Anthropic launched a certification: Claude Certified Architect (Foundations). Passing it means you can build production-grade applications using Claude Code, Agent SDK, Claude API, and Model Context Protocol.
The catch: the exam is only available to Claude partners.
But knowledge should not be locked behind a gate. So we did something about it — we tore apart the entire exam guide and rebuilt it into a complete, free course.
Why You Do Not Need the Certificate
A certificate proves you passed an exam. But clients pay for what you can deliver, not what badge you carry.
If you master everything the exam tests, you have the ability to build production-grade Claude applications. The certificate is a tick mark. The knowledge is the weapon.
What the Course Covers
Our course "How to Become a Claude Architect" covers all five exam domains, ordered by weight:
Domain 1: Agentic Architecture & Orchestration (27%)
The most important domain. You will learn:
- The complete agentic loop lifecycle — the
stop_reasonfield is the only correct way to determine loop termination, not parsing natural language - Multi-agent orchestration — hub-and-spoke architecture, subagent context isolation
- Hook mechanics — PostToolUse hooks for data normalisation, tool call interception hooks for business rule enforcement
- The critical insight: subagents do not share memory. Every piece of information must be passed explicitly.
Domain 2: Tool Design & MCP Integration (18%)
- Tool descriptions are the sole mechanism Claude uses for tool selection — vague descriptions cause misrouting
- Four error categories (transient, validation, business, permission) and their correct handling
- Three
tool_choiceconfigurations and when each applies - MCP server scoping: project-level vs user-level configuration
Domain 3: Claude Code Configuration & Workflows (20%)
- The CLAUDE.md hierarchy — the difference between user-level, project-level, and directory-level determines team collaboration success
- Path-specific rules: one glob pattern for test conventions across the entire codebase
- Plan mode vs direct execution decision framework
- CI/CD integration: the
-pflag, independent review instances, incremental reviews
Domain 4: Prompt Engineering & Structured Output (20%)
- "Be conservative" does not improve precision — only explicit categorical criteria work
- Few-shot examples are the most effective technique for consistency
tool_usewith JSON schemas eliminates syntax errors but cannot prevent semantic errors- Message Batches API: synchronous for blocking workflows, batch for overnight tasks
Domain 5: Context Management & Reliability (15%)
- Never summarise transactional data — use persistent "case facts" blocks
- Three valid escalation triggers vs two unreliable ones
- Error propagation: silent suppression and workflow termination are both anti-patterns
What Makes This Course Different
This is not a read-and-forget course. Every chapter includes:
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Concept explanation | With concrete production scenario examples |
| Exam traps | Specific anti-patterns and misconceptions tested |
| Practice scenarios | Real situations to test your understanding |
| Build exercises | Hands-on projects covering each domain |
The final chapter provides four capstone projects that tie all five domains together:
- Customer Support Resolution Agent — touches all five domains
- Multi-Agent Research System — coordinator, parallel subagents, attribution preservation
- CI/CD Code Review Pipeline — non-interactive review, multi-pass architecture
- Structured Data Extraction Pipeline — JSON schemas, validation-retry, batch processing
Anti-Pattern Cheat Sheet
After completing the course, burn these into your brain:
- Check
stop_reason, do not parse natural language - Subagents have no shared memory — pass everything explicitly
- High-stakes scenarios need hooks, not prompts
- Tool descriptions must be specific, not vague
- Do not generate and review in the same session
- Never summarise transactional data — use persistent fact blocks
Start Learning
The course is live, available in both English and Chinese, completely free.
You do not need to be a Claude partner. You do not need any certificate. You just need to open the course and build alongside it.
Knowledge is free. Execution is what is scarce.