# Claude Architect > Study materials, code examples, and practice scenarios for Anthropic's Claude Certified Architect: Foundations (CCA-F) certification exam. Covers all five exam domains: agentic architecture, MCP integration, Claude Code workflows, prompt engineering, and context management. - **Type:** MCP server - **Install:** `agentstack add mcp-timothywarner-org-claude-architect` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [timothywarner-org](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/timothywarner-org) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [AI & ML](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/ai-and-ml) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [timothywarner-org](https://github.com/timothywarner-org) - **Source:** https://github.com/timothywarner-org/claude-architect - **Website:** https://techtrainertim.com ## Install ```sh agentstack add mcp-timothywarner-org-claude-architect ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # Claude Architect Foundations - O'Reilly Live Training [](https://techtrainertim.com) [](https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothywarner/) [](https://github.com/timothywarner-org) [](https://learning.oreilly.com/search/?query=Tim%20Warner) [](https://www.youtube.com/c/TechTrainerTim) [](https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/PublicProfile/5004754) [](LICENSE) **Contact:** [Website](https://techtrainertim.com) | [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothywarner/) | [GitHub](https://github.com/timothywarner-org) | [O'Reilly](https://learning.oreilly.com/search/?query=Tim%20Warner) | [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/c/TechTrainerTim) --- Reference architectures, code examples, and practice scenarios for the **Claude Architect** role. This 4-hour O'Reilly Media live training is **skills-first** for Segments 1-3, then closes with a **CCA-F certification capstone** in Segment 4 (cert briefing + weighted practice questions). It teaches the production patterns that define a Claude Architect (agentic orchestration, tool design with MCP, Claude Code workflows, prompt engineering, context management) and gives you a runway to Anthropic's CCA-F exam. > Anthropic's **Claude Certified Architect: Foundations (CCA-F)** exam is currently restricted to Anthropic partners. The five reference files in this repo map to the published 5-domain exam blueprint, and [`CERT-PROGRAM-BRIEFING.md`](./CERT-PROGRAM-BRIEFING.md) walks through exam mechanics, prep stack, and a week-before punchlist. > **New: [`EXAM-STUDY-PATH.md`](./EXAM-STUDY-PATH.md)** is the learner-facing bridge from this workshop's notebooks to CCA-F domains and scenario families. Read it after the course-at-a-glance table below if you are aiming at the exam. ## What is a Claude Architect? The Claude Architect is an emerging job role focused on designing and building production-grade applications with **Claude Code**, the **Claude Agent SDK**, the **Claude API**, and **Model Context Protocol (MCP)**. Organizations across the Claude Partner Network are hiring for this skillset. ## Course at a glance | Segment | Duration | Topic | Key deliverable | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | 50 min | Building AI Agents That Use Tools | Customer support agent with hook-enforced policy | | 2 | 50 min | Tool Design, Integration, and Claude Code Workflows | MCP config walkthrough + Claude Code hierarchy demo | | **2.5** | *self-study* | **Control Surfaces, Tool Enumeration, Console Assets** | **All `tool_choice` modes live, `stop_sequences` / `max_tokens` / `pause_turn`, MCP `list_tools`, and the live Claude Console asset surface (`memory_stores`, `vaults`, `agents`, `sessions`). Q&A overflow / cohort homework, not on the 4-hour clock.