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CCA-F study guide · Domain 3: Claude Code Configuration & Workflows (20%)

Task 3.1: CLAUDE.md hierarchy and organization

CLAUDE.md files are the always-loaded instructions Claude Code reads at the start of a session. They live at three levels, user, project and directory, and only the project and directory levels travel with the repository. Keeping them modular with @import and .claude/rules/ stops one giant file from drowning every session in rules that do not apply.

Updated 10-26-2026 · Official guide §6, Task 3.1

Key points

  • Three levels: user (~/.claude/CLAUDE.md), project (root CLAUDE.md or .claude/CLAUDE.md), directory (a CLAUDE.md inside a subdirectory).
  • The user-level file is private to one developer. It never enters version control, so teammates do not see it.
  • Project-level files are committed, so everyone who clones or pulls gets them with no setup.
  • @import references an external file from a CLAUDE.md, so each package can include only the standards it needs.
  • .claude/rules/ holds topic-specific rule files (testing, API conventions, deployment) as an alternative to one monolithic file.
  • /memory shows which memory files are actually loaded in the current session.

Common misconceptions

  • "Anything in a CLAUDE.md is shared with the team." Only project and directory files are committed; the user-level file is personal.
  • "A bigger CLAUDE.md means Claude knows more." It mostly means every session pays for rules that do not apply to the current work.
  • "If the behavior is inconsistent, rewrite the rule." First check with /memory whether the file is even loaded.

Watch for

  • Team conventions stored in a user-level file.
  • The same standard pasted into several package files instead of referenced once.
  • A single root file covering every topic for every package.

Practice Task 3.1

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All Domain 3 tasks · All 30 tasks · The full CCA-F exam guide

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