Anthropic requires a partner company domain email to register for any Claude certification exam, including both architect tracks. Architects who do not work at a Claude Partner Network company can register through Timo. Timo provides access to the Partner Academy account held by Amotion AI, a member of the partner network. You prepare inside that account, then book and pay for your exam directly with Anthropic.
What CCAR-F and CCAR-P are
Anthropic offers two architect credentials. CCAR-F, Architect Foundations, is for architects designing their first production Claude systems. It covers models, context, tools, integrations, security, cost and operations. CCAR-P, Architect Professional, is for experienced architects who own enterprise solution design from discovery through production and governance.
Both tracks test real-world architectural judgement. The questions are scenario-based and ask you to choose the right design decision given a set of constraints and trade-offs.
What a partner company is and why it matters
Anthropic opened the Claude Partner Network in March 2026. Registration for every Claude certification exam flows through it. Candidates must sign up with a work email on a recognised partner company domain. A personal Gmail or Outlook address is rejected at sign-up.
This rule exists because Anthropic positioned the certification programme as a partner enablement tool. Partners certify their staff to demonstrate delivery capability, and partner tier standing is partly measured by certified headcount. The side effect is that an architect who works independently, at a startup that is not a partner, or at a large firm that has not joined the network, cannot register directly.
The three routes into the architect exam
An architect without a partner company has three options.
Route one: get your employer into the Partner Network. Your company applies to join, Anthropic accepts it, and you register with your work email. This is the direct path but it takes time and depends on your employer's willingness.
Route two: register through Timo. Timo provides access to the Partner Academy account held by Amotion AI, a Claude Partner Network member. You pay $50 for two months of access, prepare inside the account, then book and pay for your exam with Anthropic. This is the fastest route for an individual architect.
Route three: wait for public registration. Anthropic has not opened self-service public registration as of August 2026. There is no announced date. Waiting means staying uncertified while certified architects fill the roles that ask for the credential.
What is inside the Academy account for architects
The Partner Academy account includes the official Anthropic course material for all four certification tracks. For architects specifically, the account contains the full exam guides for CCAR-F and CCAR-P, the official practice tests, and the course modules that walk through each domain area.
You work through the material at your own pace. When you are ready, you book your exam date with Anthropic's exam partner and pay Anthropic's fee directly. Timo never collects the exam fee and never passes it through.
The exam format and fees
CCAR-F has 60 items and runs for 120 minutes. The questions are scenario-based and test architectural decisions across system components. The scaled passing score is 720. Anthropic charges $125 for the exam.
CCAR-P has 63 items and also runs for 120 minutes. The questions ask for professional judgement on enterprise architecture trade-offs. The scaled passing score is 720. Anthropic charges $175 for the exam.
Both exams are available online or at a test centre. You pick your date and time when you book. Anthropic awards the credential after a pass, and Credly issues a verifiable digital badge.
Architect track domain weights
Anthropic publishes the domain weightings in each exam guide. The balance of topics tells you where to spend your study time.
| CCAR-F Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Solution Design | 25% |
| Integration and Tooling | 25% |
| Context and Retrieval | 20% |
| Operations and Reliability | 15% |
| Safety and Governance | 15% |
| CCAR-P Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Enterprise Architecture | 25% |
| Platform and Integration | 20% |
| Evaluation and Safety | 20% |
| Governance and Compliance | 15% |
| Lifecycle and Operations | 20% |
How to prepare
Start with the official exam guide inside the Partner Academy account. It lists every topic and the weight it carries. Work through the course modules in order of domain weight, starting with the heaviest sections. Take the official practice test when you have covered the full guide.
Apply the topics to a real project as you go. CCAR-F and CCAR-P both test applied judgement, not recall. If you can make a design decision and explain why you chose it over the alternatives, you are ready. If you are memorising facts without working through a real scenario, you are not.
Timo offers optional guided sessions for architects who want a live review before the exam. A private session costs $199 for 60 minutes. A small group session costs $49 per person for up to five candidates. Tick the option on the booking form and Timo confirms the next date.
The costs, plainly
| What you pay for | Cost | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Two months of Partner Academy access | $50 | Timo |
| CCAR-F exam | $125 | Anthropic |
| CCAR-P exam | $175 | Anthropic |
| Extension, two more months | $20 | Timo |
Anthropic's exam fee is separate from Timo's access fee. You pay Anthropic directly when you book your exam. The $50 access fee covers all four tracks, so you can take CCAR-F and CCAR-P inside the same two-month window without paying a second access fee.
After you pass
Add the credential to your profile with the exact certification name and the Credly badge link. Both CCAR-F and CCAR-P are valid for 12 months. Renewal is a free assessment on the Partner Academy platform. If the credential lapses, you pay the full exam fee again.
Certified candidates who book through Timo can opt in to hear about relevant full-time roles, freelance work and defined projects. The choice is optional and appears on the booking form.
Last verified 6 August 2026. Anthropic runs the Claude Certification programme, sets the exam fees and awards the credential. Amotion AI is a member of the Claude Partner Network. Timo provides access to the Partner Academy account held by Amotion AI. Candidates book and pay for exams directly with Anthropic.
Get architect certification access
$50 buys two months of Partner Academy access. Both architect tracks are inside the account. You book and pay for your exam directly with Anthropic.