Partner Academy
The Anthropic Partner Academy, and how to get in.
Most people who search for “Claude Academy” are looking for one of two things: Anthropic’s free public courses, or the partner-only portal where the certification prep courses and exam registration live. They are not the same place, and only one of them needs a partner organization to enter. This page separates them and shows the way in.
What is the Anthropic Partner Academy?
The Anthropic Partner Academy is the learning and certification portal for organizations in the Claude Partner Network. It holds the self-paced prep course for each Claude certification, the exam guides with domains and weights, the registration step that leads to a Pearson VUE booking, and the free on-time renewal assessment. Access is tied to a partner organization, so accounts are created under that organization’s domain.
Two academies, not one
Anthropic Academy (public)
Free courses open to anyone, covering Claude, the API, Claude Code, and agent building. Good preparation material, no partner relationship needed, no exam registration.
Anthropic Partner Academy (partner-only)
The certification track: prep courses built to each exam blueprint, the exam guides, registration, and renewal. Reachable only through a Claude Partner Network organization.
What you find inside the Partner Academy
- A preparation course for each certification: CCAR-F, CCDV-F, CCAO-F, and CCAR-P.
- The published exam guide for each, with the domains and their weights.
- The registration step that hands you to Pearson VUE for scheduling.
- The renewal assessment, free and non-proctored if you complete it inside the 12-month validity.
Who gets access
Employees of a partner organization
Whoever administers the partnership at your employer can grant you access.
Companies that join the Claude Partner Network
Your own company applies and, once in, administers access for its people.
Members of a partner firm
Partner firms can extend access to the people on their roster. YAID does this for independent AI engineers: apply, get approved, receive a YAID email address and Partner Academy access, then register and schedule like anyone else.
The step-by-step registration path, including exam day and renewal, is on the registration page.
Partner Academy FAQ
What is the Anthropic Partner Academy?+
The partner-only learning and certification portal for Claude Partner Network organizations. It holds the certification prep courses and the exam guides, and it is where exam registration and the free renewal assessment happen. People often search for it as Claude Academy.
Is Claude Academy free?+
The public Anthropic Academy courses are free and open to anyone. The Partner Academy, where certification registration lives, is not a paid product either, but access requires affiliation with a Claude Partner Network organization. The exams themselves carry a fee per attempt.
Is Claude Academy the same as the Anthropic Partner Academy?+
Not quite. Anthropic Academy is the public course catalog. The Partner Academy is the partner-only portal built on the same platform, with the certification prep courses and exam registration. Searchers use Claude Academy for both.
Do I need Partner Academy access to take a Claude certification exam?+
Yes. Registration for all four exams starts in the Partner Academy. There is no route to a Pearson VUE booking that skips it.
How do I get access to the Partner Academy?+
Through a Claude Partner Network organization: an employer that is a partner, your own company if it joins the network, or a partner firm such as YAID that extends access to its members.
Can I prepare with the public Anthropic Academy courses?+
Yes, and you should. They are free and cover much of the same material. The Partner Academy prep course is the one built to the exam blueprint, so use both.
Does YAID give me Partner Academy access?+
Approved YAID members receive a YAID email address and Partner Academy access under YAID's partner standing, then register and schedule like any other candidate.
Sources
Who wrote this
Matei Olaru
Former public-company CEO, corporate attorney, and World Bank consultant. Runs the YAID Network and the partner relationship with Anthropic.
Michael Greenberg
AI at Google, Meta, and Samsung. Six patents. Leads member support and the certification prep guidance.
Your AI Department is a registered Claude Partner Network company. Our members sit these exams under our partner standing. Facts on this page were last checked on October 15, 2026.