Terraform Associate Exam Version Update

The Terraform Associate (003) exam will be officially replaced by the updated Terraform Associate (004) exam on January 8, 2026. The new version reflects the latest developments in Terraform, aligning its objectives with Terraform v1.12 and expanding coverage of HCP Terraform. In addition to refining existing topics, the v004 exam introduces several new areas of focus, including:

depends_on and create_before_destroy lifecycle rules (4f)
configuration validation using custom conditions (4g)
ephemeral values and write-only arguments (4h)
enhanced coverage of HCP Terraform features such as organizing and using workspaces and projects (8c)

To help candidates understand what has changed, and how to transition their study plans, the objectives of the new v004 exam are presented alongside the corresponding v003 topics. This comparison can be especially useful for learners who have already studied v003 materials, instructors updating their course content, or organizations maintaining internal training guides. The v003 column also includes links to our v003 exam cram tutorial pages, making it easy to revisit older explanations while identifying what to update or supplement for v004.

Exam Objectives Comparison

Objectives v004	Objectives v003
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	1. Understand Infrastructure as Code (IaC) concepts 1a. Explain what IaC is 1b. Describe the advantages of IaC patterns 2. Understand the purpose of Terraform (vs other IaC) 2a. Explain multi-cloud and provider-agnostic benefits
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. Understand Terraform basics 3a. Install and version Terraform providers 3b. Describe plugin-based architecture 3c. Write Terraform configuration using multiple providers 3d. Describe how Terraform finds and fetches providers 2. Understand the purpose of Terraform (vs other IaC) 2b. Explain the benefits of 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	6. Use the core Terraform workflow 6a. Describe Terraform workflow (Write → Plan → Create) 6b. Initialize a Terraform working directory (terraform init) 6c. Validate a Terraform configuration (terraform validate) 6d. Generate and review an execution plan for Terraform (terraform plan) 6e. Execute changes to infrastructure with Terraform (terraform apply) 6f. Destroy Terraform managed infrastructure (terraform destroy) 6g. Apply formatting and style adjustments to a configuration (terraform fmt)
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	8. Read, generate, and modify configuration 8a. Demonstrate use of variables and outputs 8b. Describe secure secret injection best practice 8c. Understand the use of collection and structural types 8d. Create and differentiate resource and data configuration 8e. Use resource addressing and resource parameters to connect resources together 8f. Use HCL and Terraform functions to write configuration 8g. Describe built-in dependency management (order of execution based)
5 Terraform modules 5a. Explain how Terraform sources modules 5b. Describe variable scope within modules 5c. Use modules in configuration 5d. Manage module versions	5. Interact with Terraform modules 5a. Contrast and use different module source options including the public Terraform Module Registry 5b. Interact with module inputs and outputs 5c. Describe variable scope within modules/child modules 5d. Set module version
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. Implement and maintain state 7a. Describe default local backend 7b. Describe state locking 7c. Handle backend and cloud integration authentication methods 7d. Differentiate remote state back end options 7e. Manage resource drift and Terraform state 7f. Describe backend block and cloud integration in configuration 7g. Understand secret management in state files
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	4. Use Terraform outside the core workflow 4a. Describe when to use terraform import to import existing infrastructure into your Terraform state 4b. Use terraform state to view Terraform state 4c. Describe when to enable verbose logging and what the outcome/value is
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	9. Understand HCP Terraform capabilities 9a. Explain how HCP Terraform helps to manage infrastructure 9b. Describe how HCP Terraform enables collaboration and governance

The side-by-side mapping of v004 objectives to their v003 equivalents provides a clear view of what is new, what has shifted in emphasis, and what remains fundamentally the same. Whether you are refreshing your study path, updating training content, or evaluating how the new exam aligns with the previous version, this comparison helps streamline the transition to Terraform Associate v004. By reviewing both versions together, candidates can efficiently focus on gaps and confidently prepare for the updated exam launching in January 2026.

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