Terraform Associate Exam Cram - Introduction

This series of guides is designed to assist you in preparation for the Terraform Associate (004) Certification exam.

The tutorials are not full-length courses; instead, they are focused summaries, quick-reference guides, cheat sheets helping you refresh your knowledge and review the material efficiently before the test.

For your convenience, below is the list of Terraform Associate Certification exam objectives together with the topics you need to know for each. Click on the links provided in the Objective column to access the corresponding tutorials.

To compare v004 Terraform Associate Certification exam objectives to their v003 equivalents see Terraform Associate Exam Version Update.

Objective	Extended Topics / Sub-Objectives
1 Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Terraform	1a. Explain what IaC is 1b. Describe the advantages of IaC patterns 1c. Explain how Terraform manages multi-cloud, hybrid cloud, and service-agnostic workflows
2 Terraform fundamentals	2a. Install and version Terraform providers 2b. Describe how Terraform uses providers 2c. Write Terraform configuration using multiple providers 2d. Explain how Terraform uses and manages state
3 Core Terraform workflow	3a. Describe the Terraform workflow 3b. Initialize a Terraform working directory 3c. Validate a Terraform configuration 3d. Generate and review an execution plan for Terraform 3e. Apply changes to infrastructure with Terraform 3f. Destroy Terraform-managed infrastructure 3g. Apply formatting and style adjustments to a configuration
4 Terraform configuration	4a. Use and differentiate resource and data blocks 4b. Refer to resource attributes and create cross-resource references 4c. Use variables and outputs 4d. Understand and use complex types 4e. Write dynamic configuration using expressions and functions 4f. Define resource dependencies in configuration 4g. Validate configuration using custom conditions 4h. Understand best practices for managing sensitive data, including secrets management with Vault
5 Terraform modules	5a. Explain how Terraform sources modules 5b. Describe variable scope within modules 5c. Use modules in configuration 5d. Manage module versions
6 Terraform state management	6a. Describe the local backend 6b. Describe state locking 6c. Configure remote state using the backend block 6d. Manage resource drift and Terraform state
7 Maintain infrastructure with Terraform	7a. Import existing infrastructure into your Terraform workspace 7b. Use the CLI to inspect state 7c. Describe when and how to use verbose logging
8 HCP Terraform	8a. Use HCP Terraform to create infrastructure 8b. Describe HCP Terraform collaboration and governance features 8c. Describe how to organize and use HCP Terraform workspaces and projects 8d. Configure and use HCP Terraform integration

What is Terraform, anyways?

Terraform is an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool developed by HashiCorp. Instead of manually provisioning servers, databases, or networking in the cloud, Terraform lets you define all infrastructure resources in declarative configuration files. These files can then be used to create, update, or destroy infrastructure consistently and repeatably.

Terraform is widely used for:

Cloud provisioning → AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and many others.
Multi-cloud deployments → manage resources across multiple providers in one workflow.
On-premises automation → VMware, Kubernetes, DNS providers, monitoring systems, etc.
Collaboration and governance → teams share a single source of truth with state files and remote backends.

In short: Terraform allows teams to automate, version-control, and scale infrastructure just like application code.

About Terraform Associate Certification

The Terraform Associate Certification validates your understanding of Terraform fundamentals, workflows, and best practices. It's designed for cloud engineers, DevOps professionals, and developers working with infrastructure automation.

Passing this exam demonstrates that you can confidently use Terraform in real-world projects and follow recommended practices.

Exam details (version 003):

Product version tested: Terraform 1.3
Format: Multiple-choice, multiple-select questions
Delivery: Online proctored exam
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: $70 USD (at the time of writing)
Expiration: 2 years
Prerequisites:
- Basic terminal skills
- Basic understanding of on premises and cloud architecture
- Recommended for those with ~6 months of Terraform experience
Exam Availability:
- January 5, 2026 - Last day to schedule Terraform Associate 003
- January 7, 2026 - Last day to take Terraform Associate 003
- January 8, 2026 - Terraform Associate 003 retirement date

Exam details (version 004):

Product version tested: Terraform 1.12
Format: Multiple-choice questions
Delivery: Online proctored exam
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: $70 USD (at the time of writing)
Expiration: 2 years
Release Date: January 8, 2026
Prerequisites:
- Basic terminal skills
- Basic understanding of on premises and cloud architecture
- Recommended for those with ~6 months of Terraform experience
Exam Availability:
- December 9, 2025 - Advance scheduling for Terraform Associate 004 begins
- January 8, 2026 - First day to take Terraform Associate 004

To compare v004 Terraform Associate Certification exam objectives to their v003 equivalents see Terraform Associate Exam Version Update.

Useful Links and Resources

Terraform Download
Terraform SandBox
Official Terraform Associate Prep Site
Google Skills - Getting Started with Terraform for Google Cloud

More Terraform Tutorials:
Understanding Terraform Variable Precedence
Terraform Value Types Tutorial
Terraform count Explained with Practical Examples
Terraform for_each Tutorial with Practical Examples
Exploring Terraform dynamic Blocks with GCP Examples
Working with External Data in Terraform
Terraform Modules FAQ