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343 exams · 26 vendors

Model Context Protocol Associate (MCPA) exam price, length, validity and renewal

CNCF · MCPANew

Official page

Exam facts

Price$250 per attempt, US list priceUSD, exam only; includes one retake and 12 months to take the exam; THRIVE-ONE subscription bundles cost more
Length90 min
Questions60
FormatMultiple choice, online proctored
Passing score75%
Valid for2 years
RenewalRetake and pass the exam before the certification expires; the renewed certification stays current for 2 more years from the date you pass.
PrerequisitesNone required; JSON-RPC, LLM API, agentic AI and basic security (OAuth 2.1, tokens) experience recommended
LevelFoundational (CNCF calls it Beginner)
DeliveryOnline proctored (PSI Bridge secure browser)
LanguagesEnglish
StatusNewLaunched 2026-09-14 by the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) and Linux Foundation Education; exam follows MCP specification release 2026-07-28
Last changedSep 14, 2026MCPA certification launched
Sourcetraining.linuxfoundation.org/certification/model-context-protocol-associate-mcpa/Last checked Nov 6, 2026

Changes

AddedModel Context Protocol Associate (MCPA)Added by research; values read on the official pageOfficial page ↗
StatusnewMCPA launched by AAIF and Linux Foundation EducationOfficial page ↗

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About this exam

For practitioners proving foundational knowledge of Model Context Protocol concepts, use cases and implementation considerations for agentic AI systems.

What the official page says
  • Price: "$250 Exam only"
  • Duration: "Duration of Exam 90 minutes"
  • Questions: "The multiple-choice exam is delivered online and consists of 60* multiple-choice questions."
  • Validity: "Certification Valid for 2 Years"

Certifications are valid for 2 years and are renewed by retaking and passing the exam before the expiration date, which extends them 2 years from the new pass date.

Each exam purchase includes one free retake, which must be taken within 12 months of the original purchase; SINGLE-attempt purchases and no-shows get no retake.

CNCF policy
Also read: docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/important-instructions-mc, docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/faq-mc, docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/lf-handbook2/language, training.linuxfoundation.org/blog/just-launched-model-context-protocol-associate-mcpa-certification/