified Architect: Foundations Certification Examination (price $125; no dates), read 2026-11-06
- Anthropic Partner Academy: FAQ, Certifications (eligibility, price change June 30 2026, Pearson, retakes, 12-month validity), read 2026-11-06
- Anthropic Partner Academy: Who can take an exam (partner organizations; company email), read 2026-11-06
- Anthropic Partner Academy: Claude Certified Architect: Foundations prep courses (7 free courses), read 2026-11-06
- claude.com: Four role-based certifications for the people who put Claude to work for customers (dated July 23, 2026), read 2026-11-06
- Anthropic Academy: Claude Code 101 (no dates; copyright 2026), read 2026-11-06
- Exam guide PDF (format, passing score, domains); Certification Terms and Conditions; Anthropic Certification Exam Policy (linked from the exam page), read NOT READ
- Anthropic Partner Academy: Claude Architect learning path (11 courses, about 8.5 hours; lists Claude Code 101 as course 6, about 60 min), read 2026-11-06 (by the content-critic, MKT-1299)
Straight answers
Frequently asked questions about Claude architect certification: what it covers, who can take it and what it costs
Can anyone take the Claude architect certification?
No. Anthropic says certification is currently available only to organizations in the Claude Partner Network, and registration needs a partner email on a recognized company domain (read 6 November 2026).
Is the Claude architect certification free?
No. Anthropic lists the Architect: Foundations exam at $125 before any partner-tier discount (read 6 November 2026). Anthropic describes its prep courses as free.
Is Claude Code 101 free?
Yes. Anthropic's course page shows Register, FREE (read 6 November 2026). Anthropic's Claude Architect path lists it at about 60 minutes, and Anthropic says Academy courses end with a quiz and passing earns a certificate of completion.
What is the difference between Architect Foundations and Architect Professional?
Anthropic says Foundations proves an architect can build with Claude and Professional proves they can design and govern Claude solutions at enterprise scale. Foundations does not convert to Professional automatically (read 6 November 2026).
Does Kriv AI offer a Claude certification?
No. Anthropic issues Claude certifications. Kriv AI trains teams to work with Claude in their own environment.
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