** | | 3 | 50 min | Structured Output, Context, and Production Reliability | Invoice extractor with retry + triage scorecard | | 4 | 50 min | CCA-F Certification Capstone | Cert briefing + 10 weighted practice questions + take-home punchlist | Total live class time: 4 hours (4 × 50-min segments + 3 × 10-min breaks). Segment 2.5 is a deep-dive notebook taught only as Q&A overflow or post-class homework. Instructors and learners should start at **[COURSE-FLOW.md](./COURSE-FLOW.md)**. ## CCA-F exam blueprint (the five core competencies) | Domain | Weight | Reference file | Focus | |---|---|---|---| | 1 - Agentic Architecture & Orchestration | **27%** | [domain-1-agentic.md](./domain-1-agentic.md) | Agentic loops, multi-agent coordination, hooks, session management | | 2 - Tool Design & MCP Integration | 18% | [domain-2-tools-mcp.md](./domain-2-tools-mcp.md) | Tool descriptions, structured errors, scoped distribution, MCP config | | 3 - Claude Code Configuration & Workflows | 20% | [domain-3-claude-code.md](./domain-3-claude-code.md) | CLAUDE.md hierarchy, skills, slash commands, plan mode, CI/CD | | 4 - Prompt Engineering & Structured Output | 20% | [domain-4-prompts.md](./domain-4-prompts.md) | Explicit criteria, few-shot prompting, JSON schemas via tool use, batch API | | 5 - Context Management & Reliability | 15% | [domain-5-context.md](./domain-5-context.md) | Context preservation, escalation, error propagation, provenance | **Exam mechanics:** 60 multiple-choice questions, 120 minutes, scaled 100-1000 with **720 passing**, proctored via ProctorFree, **one attempt only**, $99 (partner discount available). See [`CERT-PROGRAM-BRIEFING.md`](./CERT-PROGRAM-BRIEFING.md) for the full briefing. ## Repository layout ```text claude-architect/ ├── INSTRUCTOR-SETUP.md # Multi-day setup arc (machine config, env vars, repo clone, backup plans) ├── COURSE-FLOW.md # Master instructor punchlist (4 segments × 50 min) ├── PRE-CLASS-CHECKLIST.md # Instructor pre-flight (PowerShell) ├── CERT-PROGRAM-BRIEFING.md # Segment 4 talk-track: exam mechanics, domain weights, week-before punchlist ├── PRACTICE-QUESTIONS.md # 60-question practice bank, hand-maintained (cohort take-home) ├── practice-questions.json # Machine-readable practice-question source ├── domain-1-agentic.md # Reference: Agentic Architecture & Orchestration ├── domain-2-tools-mcp.md # Reference: Tool Design & MCP Integration ├── domain-3-claude-code.md # Reference: Claude Code Configuration & Workflows ├── domain-4-prompts.md # Reference: Prompt Engineering & Structured Output ├── domain-5-context.md # Reference: Context Management & Reliability ├── .mcp.json # Segment 2 Demo A anchor (5 servers, 3 transports) ├── .vscode/mcp.json # VS Code / GitHub Copilot agent-mode MCP config (sibling schema to .mcp.json) ├── hooks-example.py # Agent SDK hooks: compliance enforcement ├── coordinator-subagent-sketch.py # Domain 1 coordinator-subagent scaffold (read-only reference) ├── scenario-cicd-integration.md # Codebase analysis skill with frontmatter ├── SKILL.md # Example slash-command / skill definition ├── CLAUDE.md # Claude Code project instructions for this repo ├── notebooks/ # Tim's six teaching notebooks (five live + one self-study deep dive) │ ├── segment-0-pre-flight.ipynb │ ├── segment-1-customer-support-agent.ipynb │ ├── segment-2-tool-design-and-mcp.ipynb │ ├── segment-2-5-control-surfaces.ipynb # self-study; control surfaces + Console assets │ ├── segment-3-invoice-extractor.ipynb │ └── segment-4-cca-f-capstone.ipynb ├── claude-cookbooks-main/ # Vendored snapshot of Anthropic's official Claude Cookbooks (MIT, Copyright (c) 2023 Anthropic). See claude-cookbooks-main/NOTICE.md ├── examples/ # Curated reference applications (study material, not core course) │ └── mcp_cli/ # Reference MCP CLI (FastMCP server + client + chat), from Anthropic's Skilljar course. See examples/mcp_cli/NOTICE.md ├── slides/ # Course slide deck (rebuilt from scripts/build-deck.py) └── scripts/ ├── build-notebooks.py # Rebuilds the six teaching notebooks from source (sha256-deterministic, idempotent) ├── run-jupyter.ps1 # Lifecycle helper: starts JupyterLab on port 8888 with Jupyter AI v3 persona override ├── stop-jupyter.ps1 # Lifecycle helper: port-scoped clean shutdown with PID fallback for Windows half-states ├── voice-lint.ps1 # Voice-lint sweep (no em dashes, no AWS, etc.) - run via `npm run lint:voice` ├── preflight.ps1 # Instructor pre-flight - run via `npm run preflight` ├── build-deck.py # Rebuilds the slide deck └── extract-practice-questions.py # RETIRED extractor (practice-question files are now hand-maintained) ``` ## Getting started ### Prerequisites - [**Python**](https://www.python.org/) 3.13+ (every notebook and demo in this course runs against the Python [`anthropic`](https://pypi.org/project/anthropic/) SDK, pinned `>=0.40, Check stop_reason -> "tool_use"? Execute tool, append tool_result, loop -> "end_turn"? Done -> "pause_turn"? Resume in next request ``` ### Tool selection - **Descriptions drive selection.