Side by side
| CCDV-F (Developer) | CCAR-F (Architect) | |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | AI/ML engineers and senior software engineers who ship production Claude apps, agents and workflows | Solution architects |
| Questions and time | 53 in 120 minutes | 60 in 120 minutes |
| Domains | 8 | 5 |
| Pass score | 720 / 1000 | 720 / 1000 |
| Fee | $125 USD | $125 USD |
| Heaviest domain | Applications & Integration, 33.1% | Agentic Architecture & Orchestration, 27% |
| Claude Code weight | 3.1% | 20% |
CCAR-F domains
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Agentic Architecture & Orchestration | 27% |
| Claude Code Configuration & Workflows | 20% |
| Prompt Engineering & Structured Output | 20% |
| Tool Design & MCP Integration | 18% |
| Context Management & Reliability | 15% |
CCDV-F domains
The eight CCDV-F domains are Applications & Integration (33.1%), Model Selection & Optimization (16.8%), Agents & Workflows (14.7%), Prompt & Context Engineering (11.0%), Tools & MCPs (10.6%), Security & Safety (8.1%), Claude Code (3.1%) and Evaluation, Testing & Debugging (2.6%). The exam guide has the full table.
Where the weight differs
The clearest gap is Claude Code. It is 3.1% on CCDV-F and a dedicated 20% domain on CCAR-F. CCDV-F spends its weight on API mechanics, software-engineering practice and model and cost decisions. CCAR-F spends it on orchestration design and reliability.
Which exam fits you
- Choose Developer Foundations if you write the code that calls Claude: API integration, tool implementation, token and cost management.
- Choose Architect Foundations if you design the system around it: agent orchestration, MCP integration design and context reliability.
- If you do both, the topics overlap in agents, tools, prompting and context, but the weights differ, so a plan for one does not transfer one to one.
Read domains D1 and D2 for the heaviest CCDV-F material, and cost for the shared fee. Also see Is CCDV-F worth it.