Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Professional: exam and format
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Professional is Oracle’s advanced OCI architect cert, exam family 1Z0-997, and it is valid for 24 months. It is a hands-on performance exam: in the 2025 version Oracle announced 2 hands-on scenarios plus 25 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, with 68% to pass. Oracle released a 2026 update in August 2026, and the details for the current exam could not be loaded from Oracle’s exam page — confirm them there before you book.
- Certification
- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Professional, issued by Oracle UniversityOracle University blog, checked 10 October 2026
- Status
- 2026 update released on 10 August 2026; the 2025 learning path is marked for archiving on 30 September 2026Oracle University blog and Oracle MyLearn, checked 10 October 2026
- Exam
- 1Z0-997 family; the current exam page is 1Z0-997-26Oracle Education exam page (title only; page did not load), checked 10 October 2026
- Format
- Hands-on Performance Exam: live tasks in an Oracle-provided OCI tenancy plus multiple-choice questionsOracle University blog, checked 10 October 2026
- Questions and time (2025 version)
- 2 hands-on scenarios + 25 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutesOracle University blog, 12 March 2025, checked 10 October 2026
- Passing score (2025 version)
- 68%Oracle University blog, 12 March 2025, checked 10 October 2026
- Cost
- Not published in any Oracle source that loaded; Professional courses require paid access since the 2026 updateOracle University blog, checked 10 October 2026
- Prerequisites
- None stated; Oracle recommends starting with OCI Architect AssociateOracle University blog, checked 10 October 2026
- Validity
- 24 months from the date earnedOracle Certification Program Guidelines, checked 10 October 2026
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Why you can trust these OCI Architect Professional questions
What is the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Professional certification?
It is the professional-level architect credential in Oracle University’s OCI programme. Oracle describes it as designed for experienced cloud architects who are responsible for designing and implementing complex OCI solutions, and as an advanced-level certification that builds on the Associate level.
The content goes well past core infrastructure. Oracle’s learning path for the 2025 version lists high availability and disaster recovery, cloud-native solutions and infrastructure as code, databases in OCI, security services, multicloud and hybrid designs, workload migration and observability. Oracle recommends one to two years of hands-on OCI experience.
Source: Oracle MyLearn — Become an OCI Architect Professional (2025). Checked 10 October 2026.
What changed in 2026?
On 10 August 2026 Oracle University published its 2026 updates for OCI certifications. Two changes matter for this cert. First, certification titles and logos no longer include the calendar year, so the credential is simply OCI Architect Professional rather than a dated version. Second, Professional-level courses moved to paid access, while the Foundations courses and the Architect Associate course and certification became free.
Oracle’s MyLearn page for the 2025 learning path states that it will be archived on 30 September 2026, and Oracle’s exam catalogue now lists a 1Z0-997-26 exam page. That page loads only with JavaScript and could not be read for this guide, so the format figures below are the ones Oracle published for the 2025 version. Check the live exam page for the current question count, duration and passing score before you register.
Source: Oracle University — OCI Certification Learning Paths and Exams: 2026 Updates. Checked 10 October 2026.
OCI Architect Professional exam format: the hands-on performance exam
This is not a pure multiple-choice exam. Oracle calls it a Hands-on Performance Exam (HPE): you solve scenarios by performing real tasks in an OCI tenancy that Oracle University provides, and the test is complemented with multiple-choice questions.
For the 2025 version Oracle announced 2 hands-on scenarios and 25 multiple-choice questions, to be completed within 90 minutes. Scenarios are scored task by task — Oracle’s own example is that if a scenario requires nine tasks and you complete seven, you get credit for those seven — and there is no penalty for wrong answers or for wrong or incomplete steps.
In practice, that means reading each assignment carefully and banking every task you can finish rather than getting stuck on one step.
Source: Oracle University — Announcing OCI 2025 Architect Associate and Professional. Checked 10 October 2026.
OCI Architect Professional passing score
For the 2025 version Oracle stated that candidates must achieve a minimum score of 68% to pass. Your total combines the tasks you complete in the scenarios with your correct answers to the multiple-choice questions.
Oracle has not published a passing score for the 2026 exam in any source that loaded for this guide. Treat 68% as the figure for the 2025 version, not as a guarantee for the current exam.
Source: Oracle University — Announcing OCI 2025 Architect Associate and Professional. Checked 10 October 2026.
How much does the OCI Architect Professional exam cost?
