Choose CCAR-F (Claude Certified Architect – Foundations) if your job is designing how Claude-based systems fit together: agent orchestration, Claude Code workflows, tool design and context management. Choose CCDV-F (Claude Certified Developer – Foundations) if your job is building and shipping the application itself: integrations, model selection and optimisation, security and testing. Both are technical, both are issued by Anthropic, and both cost US$125 to sit, so the decision comes down to the kind of work you do.
The short comparison
| CCAR-F — Architect | CCDV-F — Developer | |
|---|---|---|
| Aimed at | Solution architects designing production applications with Claude | Engineers who build, integrate and ship applications and agents on Claude |
| Questions | 60 | 53 |
| Time / pass mark | 120 min · 720/1,000 | 120 min · 720/1,000 |
| Exam fee | US$125 | US$125 |
| Largest domain | Agentic Architecture & Orchestration (27%) | Applications & Integration (33.1%) |
| Validity | 12 months | 12 months |
| Delivery | Pearson OnVUE (online) or a test center | Pearson OnVUE (online) or a test center |
Fees and formats are Anthropic's and can change, so confirm on the exam page before you register. The figures above come from the exam guides as of July 2026.
What CCAR-F tests
CCAR-F tests architectural judgment rather than recall. You are asked to weigh trade-offs the way a solution architect would. The domains are:
- Agentic Architecture & Orchestration (27%)
- Claude Code Configuration & Workflows (20%)
- Prompt Engineering & Structured Output (20%)
- Tool Design & MCP Integration (18%)
- Context Management & Reliability (15%)
The weighting tells you the centre of gravity: how agents are structured and orchestrated, and how Claude Code is configured for a team. Our CCAR-F study guide walks through each domain, and the plain-English explainer is a good starting point if the name is new to you.
What CCDV-F tests
CCDV-F is closer to the build itself. It expects you to be comfortable in Python or TypeScript and to have shipped something real. The domains are:
- Applications & Integration (33.1%)
- Model Selection & Optimization (16.8%)
- Agents & Workflows (14.7%)
- Prompt & Context Engineering (11%)
- Tools & MCPs (10.6%)
- Security & Safety (8.1%)
- Claude Code · Evaluation & Testing (5.7%)
A third of the exam sits in applications and integration, so day-to-day API work matters more here than architecture diagrams. Security and safety also get their own domain.
Where the two overlap
Both exams touch tools, MCP, prompt and context design, and agents. The difference is the angle. CCAR-F asks "how should this system be designed and why?", while CCDV-F asks "how do you implement, optimise and secure it?". If you have designed and built the same system, either could fit; pick the one that matches the title on your work.
How to decide
- Look at your last three projects. Mostly design decisions, reviews and standards? CCAR-F. Mostly code you wrote and shipped? CCDV-F.
- Check your team's gaps. A team that needs shared conventions for Claude Code and agent design benefits from an architect. A team that needs working integrations needs developers.
- Consider both in sequence. Many technical staff start with the one closest to their role, then take the other later. Certifications are valid for 12 months, so plan renewal too.
- Not technical? Neither is for you. The CCAR-F vs CCAO-F comparison covers the business-focused Associate exam, which needs no coding.
Preparing in Malaysia
Agmo Studio, a Select Partner of the Anthropic Claude Partner Network, runs a two-day CCAR-F exam-preparation workshop. The certifications themselves are issued by Anthropic; the workshop prepares you for the exam and does not replace sitting it. HRD Corp claimability is subject to eligibility and HRD Corp approval, and prices are subject to SST. For the full lineup, see the comparison of all Claude certifications.