The CCAO-F exam at a glance
CCAO-F is a 60-item, 120-minute proctored exam that costs $99 USD and needs a scaled score of 720 out of 1,000 to pass. It certifies that you can use Claude "effectively and responsibly in realworld business workflows", in the words of Anthropic's exam guide.
What the credential says about you
Anthropic lists five capabilities a certified associate has:
Completes structured business tasks with minimal guidance.
Uses built-in platform features and tools to streamline workflows.
Spots opportunities to improve processes with Claude.
Picks approaches that balance quality, efficiency and cost.
Recognizes limitations and escalates complex or technical work.
The last point matters. The exam rewards knowing when not to use Claude alone, as much as knowing how to use it.
Exam facts
Item Detail Status
Exam code CCAO-F, guide version 1.0, effective July 2026 Confirmed (exam guide) Items 60 multiple-choice and multiple-response; each item says how many answers to pick
- Confirmed
- Time 120 minutes (about 2 minutes per item) Confirmed
- Passing
- score
- 720 scaled, on a 100–1,000 scale Confirmed
Scoring Criterion-referenced; report shows pass/fail, scaled score and percent-correct by domain
Confirmed
Fee $99 USD per attempt; partner-tier discounts may apply Confirmed Delivery Pearson VUE, online proctored or at a test center Confirmed Prerequis‐
ites
None; no coding or API experience needed Confirmed
Validity 12 months; free non-proctored renewal if done on time Confirmed
Item Detail Status
Retakes Wait 14, 30, then 90 days; at most 4 attempts in 12 months; fee each time Confirmed Registra‐
tion
Through the Anthropic Partner Academy Confirmed
Eligibility Built exclusively for Anthropic partners; non-partners can apply to join the Claude Partner Network. CCAO-F does not count toward Partner Network tier eligibility
The seven domains
Figure 1. The seven CCAO-F domains by exam weight
- # Domain Weight About how many items
- 2 Output Evaluation and Validation 21% 13
- 4 Workflow Integration and Solution Design 16% 10
- 6 Governance, Risk, and Responsible Use 15% 9
- 1 Prompting and Task Execution 14% 8
- 3 Product and Model Selection 12% 7
- 5 Configuration and Knowledge Management 12% 7
- 7 Troubleshooting and Optimization 10% 6
Item counts are estimates (weight × 60). Output evaluation is the single biggest domain, so judging Claude's work is worth more than writing clever prompts.
Output evaluation alone is about one item in five.
What is out of scope
The guide says CCAO-F "is not intended for software developers who build against APIs or design agentic systems." Expect no questions on code, the Claude API, machine-learning theory or enterprise architecture. Those belong to the Developer and Architect credentials (see Appendix A).
How to register
Open the CCAO-F page on the Anthropic Partner Academy and download the exam guide. Read the Certification Terms and Conditions and the Exam Policy.
Register and pay.
Create a Pearson VUE account and pick online proctoring or a test center.
Reschedule or cancel at least 24 hours ahead, or you forfeit the fee.
On exam day you need a government photo ID whose name exactly matches your registration. You must accept a non-disclosure agreement. Online, stay in webcam view with a clear desk and no phone, watch or headphones.
The ccao-f exam at a glance