The fee
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Exam fee, before partner discounts | $99 USD |
| Partner discount | 50% off for Select, Preferred and Global Premier partners; Global Premier partners pay nothing through 2026-12-31 |
| Validity | 12 months |
| Fee spread over validity | $8.25 per month ($99 divided by 12) |
| Cost for a team of 10 before discounts | $990 ($99 times 10); no bulk purchase yet |
The fee is the price before partner discounts. Select, Preferred and Global Premier partners get 50% off, and Global Premier partners pay nothing through 2026-12-31. There is no bulk purchase and no voucher yet; the voucher storefront is in progress. Confirm the final amount on the Partner Academy before you pay.
What the fee does not tell you
- Retakes. After a failed attempt you wait 14 days, then 30 days after the second fail and 90 days after the third. You get at most 4 attempts per rolling 12 months, per exam, and each attempt costs the full fee (the partner discount still applies).
- Renewal. An on-time renewal is an unproctored assessment on the Partner Academy at no charge. If the credential lapses, you retake the full exam at the full fee. Anthropic may require a full retake if the content changes.
- Reschedule or cancel. The exam guide says up to 24 hours before; the Partner Academy FAQ and the Pearson VUE page say at least 48 hours. Use 48 hours to be safe. A late change or a no-show forfeits the fee.
- Group pricing. None yet beyond the partner-tier discounts.
Your time is the larger cost
The exam has 60 questions and a 120 minute limit. Beyond exam day, you spend hours getting ready. Here is what different weekly commitments add up to over common runways. The totals are plain arithmetic: weeks times hours.
| Hours per week | 4 weeks | 8 weeks | 12 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12 hours | 24 hours | 36 hours |
| 7 | 28 hours | 56 hours | 84 hours |
| 10 | 40 hours | 80 hours | 120 hours |
| 15 | 60 hours | 120 hours | 180 hours |
These are your own totals, not a recommended amount. Use the Plan my exam date planner to turn a date and weekly hours into a split across the seven domains. The planner flags a plan as thin when it is less than half of this site's default assumption for your experience.
How to read the cost
- If your employer pays, the fee is a small line on a training budget.
- If you pay, the fee is $99 before discounts for one year of validity.
- If you manage a team, multiply $99 by the number of people, then add their hours. There is no bulk purchase yet.
FAQ
- How much does the CCAO-F exam cost?
- $99 USD before partner discounts. Select, Preferred and Global Premier partners get 50% off, and Global Premier partners pay nothing through 2026-12-31. Confirm the final amount at checkout.
- How long does the certification last?
- 12 months. Before discounts, that is $8.25 per month of validity.
- Does the fee include study materials?
- No source on this site says so. The fee covers the exam.
- Is there a retake or renewal fee?
- A retake costs the full fee each time, with waits of 14, 30 and 90 days and at most 4 attempts per rolling 12 months. An on-time renewal is an unproctored assessment at no charge; a lapse means retaking the full exam.
- What does a team of 10 cost?
- $990 before discounts. There is no bulk purchase yet, and partner tiers get 50% off. Add the working hours each person will spend preparing.
Links out: Plan my exam date, Registration, Is it worth it.