Reference · updated August 2026
Anthropic’s free courses are not its certifications
Anthropic Academy runs 21free, self-paced courses, and each one awards a certificate of completion. Anthropic separately runs four proctored, paid certifications with an eligibility rule and a pass mark. These are different things, and the search data suggests most people looking for a “Claude Code certification” want the first while believing they want the second.
In short
- There is no Claude Code certification. There is a free Claude Code *course* that awards a certificate of completion.
- Anthropic Academy is free. All 21 courses, their quizzes and their certificates cost nothing, and signing up needs only an email address.
- A certificate of completion is not a certification. No proctor, no identity check, no pass mark, no expiry.
- The certifications are the other thing — four proctored exams, $99 to $175, and a partner email is required.
- Both are worth having, for different reasons. One teaches you the material; the other is a credential an employer can count.
The confusion, and where it comes from
More people search for a "Claude Code certification" than for any of the four exams that actually exist. No such certification has ever been offered. What exists is Claude Code in Action, a free self-paced course on Anthropic Academy that issues a certificate when you finish it.
The wording does most of the damage. A certificate of completion and a certification differ by one suffix, and by everything that matters: whether anybody verified that it was you, and whether you had to reach a standard.
The two things, side by side
| Anthropic Academy courses | Claude certifications | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $99–$175 per attempt |
| Who can enrol | Anyone with an email address | Claude Partner Network work email only |
| Proctored | No | Yes, through Pearson VUE |
| Pass mark | None | 720 out of 1,000 |
| You receive | A certificate of completion | A certification |
| Expires | Never | 12 months, free renewal |
| Counts toward partner tier | No | Yes |
The full Anthropic Academy catalog
Anthropic Academy launched in March 2026 and holds 21 courses, grouped below by what they teach. All are free, all are self-paced, and each ends in a certificate of completion. The catalog lives at anthropic.skilljar.com.
Using Claude
- Claude 101
- Claude Platform 101
- Introduction to Claude Cowork
Claude Code
- Claude Code 101
- Claude Code in Action
- Introduction to agent skills
- Introduction to subagents
Building on the API
- Building with the Claude API
- Claude with Amazon Bedrock
- Claude on Google Cloud
Model Context Protocol
- Introduction to Model Context Protocol
- Model Context Protocol: Advanced Topics
AI Fluency
- AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations
- AI Capabilities and Limitations
- AI Fluency for Builders
- AI Fluency for educators
- AI Fluency for students
- AI Fluency for pK-12 Educators
- Teaching AI Fluency
- AI Fluency for nonprofits
- AI Fluency for Small Businesses
Which should you actually do?
If you want to learn Claude, do the courses. They are free, they are written by the people who built the product, and nothing is gated behind a partner relationship.
If you need something a partner organisation can count toward its tier, only the proctored certifications do that, and only if you can register for one. Check the email rule before you plan anything else.
Doing both? The sequence that wastes least time is courses first. Several map onto certification blueprint domains closely enough to serve as revision, and they cost nothing to abandon if it turns out no exam is available to you.
Is the Claude Code certification free?
The Claude Code course is free, and there is no Claude Code certification. Anthropic Academy runs a free course called Claude Code in Action which awards a certificate of completion, while the four paid, proctored Claude certifications are a separate programme that contains no Claude Code exam. Both things are real; only one of them is a certification.
Do Anthropic courses give you a certificate?
Yes. Every Anthropic Academy course awards a certificate of completion at no cost, and it can be added to a LinkedIn profile. It records that you finished the material. Nothing is proctored, no identity check takes place, and it does not expire.
What is the difference between an Anthropic certificate and a certification?
A certificate of completion says you finished a course. A certification says you sat a proctored exam, scored at least 720 out of 1,000, and were eligible to register in the first place. The courses are free and open to anyone with an email address; the certifications cost $99 to $175 and require a Claude Partner Network work email.
Are the free Anthropic courses worth doing?
For learning, yes. They are made by the vendor, they cost nothing, and nothing is gated. As a hiring signal they carry roughly what any free self-paced certificate carries, which is not much on its own. Their honest use is as preparation, since several map closely onto certification blueprint domains.
Price, format, validity and the eligibility rule for all four proctored Claude exams, in one table.
Compare the four paid certifications