Validates foundational knowledge of infrastructure as code, the Terraform workflow, configuration, modules, state management and HCP Terraform.
The 004 exam tests whether you can use Terraform's core workflow, write and organise configuration, manage state and use HCP Terraform. Learn from one course or the official study path, practise every objective in a small project of your own, then use practice exams to find gaps.
Example scenario: A team creates servers by hand in two clouds and cannot reproduce last month's environment. How would describing it in Terraform change their process?
Example scenario: Two colleagues get different provider versions when they run terraform init on the same code. What would you add to keep them consistent?
Example scenario: You want to see what a change will do before anything is modified. Which command do you run, and what do you look for in its output?
Example scenario: A load balancer must be replaced without downtime when its settings change. Which lifecycle setting would you consider?
Example scenario: A child module creates a network, and the root module needs its subnet ID. How does the value reach the root module?
Example scenario: Someone changed a tag in the cloud console after the last apply. How would Terraform detect the change?
Example scenario: An existing storage bucket was created manually and now needs to be managed by Terraform. What steps would you take?
Example scenario: Several teams share one HCP Terraform organisation and need separate permissions for their environments. How would you organise workspaces and projects?
Official Terraform Associate (004) objectives · 004, Terraform 1.12
Read a statement and choose whether it is true or false.
True or false: terraform validate contacts the cloud provider to check that your resources already exist.
False. terraform validate only checks the configuration itself and does not contact providers or read remote state.
Choose the one correct answer from a list.
A team wants every engineer to install the same provider versions. Which file records the selected versions?
A. .terraform.lock.hcl. The dependency lock file records the provider versions and checksums that terraform init selected.
Choose every correct answer from a list; the question tells you how many to select.
Which two can be used as a module source? (Choose two.)
A and B. Modules can come from the registry or a local path; a state file and an output are not module sources.
Create a HashiCorp Certification Exam Portal account with your GitHub login, then buy and schedule the exam in Certiverse from the portal.
Read the eight objectives and try the official sample questions first. Then learn with one course or the official study path, and practise each objective in a small project.
Most candidates spend 20–50 hours. Plan for the low end if you already use Terraform at work; allow more time if Terraform and HCP Terraform are new to you.
The official study path lists HashiCorp tutorials and documentation for every objective. A video course with labs adds structure if you prefer guided learning.
Best full courseHashiCorp Certified Terraform Associate 004 Exam Prep Course
Best browser labsHashiCorp Certified Terraform Associate 004Best for beginnersHashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate 2026Use the objectives as a project checklist. Build one small configuration that touches every objective, including a module, a remote backend, an import and an HCP Terraform workspace. Destroy what you create when you finish.
Use the official sample questions to learn the format, then a full practice exam set to check timing and find weak objectives.
Terraform Associate (004) sample questionsHashiCorp Certified Terraform Associate 004 - Practice Exams
HashiCorp Certified Terraform Associate (004) Practice TestsThe exam is online only, through Certiverse with a live proctor.
Reschedule or cancel at least 24 hours before your appointment. After a failed attempt, wait 7 days and buy a new appointment. You can attempt the exam 4 times in a rolling 365 days.
One 004 passer describes the exam as fair pattern recognition if you have used the CLI, and recommends the HashiCorp documentation even alongside a course. Another candidate suggests using the objectives as a checklist for hands-on projects.
Passers mention a clear focus on HCP Terraform. A candidate who uses Terraform daily still needed to read the HCP sections.
Pass reports single out the workflow, state and backends, and how values move in and out of modules. One passer lists providers versus backends and variables versus outputs as common points of confusion.