NodnObjective 13 items
Infrastructure as code
What the files are for, before any command.
- Explain what infrastructure as code is
- Describe the advantages of infrastructure-as-code patterns
- Explain multi-cloud, hybrid cloud, and service-agnostic workflows
Study guide · Exam overview
Terraform Associate: what 004 expects
The format and eight published objectives of HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate, plus the distinctions worth learning before you book the 004 exam.
Exam version notice: This overview follows the HashiCorp Terraform Associate (004) objectives reviewed in October 2026. That exam tests Terraform 1.12, lasts 1 hour, and costs $70.50 USD plus local taxes and fees. HashiCorp does not publish a question count, a passing score, or domain weights. Items tagged Extra are useful context the objective list does not name. Confirm the current page on the HashiCorp certification site before you register.
What Terraform Associate covers
HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate is the foundational Terraform certification. It checks whether you can explain infrastructure as code, use the core workflow, read and write configuration, manage state, and describe how HCP Terraform changes that workflow. It is not a professional design exam. You are not asked to build a production landing zone from memory.
HashiCorp describes the candidate as a cloud engineer with foundational Terraform knowledge who can tell Terraform Enterprise features apart from Community Edition. The expected background is basic terminal skills and an understanding of on-premises and cloud architecture. Professional experience helps. Practicing the objectives in a personal demo is also enough preparation, according to HashiCorp.
Who it is for
- People who write or review Terraform and want a shared vocabulary
- Cloud engineers moving from console clicks to files in version control
- Teams that use HCP Terraform and need the remote-run model to be clear
What the exam verifies
- Why infrastructure as code beats a one-off console change
- What init, validate, plan, apply, destroy, and fmt each do
- How state, modules, import, and HCP Terraform workspaces fit together
Exam format
Figures below come from the Terraform Associate (004) certification page reviewed in October 2026.
| Specification | Terraform Associate (004) |
|---|---|
| Level | Foundational. There is no required prior certification. HashiCorp calls the credential Terraform Associate. |
| Length of test | 1 hour. The exam is online proctored. |
| Question types | Multiple choice, including true or false and multiple-answer items. The stem says how many answers to choose. |
| Number of questions | HashiCorp does not publish a fixed count. Do not treat a practice length as the live exam length. |
| Passing score | Not published. There is no public scaled-score range to convert a practice percentage into. |
| Version tested | Terraform 1.12. |
| Exam price | $70.50 USD, plus locally applicable taxes and fees. A free retake is not included. |
| Language | English. |
| Validity | The credential expires after 2 years. Renewal depends on which exam version you hold. |
Compared with the 003 exam, 004 adds dependency and lifecycle rules, custom validation conditions, ephemeral values and write-only arguments, and HCP Terraform workspaces and projects. It tests Terraform 1.12. If you hold an older Associate credential, read HashiCorp's recertification scenarios before you assume a new pass extends the same badge.
Published objectives
HashiCorp lists eight objectives and does not assign percentages. The bars are a study share based on how many sub-objectives each section contains. They are not official weights. The 200 practice questions use the same share.
- 1. Infrastructure as code3 items
- 2. Terraform fundamentals4 items
- 3. Core workflow7 items
- 4. Terraform configuration8 items
- 5. Modules4 items
- 6. State management4 items
- 7. Maintain infrastructure3 items
- 8. HCP Terraform4 items
Objective 24 items
Terraform fundamentals
Providers, and why state exists.
- Install and version providers
- Describe how Terraform uses providers
- Write configuration that uses more than one provider
- Explain how Terraform uses and manages state
Objective 37 items
Core workflow
The commands you run in order.
- Describe the workflow, then init, validate, plan, apply, and destroy
- Format configuration with terraform fmt
Objective 48 items
Configuration
The largest section. Read HCL and say what will happen.
- resource versus data, references, variables, outputs, and complex types
- Expressions, functions, depends_on, and create_before_destroy
- Custom conditions, sensitive data, Vault, ephemeral values, and write-only arguments
Objective 54 items
Modules
How a directory becomes a reusable unit.
- Module sources, variable scope, calling a module, and version pins
Objective 64 items
State management
Where state lives, and what happens when reality drifts.
- The local backend, locking, the backend block, and drift
Objective 73 items
Maintain infrastructure
Bring an existing object under management, and inspect what Terraform recorded.
- Import, state inspection with the CLI, and verbose logging
Objective 84 items
HCP Terraform
The hosted service, not a second copy of the CLI.
