TF-003 Practice Test 35 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Refer to the exhibit. A developer runs `terraform plan -out=tfplan` and then `terraform apply "tfplan"`. During apply, network fails and apply is interrupted. The developer then runs `terraform apply` again (without a plan file). What will happen?

Accepted Answer

It will create a new plan and apply only the changes that are still needed. When `terraform apply` is run without a plan file, Terraform automatically creates a new plan based on the current state and configuration, then applies only the changes that are still needed. Since the previous apply was interrupted, the state file reflects the partial progress, and the new plan will detect any remaining resources that still need to be created, updated, or destroyed, ensuring idempotent behavior.

Answer

It will automatically use the previously saved plan file `tfplan`

Answer

It will fail because the state is locked from the previous apply

Answer

It will resume the previous apply from where it left off

Question 2

A team uses Terraform with remote state in an S3 backend and DynamoDB for state locking. A user runs 'terraform apply' and receives the error: 'Error acquiring the state lock'. The lock info shows a lock ID and caller. What is the best immediate course of action?

Accepted Answer

Check if another Terraform process is running; if not, use 'terraform force-unlock' with the lock ID.. Option A is correct because the error indicates a state lock is held, typically by another Terraform process or a stale lock. The best immediate course is to verify no other process is running (e.g., via 'ps' or task manager), then use 'terraform force-unlock -lock-id=<LOCK_ID>' to release the lock. This is the safe, documented procedure that preserves the state file and DynamoDB lock table integrity.

Answer

Delete the state file from S3 and re-run apply.

Answer

Manually delete the DynamoDB lock table item.

Answer

Wait for 15 minutes and re-run apply.

Question 3

What is the primary purpose of 'terraform init'?

Accepted Answer

To initialize the working directory, download providers, and set up the backend.. The 'terraform init' command is the first step in the core Terraform workflow. Its primary purpose is to initialize the working directory containing Terraform configuration files, download and install the required provider plugins (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP), and configure the backend (e.g., local, S3, Terraform Cloud) for state storage. Without running 'terraform init', subsequent commands like 'terraform plan' or 'terraform apply' will fail because the providers and backend are not set up.

Answer

To format the Terraform configuration files.

Answer

To apply changes to the infrastructure.

Answer

To preview infrastructure changes before applying them.

Question 4

A team is using Terraform workspaces to manage multiple environments with a single configuration. They store state in an S3 backend. Which statement about Terraform workspaces is true?

Accepted Answer

The default workspace is named "default" and cannot be deleted. Option B is correct because the default workspace in Terraform is always named 'default' and cannot be deleted. This workspace is created automatically when you initialize a configuration, and it serves as the baseline workspace for state management. The S3 backend fully supports workspaces, and each workspace stores its state under a separate path in the S3 bucket, enabling environment isolation without changing the configuration.

Answer

There is a limit of 10 workspaces per configuration

Answer

Workspaces can only be used with the local backend

Answer

Workspaces automatically isolate variable values and provider configurations

Question 5

Which three characteristics are associated with immutable infrastructure as practiced by Terraform?

Accepted Answer

New versions are deployed by creating new instances. Option A is correct because immutable infrastructure in Terraform involves deploying new versions by creating entirely new instances rather than modifying existing ones. This aligns with Terraform's resource lifecycle, where changes to certain attributes trigger destruction and recreation, ensuring a consistent and reproducible state.

Answer

Configuration drift is accepted

Answer

In-place updates are preferred

Question 6

An organization wants to ensure that running the same Terraform configuration multiple times produces the same result without unintended changes. Which IaC concept is most critical for this goal?

Accepted Answer

Idempotency. Idempotency ensures that applying the same Terraform configuration multiple times results in the same desired state, with no unintended changes on subsequent runs. Terraform achieves this by comparing the current state (stored in a state file) with the desired configuration and only making changes necessary to reconcile differences. This is the core principle behind Terraform's 'plan and apply' workflow, which guarantees repeatable infrastructure provisioning.

Answer

Dynamic provider credentials

Answer

Modularity

Answer

Version control

Question 7

Refer to the exhibit. A developer runs the commands shown. The Terraform configuration defines a `random_pet` resource. The developer expects the plan to show a new resource to be created, but it says "No changes." What is the most likely reason?

Accepted Answer

The random_pet resource was already created in a previous apply and is still in the state. Option A is correct because the `random_pet` resource was already created and recorded in the Terraform state file during a previous `terraform apply`. When the developer runs `terraform plan` again without any changes to the configuration, Terraform compares the current state to the configuration and finds no differences, resulting in 'No changes.' The resource already exists in the state, so no new resource is planned.

