HashiCorp

HashiCorp Terraform Associate

HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (003)

HashiCorp's foundational certification for practitioners who use Terraform to provision infrastructure as code. A common screening credential for DevOps, platform, and cloud engineering roles.

$701 hour

What's on the exam

Terraform Associate (003) Exam Objectives

Understand Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Concepts

~5% (est.; weights not published)

What infrastructure as code is · Advantages of IaC patterns · Declarative vs imperative provisioning · Infrastructure lifecycle management

Understand the Purpose of Terraform (vs Other IaC)

~5% (est.; weights not published)

Multi-cloud and provider-agnostic benefits · Benefits of Terraform state · Terraform vs other IaC tools · Provider ecosystem

Understand Terraform Basics

~15% (est.; weights not published)

Installing and versioning Terraform · Providers and provider version constraints · Plugin-based architecture · terraform init and provider installation · Writing basic configuration

Use Terraform Outside the Core Workflow

~10% (est.; weights not published)

Importing existing resources (terraform import) · terraform state subcommands · Debugging with TF_LOG verbose logging · Forcing resource replacement (taint/replace)

Interact with Terraform Modules

~10% (est.; weights not published)

Module source options · Module inputs and outputs · Module versioning · Public Terraform Registry · Variable scope within modules

Use the Core Terraform Workflow

~20% (est.; weights not published)

Write, plan, apply workflow stages · terraform validate and fmt · terraform plan · terraform apply · terraform destroy

Implement and Maintain State

~15% (est.; weights not published)

Local and remote state backends · State locking · Sensitive data in state files · Backend authentication methods · Drift detection and refresh

Read, Generate, and Modify Configuration

~15% (est.; weights not published)

Input variables and outputs · Secret injection into configuration · Resource and data blocks · Resource addressing and references · Built-in functions and dynamic blocks · HCL expressions and meta-arguments

Understand HCP Terraform Capabilities

~5% (est.; weights not published)

HCP Terraform workspaces · Remote runs and remote state · Policy as code (Sentinel) · HCP Terraform vs Terraform Community Edition

Frequently asked questions

How much does the HashiCorp Terraform Associate cost?

The HashiCorp Terraform Associate costs $70. Listed at $70.50 plus applicable taxes.

How long is the HashiCorp Terraform Associate and how many questions does it have?

~57 questions — 1 hour.

What do you need to pass the HashiCorp Terraform Associate?

Pass/fail; passing score not published.

Can you retake the HashiCorp Terraform Associate?

Allowed; see HashiCorp exam policies for waiting periods between attempts.

What is the best way to study for the HashiCorp Terraform Associate?

Study the official blueprint, not random material: the exam is weighted by domain (Understand Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Concepts ~5% (est.; weights not published), Understand the Purpose of Terraform (vs Other IaC) ~5% (est.; weights not published), Understand Terraform Basics ~15% (est.; weights not published), Use Terraform Outside the Core Workflow ~10% (est.; weights not published), Interact with Terraform Modules ~10% (est.; weights not published), Use the Core Terraform Workflow ~20% (est.; weights not published), Implement and Maintain State ~15% (est.; weights not published), Read, Generate, and Modify Configuration ~15% (est.; weights not published), Understand HCP Terraform Capabilities ~5% (est.; weights not published)). Spaced-repetition flashcards built domain-by-domain against that blueprint are the most time-efficient way to cover everything the exam tests.

Program in development

We're building a blueprint-complete program for this exam. Meanwhile, explore live programs across 7 exam.

Explore programs →