** Detailed descriptions beat clever tool names. - **Cap at 4-5 tools per agent.** More tools degrade selection accuracy. - **Structured errors as tool_result content.** Never raise exceptions from tool implementations. ### `tool_choice` modes (Segment 2.5) | Mode | Forces what? | When to pick | |---|---|---| | `{"type": "auto"}` | nothing | default | | `{"type": "any"}` | a tool call (model picks which) | action required, model picks verb | | `{"type": "tool", "name": "X"}` | call to tool X | forced structured output (Segment 3) | | `{"type": "none"}` | no tool calls | "explain, don't act" turns | | add `disable_parallel_tool_use: true` | one tool per turn | ordering matters (write-then-read, lookup-then-act) | ### Stop conditions (Segment 2.5) Branch on `stop_reason`, never parse prose to decide control flow. Six values: `end_turn`, `tool_use`, `max_tokens`, `stop_sequence`, `pause_turn`, `refusal`. `stop_sequences` gives you a deterministic cutoff token (matched value comes back in `resp.stop_sequence`, the token itself is excluded from the output). `max_tokens` doubles as a deliberate cutoff lever: set it low, replay the partial assistant turn in the next call to resume. ### Tool enumeration, four lenses (Segment 2.5) 1. **Static** - iterate the `tools=[...]` array you registered 2. **Runtime loop** - log scoped tools + `tool_choice` per iteration 3. **MCP `list_tools`** - the pattern that scales beyond hand-registered tools 4. **Claude Code harness** - separate surface from API `tool_use`, discovered via `/help` and `~/.claude/` ### Claude Console asset surface (Segment 2.5) All reachable from the SDK with `anthropic-beta: managed-agents-2026-04-01`: - `client.beta.memory_stores` - persistence that survives restarts (Domain 5) - `client.beta.vaults` (+ `.credentials.mcp_oauth_validate`) - secrets hygiene with MCP OAuth (Domain 3) - `client.beta.agents` + `client.beta.sessions` - the managed-loop alternative to a hand-rolled agentic loop (Domain 1) ### Claude Code configuration - **User-level** `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` for personal defaults - **Project-level** `./CLAUDE.md` at repo root for team conventions - **Subtree** `/CLAUDE.md` loads on demand - **`claude -p`** for headless / CI/CD usage ### Structured output - **`tool_use` with JSON schema = guaranteed schema compliance.** Define output as a tool's `input_schema`, force the model to call it with `tool_choice: {"type": "tool", "name": "..."}`. - **Few-shot examples > temperature.** Two or three input-output pairs beat tuning sampling parameters. ### Prompt caching floors (gotcha) `cache_control` silently no-ops if the cacheable prefix is below the model's floor. **Sonnet 4.x: 1024 tokens. Haiku 4.5: 4096 tokens (4x higher).** A cell can exit clean with `cache_creation=0` and `cache_read=0` if the prefix sits between the two floors; the smoke output, not the exit code, is what tells you caching engaged. Target +25% above the floor for safety margin against tokenizer drift. ### Model policy - **Haiku 4.5 default everywhere.** Production-quality tool use, agentic loops, and MCP discovery at ~1/5 the Sonnet cost. - **Sonnet 4.6 reserved** for one demo: Segment 3's nested invoice schemas with retry-on-validation-error. - **Opus never used** in code in this repo. Console-managed agents carry their own configured model field (Deep Researcher resolves to Sonnet 4.6); the SDK respects what the Console sets. ### Context and reliability - Pin case-facts at the top of long sessions - Summarize resolved turns; keep verbatim history only for the active issue - Escalate on explicit human request, policy gaps, or low confidence - never on sentiment alone ## About the instructor **Tim Warner** is a Microsoft MVP (Azure AI), Pluralsight Principal Author (200+ courses, 1M+ learners), Microsoft Press / Pearson senior content developer, and O'Reilly Live Learning instructor with 28+ years on the Microsoft stack. He teaches Feynman-style: first principles, no fluff, real demos. - Website: [TechTrainerTim.com](https://techtrainertim.com) - LinkedIn: [@timothywarner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothywarner/) - GitHub: [@timothywarner-org](https://github.com/timothywarner-org) - YouTube: [TechTrainerTim](https://www.youtube.com/c/TechTrainerTim) - O'Reilly: [Author page](https://learning.oreilly.com/search/?query=Tim%20Warner) ## Attribution and licensing This repo bundles three distinct bodies of work. The split matters for attribution and for reuse: - **Original content by Tim Warner.