Oracle does not show a price for this exam in any of the official sources that could be loaded on 10 October 2026; the exam page itself did not load. What Oracle does state is that, since the 2026 update, its Professional courses require paid access, unlike the now-free Associate track.
The binding price is shown when you register for the exam through Oracle. Note also Oracle’s fraud policy: candidates found committing fraudulent activities forfeit all fees previously paid to Oracle.
Source: Oracle University — OCI Certification Learning Paths and Exams: 2026 Updates. Checked 10 October 2026.
What is on the OCI Architect Professional exam?
Oracle’s 2025 learning path lists the skills the course covers, which is the clearest official picture of scope that could be loaded:
- High availability and disaster recovery, including Full Stack Disaster Recovery
- Cloud-native solutions: Container Registry, Container Instances, OKE, Functions and API Gateway
- Infrastructure as code with Terraform and Resource Manager
- Security services: Bastion, Network Firewall, Certificates, Web Application Firewall, KMS
- Databases: Base Database service and Autonomous Databases
- Migration to OCI, multicloud and hybrid designs, and observability (Monitoring, Logging)
Source: Oracle MyLearn — Become an OCI Architect Professional (2025). Checked 10 October 2026.
Prerequisites and the path from Architect Associate
Oracle does not list a formal prerequisite certification for the 2025 version. It recommends beginning with the OCI Architect Associate certification, and the learning path assumes you already understand core OCI services — Identity and Access Management, networking, compute and storage.
Since the 2026 update the Associate course and certification are free, which makes that recommended first step cheaper than before. The Professional course is the part that now requires paid access.
Source: Oracle University — Announcing OCI 2025 Architect Associate and Professional. Checked 10 October 2026.
How long is the certification valid?
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure certifications are valid for 24 months from the date the credential is earned. Oracle repeats this in the 2026 update announcement.
Plan renewal around that date rather than around the exam version: with the calendar year gone from titles, the expiry date on your credential is what tells you when to recertify.
Source: Oracle — Certification Program Guidelines. Checked 10 October 2026.
OCI Architect Professional dumps and Oracle’s fraud policy
Oracle explicitly names brain dumps. Its Certification Program Guidelines state that any contribution to, use of, or sharing of materials pertaining to Oracle certification exams is a violation of its Fraudulent Activity Policy.
Sanctions include decertification, a temporary, indefinite or permanent ban, and forfeiting all fees paid to Oracle. Dumps are also of little use on a hands-on exam, where you have to configure real resources.
Source: Oracle — Certification Program Guidelines. Checked 10 October 2026.
OCI Architect Professional practice questions
Certsqill’s practice questions for OCI Architect Professional come with an explanation for every answer option and a readiness score per domain. Oracle does not publish salary data for this certification, so this page does not give any salary figures.
Source: Oracle University — Hands-On Performance Exam, OCI Architect Professional. Checked 10 October 2026.
OCI Architect Professional questions people ask
What is the OCI Architect Professional exam code?
The exam family is 1Z0-997; the 2025 version was 1Z0-997-25 and Oracle now lists a 1Z0-997-26 exam page. Checked 10 October 2026.
How many questions are on the OCI Architect Professional exam?
For the 2025 version Oracle announced 2 hands-on scenarios and 25 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes. Figures for the 2026 exam could not be loaded. Checked 10 October 2026.
What is the OCI Architect Professional passing score?
68% for the 2025 version, according to Oracle University. Confirm the current figure on the exam page. Checked 10 October 2026.
Is the OCI Architect Professional exam hands-on?
Yes. It is a Hands-on Performance Exam with tasks in an Oracle-provided OCI tenancy plus multiple-choice questions. Checked 10 October 2026.
Is the OCI Architect Professional certification free?
No free status is announced for it. Oracle made the Associate certification free in 2026 and moved Professional courses to paid access. Checked 10 October 2026.
Do I need OCI Architect Associate first?
Oracle lists no formal prerequisite but recommends starting with the OCI Architect Associate certification. Checked 10 October 2026.
How long is the certification valid?
24 months from the date earned. Source: Oracle Certification Program Guidelines, checked 10 October 2026.
Are OCI Architect Professional dumps allowed?
No. Oracle treats using or sharing brain dumps as fraud, with decertification and bans as possible sanctions. Checked 10 October 2026.
Does Oracle publish an OCI Architect Professional salary?
No. Oracle does not publish salary figures for this certification, so none are given here. Checked 10 October 2026.
