# MCP foundations for buyers

Learn what the Model Context Protocol is, who does what in a connection and how servers differ, so you can read a listing and ask the right questions.

- Level: Foundations
- Length: 40 minutes
- Exam questions: 8, pass mark 80%, up to 3 attempts
- Certificate: valid for 12 months

## What you will learn

- Name the parts of an MCP connection: client, server, tool, resource and prompt.
- Tell a transport from a package and from a remote endpoint.
- Compare local stdio and remote Streamable HTTP servers by who runs the code and where data goes.
- Separate activity, support, licence and permission when you read a listing.

## Lessons

1. [What MCP is and who does what](https://mcpdirectory.fyi/academy/mcp-foundations/what-mcp-is.md) (12 minutes)
2. [Transports, packages and endpoints](https://mcpdirectory.fyi/academy/mcp-foundations/transports-and-packages.md) (12 minutes)
3. [How MCP servers differ](https://mcpdirectory.fyi/academy/mcp-foundations/how-servers-differ.md) (14 minutes)

## Questions

### Is this course about writing MCP servers?

No. It is for people who choose, buy or approve MCP servers for work. It teaches what you need to read a listing and ask a vendor, not how to write code.

### Which version of the protocol does the course follow?

The lessons cite the MCP specification revision 2025-06-18. Check the current revision and your client's documentation before you decide.

### Does the certificate show I can approve a server for my company?

No. It is a certificate of completion from this site and records that you passed the exam. It is not a licence, an accreditation or a security audit.

Also on the [web page](https://mcpdirectory.fyi/academy/mcp-foundations).