# How to Get Certified Through the Claude Certification Academy: A Complete Guide > Get Claude certified for free with the ai-engineering-from-scratch guide. Complete lessons, pass quizzes, run labs, and verify your skills to earn your certification today. - Repository: [Rohit Ghumare/ai-engineering-from-scratch](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-08-26 --- **The Claude Certification Academy provides free, self-paced certification tracks within the `ai-engineering-from-scratch` repository that require completing structured lessons, passing quizzes, executing labs via [`scripts/lesson_run.py`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/scripts/lesson_run.py), and verifying completion through [`scripts/audit_certifications.py`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/scripts/audit_certifications.py).** The **Claude Certification Academy** is a formal credentialing system embedded in the `rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch` open-source curriculum. It transforms the repository's standard lesson phases into certification tracks (CCDV-F, CCAR-P, CCAR-F, CCAO-F) that add diagnostic assessments, capstone projects, and automated verification steps required to earn a credential. ## Understanding the Certification Structure The academy operates as a structured subdirectory at `certifications/claude/` inside the repository. Unlike the informal learning paths in the `phases/` directory, certification tracks enforce a specific sequence of validated learning artifacts. **Track definitions** live in `certifications/claude/tracks/` as JSON files (e.g., [`ccar-f.json`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/ccar-f.json)). Each file declares the ordered list of lesson slugs, prerequisites, and required assessments. **Individual lessons** reside in `certifications/claude/lessons//` and contain a [`docs/en.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/docs/en.md) explainer, implementation code, and a [`quiz.json`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/quiz.json). **Assessments** are stored in `certifications/claude/assessments//` and contain formal evaluation logic. ## Step-by-Step Certification Workflow ### 1. Review the Academy Overview Start by reading [`certifications/claude/README.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/certifications/claude/README.md). This file outlines the high-level workflow, prerequisite knowledge, and the distinction between the self-paced curriculum and formal certification tracks. ### 2. Select Your Certification Track Each track is defined by a JSON configuration in `certifications/claude/tracks/`. Available tracks include **CCDV-F** (Foundations), **CCAR-P** (Professional), **CCAR-F** (Foundations), and **CCAO-F** (Foundations). Inspect your chosen track to see the ordered lesson list: ```bash cat certifications/claude/tracks/ccar-f.json | jq '.lessons[]' ``` ### 3. Complete the Underlying Lessons Work through the lesson slugs specified in your track file. Each lesson directory contains: - [`docs/en.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/docs/en.md) – Learning objectives and theory - `code/` – Runnable implementation files (e.g., [`main.py`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/main.py)) - [`quiz.json`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/quiz.json) – Assessment questions you must pass Execute the lesson code to ensure it runs without errors: ```bash python3 phases/10-agent-systems/01-agent-basics/code/main.py python3 -m unittest discover phases/10-agent-systems/01-agent-basics/code/tests ``` ### 4. Execute Certification-Specific Labs Each certification lesson includes an **Interactive Lab** or **Practice Lab** in its `outputs/` folder. Use the helper script [`scripts/lesson_run.py`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/scripts/lesson_run.py) to execute the lesson and generate required artifacts: ```bash python3 scripts/lesson_run.py \ --lesson certifications/claude/lessons/32-architect-professional-system-capstone \ --run-output outputs/skills/skill-arch-prof-capstone.md ``` The script verifies that the lesson exits with status 0 and produces the expected output files in `certifications/claude/lessons//outputs/`. ### 5. Pass the Final Assessments After completing all lessons in a track, run the diagnostic or final assessment located in `certifications/claude/assessments//`: ```bash python3 scripts/lesson_run.py \ --assessment certifications/claude/assessments/ccar-f/assessment.json ``` The assessment runner validates your answers against expected indices and generates a result file upon passing. ### 6. Verify and Audit Your Completion Store all generated JSON result files in your personal `learning-artifacts/` directory. Run the verification script to confirm all required artifacts are present: ```bash python3 scripts/audit_certifications.py --track ccar-f ``` When [`audit_certifications.py`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/audit_certifications.py) completes without errors, it produces a verification report confirming you have earned the Claude certification for that track. This report serves as shareable proof of competence. ## Key Automation Scripts The certification process relies on two primary automation tools located in the `scripts/` directory: - **[`scripts/lesson_run.py`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/scripts/lesson_run.py)** – Executes individual lessons, runs labs, and processes assessment JSON files to validate technical implementation. - **[`scripts/audit_certifications.py`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/scripts/audit_certifications.py)** – Performs a final validation check against track requirements, verifies the presence of all learning artifacts, and generates the official certification report. ## Available Certification Tracks According to the source code structure, the academy currently defines multiple specialization routes: - **CCAR-F** – Claude Certified Architect Foundations - **CCAR-P** – Claude Certified Architect Professional - **CCDV-F** – Claude Certified Developer Foundations - **CCAO-F** – Claude Certified AI Operator Foundations Each track JSON file in `certifications/claude/tracks/` specifies the exact sequence of lessons and the specific assessment files required for credentialing. ## Summary - The **Claude Certification Academy** is located at `certifications/claude/` in the `ai-engineering-from-scratch` repository. - **Track definitions** in `certifications/claude/tracks/` JSON files dictate the required lesson order and assessments. - Complete lessons by reading [`docs/en.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/docs/en.md), implementing code in `code/`, and passing [`quiz.json`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/quiz.json) validations. - Use [`scripts/lesson_run.py`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/scripts/lesson_run.py) to execute labs and assessments, ensuring they exit with status 0. - Run `scripts/audit_certifications.py --track ` to verify completion artifacts in `learning-artifacts/` and generate the final certification report. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What are the prerequisites for the Claude Certification Academy? The academy assumes you have completed the corresponding prerequisite lessons in the `phases/` directory or possess equivalent knowledge in AI engineering fundamentals. The [`certifications/claude/README.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/certifications/claude/README.md) file explicitly lists which foundational concepts (e.g., agent systems, prompt engineering) you should master before attempting certification tracks. ### How long does it take to complete a certification track? Completion time varies by track complexity. The **CCAR-F** (Architect Foundations) track requires completing multiple capstone projects and assessments, typically requiring 20-40 hours of focused work. Self-paced learners progress through lesson slugs sequentially, with each lesson requiring both study time and hands-on lab execution via [`scripts/lesson_run.py`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/scripts/lesson_run.py). ### Can I attempt the assessments multiple times? Yes. The assessment runner in [`scripts/lesson_run.py`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/scripts/lesson_run.py) validates answers against expected indices but does not impose attempt limits. You can re-run the assessment JSON files in `certifications/claude/assessments//` until you achieve a passing score, at which point you generate the result artifact for your `learning-artifacts/` directory. ### Where are my certification artifacts stored? The [`scripts/audit_certifications.py`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/scripts/audit_certifications.py) script expects proof of completion files in a `learning-artifacts/` directory at the repository root. These artifacts include JSON result files generated by successful assessment runs. The audit script checks this directory against the requirements specified in your chosen track's JSON definition to issue final verification.