What the Claude certification exam actually looks like
Facts verified on 2026-07-26
Every one of the four Claude certifications gives you 120 minutes and requires a scaled score of 720 to pass, on a scale that runs from 100 to 1,000. Budget about 135 minutes of seat time — check-in is not free.
Below: the scoring, the domains each exam draws from and their official weights, and what those weights mean for how you should actually study.
Time, scoring and the pass mark
- 120 minutes to answer, with roughly 135 minutes total seat time once check-in is counted.
- Scored on a scale of 100 to 1,000.
- 720 is the minimum passing score — the same for all four certifications.
- Delivered by Pearson, online with a proctor or at a test centre.
Domains and weights — Architect Foundations
The weights below are the official exam-guide blueprint. They are worth reading as a study plan rather than a table: the first two domains alone are nearly half the exam.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Agents & agentic loop | 27% |
| Claude Code: config & permissions | 20% |
| Prompting techniques | 20% |
| Tools & MCP | 18% |
| Context & optimization | 15% |
What the weights change about studying
A 27% domain and a 15% domain are not worth equal hours, and an even split across five domains is the most common way to prepare inefficiently. On a 720 cut, the difference between weighting your practice and not weighting it is several questions — which is the whole margin.
It also means readiness is not “I finished the material.” It is holding a high enough command in every domain, because a weak 27% domain cannot be rescued by a strong 15% one. That is why we score mastery per domain rather than reporting one percentage.
FAQ
What is the passing score for the Claude certification?
720 on a scale of 100 to 1,000. It is the same minimum for all four certifications.
How long is the Claude certification exam?
120 minutes of answering time, and about 135 minutes of total seat time once check-in is included.
Which domains does the Claude Certified Architect — Foundations exam cover?
Five: Agents & agentic loop (27%), Claude Code config & permissions (20%), Prompting techniques (20%), Tools & MCP (18%), and Context & optimization (15%).
Read next
- Which Claude certification should you take?Four Claude certifications compared: price, domains, prerequisites and Partner Network status — an honest pick by role: developer, architect or beginner.
- Who can take the Claude certification?Claude certifications require a Claude Partner Network company email — personal email won't work.
- How to prepare for the Claude certification — and how long it takesHow to prepare for the Claude certification: what Anthropic provides, how to plan by domain weight, common mistakes, and how to estimate your readiness date.
Practise against those weights
AgentPrep draws its daily quest by the official domain weights and tracks mastery per domain, so preparation matches the blueprint instead of your comfort zone. Free to start in your browser.
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