Tool Design & MCP Integration
Every outside capability is a described, bounded, gracefully-failing tool.
Giving a model the ability to reach outside its own head — to search the web, hit a data API, scrape a page, read a file — safely and clearly. Two ideas surprise newcomers: the words that describe a tool matter more than its plumbing (a model chooses which tool to use entirely from your description), and MCP is a standard, not a product. Reason about purpose, least privilege, cost order, and graceful failure — not raw capability.
5 task statements on the blueprint
- 2.1Design effective tool interfaces with clear descriptions and boundaries4 objectives · 5 exam traps · 3 primary sources · 18 practice questions
- 2.2Implement structured error responses for MCP tools5 objectives · 5 exam traps · 2 primary sources · 14 practice questions
- 2.3Distribute tools appropriately across agents and configure tool choice4 objectives · 5 exam traps · 2 primary sources · 14 practice questions
- 2.4Integrate MCP servers into Claude Code and agent workflows5 objectives · 5 exam traps · 3 primary sources · 17 practice questions
- 2.5Select and apply built-in tools (Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Grep, Glob) effectively4 objectives · 5 exam traps · 2 primary sources · 6 practice questions
The other domains
Working the whole blueprint? The interactive study guide carries the concept cards, the mock quiz, the audio lessons and the practice simulation.