--- title: "Is the Claude Exam Open Book? Exam vs Renewal | Cred Farmer" url: https://credfarmer.com/blog/is-the-claude-exam-open-book description: "Is the Claude exam open book? No: the 4 proctored exams allow no notes, translation tools or AI. The renewal assessment is open book and can be retaken." last_updated: 2026-11-10 publisher: "Cred Farmer, an independent study platform, not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic or Pearson VUE" --- # Is the Claude exam open book? The proctored exam is not, and the renewal assessment is Is the Claude exam open book? This page sets out what Anthropic’s FAQ, policies page and Pearson VUE say about the exam, the workspace rules and the open-book renewal. Published 10 November 2026Updated 10 November 20268 min readCovers all four exams By the Cred Farmer editorial team.Checked against the official sources on 10 November 2026. Short answer Is the Claude exam open book? No. Anthropic’s certification FAQ asks whether you can use notes, documentation, translation tools or AI assistants during the exam, and answers: “No. Exams are closed book.” That rule covers all four proctored exams, online or at a test centre. The open-book test is a different one: the renewal assessment, which Anthropic’s policies page calls “an open-book online assessment” that you can retake as many times as you need. The two rules belong to two different tests. **What the exam codes mean** **CCAO-F** Claude Certified Associate - Foundations **CCDV-F** Claude Certified Developer - Foundations **CCAR-F** Claude Certified Architect - Foundations **CCAR-P** Claude Certified Architect - Professional Checked against the official sources on 10 November 2026: Anthropic’s [certification FAQ](https://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/page/faq-certifications), [policies page](https://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/page/policies-certifications) (Validity and recertification; Proctoring and exam conduct) and [Computer and Network Setup page](https://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/page/computer-and-network-setup), and Pearson VUE’s [Anthropic OnVUE page](https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/anthropic/onvue.html). The sources also include the [Exam Policy](https://everpath-course-content.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/instructor%2F34hhd92iyp94a0gtbr15cy5jk%2Fpublic%2F1782870704%2FAnthropic+Certification+Exam+Policy.pdf), last updated 25 June 2026 (section 2), and the four [v1.0 exam guides](https://anthropic-partners.skilljar.com/page/partner-certifications), sections 12 and 14 (13 and 15 in CCAR-F). ## Is the Claude exam open book? What Anthropic’s FAQ says Claude certification exams are closed book. Anthropic’s FAQ asks “Can I use notes, documentation, translation tools, or AI assistants during the exam?” and answers “No. Exams are closed book.” It adds that browser translation tools are not permitted under the Pearson proctoring platform. Each v1.0 exam guide describes a proctored sitting, online or at a Pearson VUE test centre. | Rule | Proctored exam | Renewal assessment | | --- | --- | --- | | Book rule | Closed book (FAQ) | Open-book (policies page) | | Supervision | Proctored, online or at a Pearson VUE test centre (guides) | Non-proctored (FAQ, guides), online on Anthropic Partner Academy (policies page) | | Notes, translation tools, AI | No (FAQ; Exam Policy, section 2) | Not stated | | Screens | One display online (Pearson OnVUE page) | Not stated | | Time | 120 minutes (FAQ) | Not stated | | Attempts | Up to 4 per rolling 12 months, after waits (FAQ) | As many as you need (policies page) | “Not stated” means no page read on 10 November 2026 says it. The closed-book rule covers all four exams. They are the [Claude Certified Associate - Foundations (CCAO-F)](https://credfarmer.com/certifications/claude-certified-associate-foundations), [Claude Certified Developer - Foundations (CCDV-F)](https://credfarmer.com/certifications/claude-certified-developer-foundations), [Claude Certified Architect - Foundations (CCAR-F)](https://credfarmer.com/certifications/claude-certified-architect-foundations) and [Claude Certified Architect - Professional (CCAR-P)](https://credfarmer.com/certifications/claude-certified-architect-professional). [The exam language post](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-exam-language) covers the translation rule and sitting in Japanese. ## Claude exam second monitor, phone and screen rules An online Claude exam allows one screen and no phone within reach. Pearson’s OnVUE page for Anthropic requires “One display screen only (multi-monitor setups are not permitted)”. Its prohibited technology includes “Secondary or touchscreen displays (disconnect and cover if not removable)” and “Mobile phones, tablets, headphones, earbuds, styluses, and watches”. For the desk, Pearson says “You must remove all items on, under, or within arm’s reach of your desk”, including electronics and “Books, notes, paper, pens, writing tools”. During the exam, its list of things not to do includes “Access your phone unless explicitly permitted by a proctor”. The only allowance the page lists for Anthropic is a digital whiteboard, and it adds: “This does not grant permission to use physical whiteboards or writing materials of any kind”. The published rules for the screen and desk run as three steps, in Cred Farmer’s order. 1 ### Clear the desk Remove books, notes, paper, pens and electronics from on, under and within arm’s reach. 