AnthropicClaude Code Configuration and Workflows

Claude Code & Hierarchy — CCAR-F Practice Question

A representative Claude Certified Architect - Foundations (CCAR-F) exam question on Claude Code & Hierarchy. Work through it below, then read why each option is right or wrong.

This question is part of the free Claude Certified Architect - Foundations practice test.

Short answer

The correct answer is B. Keep universal rules at the repository level and service guidance near each service, avoiding duplication.

Layered instructions mirror scope. Universal guidance remains visible while local files keep service context relevant and maintainable.

The Question

A monorepo has organization-wide security rules and service-specific test commands. How should Claude Code instructions be structured?

APut every detail for every service in one global instruction file that all agents load

BKeep universal rules at the repository level and service guidance near each service, avoiding duplicationCorrect

CRely on each developer's personal memory of the project rules instead of written files

DGenerate new instructions from scratch for every session and discard them afterward

Why B is correct

Layered instructions mirror scope. Universal guidance remains visible while local files keep service context relevant and maintainable.

Why the other options are wrong

Option A: Put every detail for every service in one global instruction file that all agents load

Option A does not satisfy the requirement in the scenario. Review the explanation above: the correct choice (B) is the only one that fully meets every constraint stated in the question.

Option C: Rely on each developer's personal memory of the project rules instead of written files

Option C does not satisfy the requirement in the scenario. Review the explanation above: the correct choice (B) is the only one that fully meets every constraint stated in the question.

Option D: Generate new instructions from scratch for every session and discard them afterward

Option D does not satisfy the requirement in the scenario. Review the explanation above: the correct choice (B) is the only one that fully meets every constraint stated in the question.

Key idea: Claude Code & Hierarchy

Layered instructions mirror scope. Universal guidance remains visible while local files keep service context relevant and maintainable. On the CCAR-F exam, questions in the "Claude Code Configuration and Workflows" domain test whether you can map a scenario's constraints to the right choice. Read the requirement carefully, eliminate options that violate any single constraint, and pick the one that satisfies all of them with the least operational overhead.

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AnthropicClaude Code: Hooks