Three days to learn how to describe, deploy and evolve infrastructure with Terraform, then pass HashiCorp's Terraform Associate (004) exam. The course mixes labs against real cloud providers with focused review of the eight official objectives. It covers what is new in version 004: lifecycle rules, custom validation conditions, ephemeral values and how to organize HCP Terraform workspaces and projects.
Explain the value of infrastructure as code and where Terraform fits in a multi-cloud approach
Install, version and combine multiple providers
Run the init, validate, plan, apply and destroy cycle with confidence
Write dynamic configuration with variables, complex types, expressions and functions
Build, consume and version reusable modules
Handle state: remote backends, locking, drift and importing existing resources
Use HCP Terraform for collaboration and governance
Program
Infrastructure as code with Terraform
IaC principles and benefits
Multi-cloud, hybrid and service-agnostic workflows
Terraform fundamentals
Installing and versioning providers
Multi-provider configurations
How Terraform uses and manages state
Core workflow
init, validate and fmt
Execution plans, apply and destroy
Terraform configuration
resource and data blocks, cross-references
Variables, outputs and complex types
Expressions, functions and dependencies
Custom validation conditions
Sensitive data and ephemeral values
Modules
Module sources and variable scope
Using and versioning modules
State management
Local backend and state locking
Remote backends
Drift and state reconciliation
Maintaining infrastructure
Importing existing resources
Inspecting state from the CLI
Verbose logging
HCP Terraform
Provisioning with HCP Terraform
Collaboration and governance
Workspaces and projects
Integrations
Prerequisites
No formal prerequisite
Basic comfort with a terminal
General understanding of on-premises and cloud architecture
Hands-on Terraform experience at work helps but is not required
Target audience
Cloud, DevOps and platform engineers
System administrators automating their infrastructure
Security and DevSecOps engineers who review infrastructure code
Developers who want to provision their own test and production environments safely
The exam
The Terraform Associate (004) exam is taken online with a remote proctor. It lasts 1 hour and uses multiple-choice style questions. It is based on Terraform 1.12 and is offered in English only. Registration does not include a free retake. The certification is valid for 2 years; to keep it, you pass the current exam again. Scheduling and the exam itself are handled through HashiCorp's certification portal.
Preparation tips
Run every workflow command against a real cloud account, not just on paper
Review what is new in 004: lifecycle rules, validation conditions, ephemeral values
Work through HashiCorp's official review tutorials objective by objective
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What changed between Terraform Associate 003 and 004?
Version 004 is based on Terraform 1.12 and adds lifecycle rules (depends_on, create_before_destroy), custom validation conditions, ephemeral values and how to organize HCP Terraform workspaces and projects.
Is the exam available in French?
No, it is offered in English only. The course itself can be taken in French or English.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Terraform's HCL is declarative and quick to learn; being comfortable at the command line is enough to start.
How long does the certification last?
Two years. To renew it, you pass whichever version of the exam is current at that point.
Which cloud do the labs use?
Labs run on AWS or Azure, depending on the group, since the exam itself is provider-neutral. For on-site sessions we adapt the labs to your own environment.
Securevalley training — online and in-person sessions. Contact us for pricing and registration terms.
Securevalley is not a training partner of HashiCorp. HashiCorp, Terraform and HCP Terraform are trademarks of HashiCorp.