2 ### Leave one display Pearson permits one display screen only. 3 ### Close every other application Pearson requires the ability to close all but OnVUE. The setup page’s Windows list names Claude. **Figure:** An online sitting. Allowed: one display, the OnVUE application and a digital whiteboard. Not allowed: a second display, other applications, the Claude app, a phone or watch, and notes, books or pens. Closed book: no notes, no AI - Allowed: One display, OnVUE only, Digital whiteboard - Not allowed: Second display, Other apps, Claude app, Phone, watch, Notes, books, pens - Closed book: no notes, no AI From Pearson’s OnVUE page for Anthropic and Partner Academy’s setup page. Who watches and what is recorded are in [Claude exam online proctoring](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-exam-online-proctoring). ## The same workspace rule online and at a test centre The v1.0 guides for all four Claude exams set one workspace rule for both delivery modes. Whether you test online or at a Pearson VUE test centre, each says you must “Keep your workspace clear of notes, books, phones, secondary monitors, and other materials”. The line is in section 12 of three guides and section 13 of the CCAR-F guide. Each guide goes on: “Prohibited items include mobile phones, smart watches, headphones, study materials, and any recording device”. It then says “Permitted items, if any, such as scratch paper provided by the proctor, are specified by Pearson VUE”. Anthropic’s policies page says Pearson will send instructions covering what you can bring. These lines are from Exam Guide v1.0. Updated CCAO-F, CCDV-F and CCAR-P guides are due on 17 November 2026, for sittings from 7 December 2026, and Pearson’s notice omits CCAR-F. The FAQ’s answer and Pearson’s OnVUE rules name no guide version. ## Can you use Claude or another AI tool during the exam? Using AI to assist you during a Claude exam is prohibited, Claude included. Anthropic’s Exam Policy lists “Using AI products or services to assist you during the Exam” among prohibited activities in section 2. The FAQ answers no to AI assistants, and Partner Academy’s setup page lists the Claude desktop application among Windows applications to close. Section 2 also bars “Possessing unauthorized items while taking an Exam or during any breaks, including electronic devices, more than one monitor, notes or other documentation”. Its exceptions are what is “expressly permitted as part of the Exam” and a reasonable accommodation Anthropic expressly approves: see [the ID and accommodations post](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-id-and-accommodations). The setup page’s Windows list of applications that can stop the exam launching includes Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and Claude, meaning “the Claude desktop application”. Its macOS list does not name Claude. Pearson’s minimum requirements include “Ability to close all applications except OnVUE”. ## Claude certification open book renewal: what the pages print In Claude certification, the open-book test is the renewal assessment. Anthropic’s policies page says that before your certification expires, “you can renew it for free by passing an open-book online assessment on Anthropic Partner Academy”. It adds: “You can retake that assessment as many times as you need”. A pass adds 12 months from the current expiration date. The FAQ and all four v1.0 guides describe renewal without the word open-book: after a review of what has changed, you complete “a free, non-proctored assessment”. The FAQ adds: “Full details will be shared before the first certifications come up for renewal.” No page read on 10 November 2026 defines open-book or says what it allows, such as notes, documentation or AI tools. None gives the assessment’s length, time limit or passing bar. Each guide says “Holders remain subject to the rules of conduct”, without saying how that applies to the renewal assessment. **Figure:** The cycle. The proctored exam is closed book, and a pass is valid for 12 months. Before expiry, the renewal assessment is open-book and online, and can be retaken as many times as needed. A pass adds 12 months from the current expiry date. After expiry, the full closed-book exam returns - Proctored exam: closed book: Pass: valid for 12 months - Before expiry · Renewal: open-book, online: Retake as many times as needed - Pass · 12 more months from the expiry date - Expired: the full exam again, closed book Open book: the renewal (policies page). Closed book: the exam (FAQ). After a lapse, the FAQ says you retake the full exam at the full fee. The guides add that if exam content changes significantly, Anthropic may require holders to retake the full exam. Dates and costs are in [Claude certification renewal and expiry](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-renewal-and-expiry). ### Open book is the renewal’s rule, not the exam’s Anthropic’s policies page calls the renewal assessment open-book. For the proctored exam, its FAQ answers no to notes, documentation, translation tools and AI assistants. ## What breaking the closed-book rule can cost Breaking the closed-book rule on a Claude exam can cost the attempt. Pearson’s OnVUE page says “Violations will result in your exam being revoked and your fee forfeited”. Anthropic’s policies page says that if it finds you cheated or committed fraud, it may, among other steps, invalidate your result, revoke a certification, or bar