Terraform Associate: How To Prepare for the exam?

Tom Brovender
Develeap
Published in
4 min readMar 5, 2023

When it comes to the Terraform Associate exam by HashiCorp, there just isn’t a whole lot of documentation out there. Don’t you worry though, we’ve got your back! This article is going to help you prepare for the exam like a pro and ace that test!

All the options given you in this article are actually my personal experience; I’ve been through the Terraform Associate exam myself and have had some pretty solid success using the following resources to prepare.

What does the certification consist of?

The Terraform Associate certification exam is designed to test an individual’s knowledge of Terraform’s core concepts and features. The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions that must be completed within 60 minutes. The questions are designed to assess an individual’s understanding of Terraform’s syntax, resource management, input/output variables, and state management.

The exam is divided into nine sections:

  1. Understand Infrastructure as Code (IaC) concepts.
  2. Understand Terraform’s purpose (vs other IaC).
  3. Understand Terraform basics: syntax, resource management, provisioning.
  4. Use the Terraform CLI (outside of core workflow).
  5. Interact with Terraform Modules
  6. Navigate Terraform workflow
  7. Implement and maintain state
  8. Read, generate and modify configuration
  9. Understand Terraform Cloud and Enterprise capabilities

At the end of the exam you will see how much you scored on each section and what is your total score.

Hasicorp’s Terraform Certification Resources

The Terraform website is a great starting point for learning about Terraform and preparing for the Terraform Associate certification exam. It provides a wealth of information on the basics of Terraform, including its syntax, core concepts, and best practices.

However, it’s worth noting that while the website covers many of the topics you’ll need to know for the exam, it may not provide the level of depth and detail required to fully prepare for the certification assessment.

In particular, the exam questions may be more complex and nuanced than what is covered on the website. As a result, while the Terraform website can provide a good foundation of knowledge, it may not be sufficient to fully prepare for the exam.

That being said, the Terraform website can be a useful resource for reviewing specific topics or refreshing your memory on key concepts. It’s important to supplement your study with additional resources, such as online courses, practice exams, and specialized training, to ensure that you’re fully prepared for the certification assessment.

Udemy course — HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate 2023

If you’re starting from scratch with Terraform and have no prior knowledge of it, the HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate 2023 course is definitely a great place to start. It provides a comprehensive overview of Terraform concepts and syntax, helping you to build a solid foundation in the technology.

That being said, the Terraform Cloud section of the exam requires knowledge of specific features and workflows that are unique to Terraform Cloud, such as remote state management, collaboration and governance, and cost estimation, which is not covered in this course in great detail. Therefore, it’s recommended to supplement your study with additional resources, such as online documentation or specialized training courses offered by HashiCorp, that specifically focus on Terraform Cloud.

So, while the Terraform Associate course is an excellent starting point, it’s important to recognize that it may not provide all the information you need for more advanced use cases.

KodeKloud — Terraform Associate Certification: HashiCorp Certified

If you already have a basic understanding of Terraform and work with it regularly, the Terraform Associate Certification: HashiCorp Certified course by KodeKloud can be an excellent supplement to help you pass the certification exam.

This course is specifically designed to cover the topics and concepts that are relevant to the Terraform Associate exam, with a focus on hands-on exercises and practical examples. It assumes some basic familiarity with Terraform, so it’s not necessarily the best place to start if you’re a complete beginner.

Instead, if you’re already using Terraform in your work and want to solidify your knowledge and prepare for the certification exam, the KodeKloud course can be a great resource. It provides a structured, comprehensive overview of the topics you’ll need to know for the exam, and includes quizzes and practice exercises to reinforce your understanding.

Overall, if you’re looking for a targeted resource to help you pass the Terraform Associate certification exam, the Terraform Associate Certification: HashiCorp Certified course by KodeKloud can be a great choice for those with a solid foundation in Terraform.

The HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate 2023 course on Udemy is a great starting point for beginners, but it may not cover all the topics needed for more advanced use cases, particularly when it comes to the Terraform Cloud section of the exam.

In my personal opinion, the Terraform Associate Certification: HashiCorp Certified course by KodeKloud is the best option for individuals with a basic understanding of Terraform, looking to solidify their knowledge and pass the certification exam. The course is specifically designed to cover the topics and concepts relevant to the exam, with a focus on hands-on exercises and practical examples, making it an excellent supplement to help you prepare for the certification assessment.

Good Luck and keep on deploying!

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Tom Brovender
Develeap

DevOps & MLOps Engineer | AWS Certified Solutions Architect | AWS Certified DevOps Engineer | AWS Certified ML Specialist