** Everything in [`notebooks/`](./notebooks/), the five [`domain-*.md`](./domain-1-agentic.md) reference files, [`COURSE-FLOW.md`](./COURSE-FLOW.md), [`CERT-PROGRAM-BRIEFING.md`](./CERT-PROGRAM-BRIEFING.md), [`PRE-CLASS-CHECKLIST.md`](./PRE-CLASS-CHECKLIST.md), [`INSTRUCTOR-SETUP.md`](./INSTRUCTOR-SETUP.md), [`CLAUDE.md`](./CLAUDE.md), and everything under [`scripts/`](./scripts/) is authored by Tim Warner and licensed under MIT via this repo's [`LICENSE`](./LICENSE) file. - **Vendored Anthropic content.** [`claude-cookbooks-main/`](./claude-cookbooks-main/) is a vendored copy of Anthropic's official [Claude Cookbooks](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-cookbooks), MIT licensed, **Copyright (c) 2023 Anthropic**. Full attribution, upstream commit reference, and the unmodified MIT license live in [`claude-cookbooks-main/NOTICE.md`](./claude-cookbooks-main/NOTICE.md) and [`claude-cookbooks-main/LICENSE`](./claude-cookbooks-main/LICENSE). It is committed here so learners get the entire reference library on `git clone` without a second clone step. - **Reference application from Anthropic's Skilljar course.** [`examples/mcp_cli/`](./examples/mcp_cli/) is a complete MCP CLI application (stdio FastMCP server + client + interactive chat with `@doc-id` retrieval and `/prompt-name` commands) distributed as starter material with Anthropic's [Claude with the Anthropic API](https://anthropic.skilljar.com/claude-with-the-anthropic-api/) Skilljar course. Treated as Anthropic-authored instructional reference; full attribution and the two minor modifications (rename `.env` to `.env.example`, add `NOTICE.md`) are documented in [`examples/mcp_cli/NOTICE.md`](./examples/mcp_cli/NOTICE.md). Segment 2 of the course opens its `mcp_server.py` source during Demo A. - **Practice bank with split provenance.** In [`PRACTICE-QUESTIONS.md`](./PRACTICE-QUESTIONS.md) the question stems, options, and correct answers are community-sourced from Paul Larionov's study repo; the answer explanations are this repo's own work, grounded in Anthropic documentation. The file is hand-maintained (see the [Disclaimer](#disclaimer) below for the full provenance and calibration-only framing). - **Point-in-time snapshots, not submodules.** Both [`claude-cookbooks-main/`](./claude-cookbooks-main/) and [`examples/mcp_cli/`](./examples/mcp_cli/) are static snapshots, not git submodules. Refresh procedures are documented in each directory's `NOTICE.md`. ## Disclaimer This is an **unofficial study guide** built around Anthropic's publicly documented CCA-F exam blueprint. Practice questions in [`PRACTICE-QUESTIONS.md`](./PRACTICE-QUESTIONS.md) are community-sourced from [Paul Larionov's study repo](https://github.com/paullarionov/claude-certified-architect) and are intended for **calibration only**, not as exam predictors. The authoritative source for exam content, registration, and policy is **Anthropic** (see the [public CCA-F page](https://anthropic.skilljar.com/) and the Exam Policy). Use Anthropic's own Practice Exam to gauge readiness before scheduling. ## Contributing Contributions are welcome. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines. ## License MIT - see [LICENSE](LICENSE). --- *Found this useful? Open an issue with questions … ## Source & license This open-source MCP server is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [timothywarner-org](https://github.com/timothywarner-org) - **Source:** [timothywarner-org/claude-architect](https://github.com/timothywarner-org/claude-architect) - **License:** MIT - **Homepage:** https://techtrainertim.com Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** yes - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/mcp-timothywarner-org-claude-architect - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/timothywarner-org - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.