you from the programme. The same page adds: “Where we see a pattern of misconduct involving people from the same partner organization, we may also take action under that partner’s agreement with Anthropic”. Fees are not refunded, and you can appeal. [The Claude exam policies](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-certification-exam-policies) post has the route, and [Claude exam integrity for firms](https://credfarmer.com/blog/claude-exam-integrity) covers a firm’s controls. Cred Farmer’s advice is to use Claude while you study, then sit timed papers closed book. The CCDV-F v1.0 guide’s preparation list includes “Build and operate at least one Claude application that exercises the API”. The [Claude certification study plan](https://credfarmer.com/guides/claude-certification-study-plan) sets the weeks, the [practice exams guide](https://credfarmer.com/guides/claude-certification-practice-exams) lists the papers, and the [Claude certification study guide](https://credfarmer.com/blog/how-to-study-for-the-claude-certification) has the routine. ## Key takeaways - **Claude certification exams are closed book.** Anthropic’s FAQ rules out notes, documentation, translation tools and AI assistants, as read on 10 November 2026. - **An online Claude exam allows one display screen.** Pearson’s OnVUE page for Anthropic bars multi-monitor setups and prohibits phones and watches. - **Anthropic’s Exam Policy lists using AI during a Claude exam as prohibited.** Partner Academy’s setup page lists the Claude desktop application among Windows applications to close. - **The Claude renewal assessment is open-book, in the policies page’s words.** It is free before expiry, and you can retake it as many times as you need. - **Neither the policies page nor the FAQ, read 10 November 2026, says what open book allows.** The FAQ says full details will be shared before the first certifications come up for renewal. ## Rehearse the closed-book exam against the clock Cred Farmer’s free CCDV-F mock is 53 items on a 120-minute clock, written from Exam Guide v1.0 for a sitting up to 6 December 2026. It needs no account, a free sitting saves no result, and it predicts nothing about the real exam. Sit it the way the exam runs: one screen, no notes, no AI. [Sit the free CCDV-F mock: timed, no account needed](https://credfarmer.com/practice/ccdv-f) ## Frequently asked **Can I use notes in the Claude exam?** No. Anthropic’s certification FAQ says exams are closed book. Online, Pearson’s OnVUE page for Anthropic has you remove books, notes, paper, pens and writing tools from on, under and within arm’s reach of your desk, and gives you a digital whiteboard instead. **Can I use a second monitor for the Claude exam?** No. Pearson’s OnVUE page requires one display screen only and says multi-monitor setups are not permitted, and it lists secondary displays as prohibited technology. Exam Policy section 2 names more than one monitor among unauthorised items, and the v1.0 guides say to keep secondary monitors off your workspace. **Can I keep my phone near me during the exam?** Not within reach. Pearson’s OnVUE page lists mobile phones as prohibited technology, has electronics removed from on, under and within arm’s reach of the desk, and says not to access your phone unless a proctor explicitly permits it. The v1.0 guides prohibit mobile phones too. **Can I use Claude or another AI assistant during the exam?** No. Exam Policy section 2 lists using AI products or services to assist you during the exam as a prohibited activity, and the FAQ answers no to AI assistants. Partner Academy’s setup page lists the Claude desktop application among Windows applications to close before an online exam. **Is the Claude renewal assessment open book?** Yes, in the words of Anthropic’s policies page: an open-book online assessment on Anthropic Partner Academy, which you can retake as many times as you need. The FAQ calls it free and non-proctored. Neither page nor the exam guides, read 10 November 2026, say what it allows. **Is scratch paper allowed at a Pearson test centre?** Only if Pearson VUE permits it. The v1.0 guides say “Permitted items, if any, such as scratch paper provided by the proctor, are specified by Pearson VUE.” Anthropic’s policies page says Pearson sends instructions on what you can bring. Online, the listed allowance is a digital whiteboard. ## Related posts ### [Who can see Claude exam results, and who finds out if you fail?](https://credfarmer.com/blog/who-can-see-claude-exam-results) Who can see Claude exam results: you, in 3 places, and perhaps your employer. Anthropic's Terms allow telling a partner you failed; the Portal shows a total. ### [Should you change your answer on the Claude exam? A rule for second-guessing](https://credfarmer.com/blog/change-your-answer-on-the-claude-exam) Change your answer on the Claude exam only for a reason you can name. Cred Farmer's self-selected practice data: flagged answers right 53.0%, unflagged 77.3%. ### [A Claude certification study guide you can follow in 30 days](https://credfarmer.com/blog/how-to-study-for-the-claude-certification) A Claude certification study guide and 30-day plan: four passes a day, time sized to blueprint weights, and practice evidence used to plan the next review. Not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Anthropic or Pearson VUE. Details are summarised from publicly published program information and can change. Always confirm against the official exam guide before booking.