CCAR-F Claude Code Configuration and Workflows Practice Question
In a scenario where a project-specific .clauderc file and a global ~/.clauderc file both define a 'model' setting, which one takes precedence when Claude Code is launched from that project directory?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates frequently confuse configuration inheritance, wrongly assuming that global settings override project-specific ones in CLI tools like Claude Code.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The project-specific file takes precedence over the global file.
Configuration precedence is a fundamental concept in CLI tool design that allows for both general preferences and project-specific overrides. Understanding this hierarchy ensures that architects can set broad standards at the user level while allowing individual projects to use specialized models or tools as required by their unique technical constraints.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The global file always takes precedence to ensure consistency.
Why it's wrong here
If the global file always won, developers would be unable to tailor Claude's behavior to the specific needs of different projects. This would limit flexibility, as a project requiring a specific model for legacy code compatibility would be forced to use whatever the global user preference happens to be.
- ✗
The CLI will prompt the user to choose which one to use.
Why it's wrong here
Prompting the user for every conflicting configuration setting would create a poor user experience and slow down the development workflow. Standard CLI behavior is to follow a deterministic hierarchy, allowing for automated and predictable configuration resolution without requiring constant manual intervention from the developer.
- ✗
The settings are merged, and the CLI crashes if a conflict exists.
Why it's wrong here
Crashing on configuration conflicts is not a standard or desirable behavior for professional developer tools. Most modern CLIs, including Claude Code, are designed to resolve these conflicts using a layered approach where the most specific configuration (the local one) naturally overrides the more general one.
- ✓
The project-specific file takes precedence over the global file.
Why this is correct
In the standard configuration hierarchy, local or project-level settings override global or user-level settings. This allows developers to specify a more powerful model or specific MCP servers for a particular project without affecting their default setup for simpler tasks in other directories.
About these practice questions
One of 271 original CCAR-F practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Anthropic exam blueprint
This CCAR-F practice question is part of Courseiva's free Anthropic certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CCAR-F exam.