- Create infrastructure, collaboration and governance, workspaces and projects, and integrations
Ideas to recognize
Learn the unmarked rows first. The same map is in the core notes and flashcards.
| Need | Concept to recognize | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Preview a change | terraform plan | Shows create, update, and destroy. It does not apply unless you tell it to. |
| Check files without calling an API | terraform validate | Syntax and internal consistency. Run init first so provider schemas load. |
| Rewrite style only | terraform fmt | Canonical format. It does not decide whether the configuration is valid. |
| Read something you do not manage | data block | A resource block would try to create that object. |
| Hide a secret in CLI output | sensitive = true | Redacts the CLI. The value is still written to state unless it is ephemeral. |
| Keep a secret out of state | Ephemeral value | Used during the run and not stored. A write-only argument accepts it and cannot be read back. |
| Stop two applies at once | State locking | A remote backend is what a team uses. The lock is not a backup of the state file. |
| Adopt an existing object | import block | Associates a real object with an address. It does not destroy that object. |
| Remote runs and remote state | HCP Terraform workspace | One workspace has its own state, variables, and runs. A project groups workspaces. |
| Extra CLI workspaces | terraform workspace | Separate state names in one directory. Not the HCP Terraform workspace in objective 8. |
| Extra Force a replacement | terraform apply -replace | The current replacement for the older taint command. Taint is not the 004 workflow. |
How Terraform Associate questions are written
HashiCorp says Associate exams use true or false, multiple choice, and multiple-answer items, and that the stem tells you how many answers to select. The questions are not meant to test spelling or obscure flags. This site's practice questions use multiple choice, multiple response, matching, and ordering. Matching and ordering are extra practice for the distinctions in the objectives. They are not a claim about the live item mix.
A typical stem asks which command, block, or setting fits a constraint: whether the value lands in state, whether the plan will create or only read, or whether two people can apply at once. Distractors are nearby Terraform ideas that solve a different problem. terraform fmt is not terraform validate. A data block is not a resource. An HCP Terraform workspace is not a CLI workspace. sensitive = true is not encryption and does not keep a value out of state.
HashiCorp does not publish a penalty for a wrong guess. On a timed practice exam, answer every item, then use the review to see which objective actually needs work.
How to plan your Terraform Associate study
A practical sequence if plan output and state still blur together.
Say what the files are for
Explain infrastructure as code in one sentence, then name why a reviewed file is safer than a console click. Place one provider on two clouds and say what state records.
Run the workflow out loud
init, validate, plan, apply, destroy, and fmt. Say which command talks to the remote API and which one only rewrites whitespace.
Read a small configuration
Separate resource and data. Trace one reference. Add a variable, an output, and a module call. Then say when depends_on is required and when a reference is enough.
Protect state and secrets
Local backend versus a remote backend with locking. Drift versus a refresh-only apply. sensitive versus ephemeral. Import an address without destroying the object.
Separate HCP Terraform from the CLI
A workspace holds state, variables, and runs. A project groups workspaces. A VCS connection starts a remote run. Policy checks are governance, not a provider.
Drill, then sit a timed exam
Use the four flashcard decks until you can answer before the card flips. Then take original questions and return to any objective under 75 percent. Aim for a steady 85 percent. Use 60 minutes as the pace of the live exam.
The NodnWebTools Terraform Associate study path
The overview, core notes, flashcards, and practice exams are all published.
Overview
Exam format, Terraform 1.12, the eight objectives, and a study plan.
Core Notes
Reference notes for providers, the workflow, configuration, modules, state, and HCP Terraform.
Flashcards & Memory Notes
40 recall cards in four decks, plus memory notes for workflow, state, and secrets.
Practice Exams
200 original questions with custom exams, explanations, and a score report by objective.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Terraform Associate exam?
HashiCorp gives you 1 hour. The exam is online proctored and multiple choice, including multiple-answer items. HashiCorp does not publish a fixed question count.
What score do I need to pass Terraform Associate?
HashiCorp does not publish a passing score or a scaled-score range for Terraform Associate (004). A practice percentage on this site is not a prediction.
Which Terraform version does the 004 exam test?
Terraform 1.12. Confirm the version on the HashiCorp certification page before you book, because exam versions change.
Does the Terraform Associate certification expire?
Yes. The credential expires after 2 years. Renewal options depend on which exam version you passed. Confirm the current policy with HashiCorp.
Are there prerequisites for Terraform Associate?
There is no required prior certification. HashiCorp expects basic terminal skills and an understanding of on-premises and cloud architecture. Professional experience is recommended, and practicing the objectives in a personal demo is also accepted.
Does this page include real HashiCorp exam questions?
No. The practice questions on this site are original. They are not HashiCorp exam items, and a practice score does not predict a result.
Command names and product names change. HCP Terraform is the hosted service that older material may still call Terraform Cloud. Use the current HashiCorp objectives as the authority when they differ from these notes.
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