Work at a Claude Partner Network organization
RequiredRegister with your organization's recognized company email domain. You must be 18 or older.
Claude Certified Associate – Foundations (CCAO-F)
Validates ability to apply Claude to everyday business tasks, including prompting, checking output, choosing features and models, setting up Projects and using AI responsibly.
Summary
Claude Certified Associate – Foundations is Anthropic's exam for people who use Claude as a productivity tool rather than build with it. Its 60 questions cover prompting, evaluating output, choosing products and models, workflow design, configuring Projects, responsible use and troubleshooting.
Good fit if
- You use Claude daily at a Claude Partner Network organization
- You scope Claude use cases or deliver Claude engagements for clients
- You work in operations, marketing, project management or education and want proof of applied skill
Look elsewhere if
- You build with the API or design agent systems: Developer – Foundations or Architect – Foundations
- You need credentials that count toward your firm's partner tier: Developer – Foundations or Architect – Foundations
- You are outside Claude Partner Network organizations: Google Generative AI Leader or AWS AI Practitioner
Prerequisites
Cost
What holders say
Mostly taken at an employer's request
Passers describe company encouragement or free company exams more than their own demand, and expect little effect on hiring. Commenters doubt the badge adds credibility on its own.
The free prep course is the main value
Passers rate Anthropic's prep course as the most useful part, for everyday work and for other AI tools, ahead of the badge itself.
Renewal
The certification is valid for 12 months from the day you earn it.
- Validity
- 12 months
- Renewal requirement
- Free online assessment
- Renewal fee
- $0 USD
Review what has changed, then complete the non-proctored assessment on the Anthropic Partner Academy before your certification expires. If it lapses, you retake the full exam at the full fee. Anthropic may ask holders to retake the full exam if the content changes significantly.
Anthropic certification FAQ ↗Alternatives
Google Cloud Generative AI Leader$99 required · Entry
Google Cloud's business-level generative AI exam, open to anyone with no prerequisites.
AWS Certified AI Practitioner$100 required · Entry
A broader entry-level AI certification from AWS, open to the public.
AWS Certified AI Business Strategist$50 required · Intermediate
AWS's non-technical exam on AI strategy, governance and adoption.
Google AI Essentials$49 required · Entry
A beginner course on using generative AI at work, with no exam to sit.
FAQ
Who can take the Claude Certified Associate – Foundations exam?
People who work at Claude Partner Network organizations, registering with a recognized company email and aged 18 or older. Personal emails do not work. Partner Network membership is free for organizations.
How much does the Claude Certified Associate exam cost?
$99. Select, Preferred and Global Premier partners get 50% off at checkout, and Global Premier partners take it free until December 31, 2026.
Does the Associate exam count toward my firm's partner tier?
No. Anthropic states that it does not count toward Claude Partner Network tier eligibility. Developer – Foundations, Architect – Foundations and Architect – Professional do.
Do I need coding or API experience?
No. The exam guide says no software-development or API experience is needed. The exam is not intended for developers who build against APIs or design agentic systems.
What is the passing score?
A scaled score of 720 on a scale of 100 to 1,000.
How long is the certification valid?
12 months. Renew before it expires with a free online assessment; if it lapses, you retake the full exam.
Do I need the Associate before Architect or Developer exams?
No. Anthropic's exams are role-based and the Associate has no prerequisites. It is not a required step to the technical exams.
Last updated October 2026