Answer

The `-auto-approve` flag prevents showing changes in the plan

Answer

The `random_pet` resource is not supported by the Terraform version

Answer

The backend is local, so changes are not persisted across runs

Question 8

Which two commands are part of the standard Terraform workflow for provisioning infrastructure?

Accepted Answer

terraform init. `terraform init` is correct because it initializes a working directory containing Terraform configuration files, downloading the required providers and modules. `terraform apply` is correct because it executes the actions proposed in a Terraform plan to provision or change infrastructure resources. These two commands form the core of the standard workflow: initialize, plan, and apply.

Answer

terraform fmt

Answer

terraform import

Answer

terraform taint

Question 9

After applying the configuration above, the user changes the AMI to a new value and runs 'terraform apply'. Assuming the new AMI triggers a recreate, what happens during the apply?

Accepted Answer

The new instance is created first, then the old one is deleted.. Option C is correct because Terraform's default lifecycle behavior for most resources is 'create_before_destroy = false', meaning the old resource is destroyed before the new one is created. However, when a resource's configuration change triggers a recreate (like an AMI change for an AWS instance), Terraform first creates the new instance, then destroys the old one, ensuring minimal downtime. This is the standard behavior for resources that support replacement, as Terraform plans the creation of the new resource before destroying the old one to maintain availability.

Answer

The existing instance is deleted before the new one is created.

Answer

Both instances run simultaneously only if the instance type allows it.

Answer

The plan fails because AMI change with create_before_destroy is not allowed.

Question 10

Which two are primary benefits of using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Terraform?

Accepted Answer

Consistent and repeatable deployments. Option A is correct because Terraform's declarative configuration files define the desired state of infrastructure, enabling consistent and repeatable deployments across environments. By applying the same configuration, Terraform ensures that the infrastructure is provisioned identically every time, eliminating configuration drift and manual errors.

Answer

Real-time monitoring of infrastructure

Answer

Manual configuration of each resource

Answer

Automatic scaling based on CPU usage

Question 11

An organization uses Terraform Cloud with VCS-driven runs. They have two workspaces: network and application. They want a new run in the application workspace to automatically trigger whenever the network workspace completes a successful plan. What should they configure?

Accepted Answer

Run triggers in the application workspace pointing to the network workspace.. Run triggers in Terraform Cloud allow one workspace to automatically queue a run in another workspace after a successful plan. By configuring a run trigger in the application workspace that points to the network workspace, any successful plan in the network workspace will automatically initiate a new run in the application workspace, satisfying the requirement without external tools or manual steps.

Answer

A webhook from Terraform Cloud to an external CI system.

Answer

Use 'terraform apply' with '-target' to simulate dependency.

Answer

Run triggers in the network workspace pointing to the application workspace.

Question 12

A Terraform user wants to visualize the execution order of resources before applying changes. Which command provides a dependency graph view?

Accepted Answer

terraform graph. The `terraform graph` command generates a visual representation of the dependency graph for Terraform resources, showing the execution order based on implicit and explicit dependencies. This allows users to see which resources will be created, updated, or destroyed in sequence before applying changes. It outputs DOT format, which can be rendered with tools like Graphviz.

Answer

terraform show

Answer

terraform plan

Answer

terraform output

Question 13

A development team is using a declarative IaC tool. They make a change to the configuration file to add a new security group rule. When they apply the configuration, the tool automatically modifies the existing security group to add the rule. What is this behavior called?

Accepted Answer

Desired state reconciliation. This behavior is called desired state reconciliation because declarative IaC tools like Terraform or AWS CloudFormation compare the current state of infrastructure against the desired state defined in the configuration file. When a new security group rule is added to the configuration, the tool automatically computes the necessary changes to reconcile the actual state with the desired state, creating, updating, or deleting resources as needed. This is a core principle of declarative IaC, where the user specifies the 'what' and the tool handles the 'how'.

Answer

Provisioning

Answer

Imperative execution

Answer

Resource drift

Question 14

Based on the exhibit, what can be inferred about the Terraform state and configuration?

Accepted Answer

The aws_instance.db resource is in state but not in configuration, so it will be destroyed.. The `terraform plan` output shows that `aws_instance.db` exists in the state file but is absent from the current configuration. Terraform interprets this as a resource that should be removed to align the real-world infrastructure with the configuration, so it will be destroyed. This is a core behavior of Terraform's desired-state management: any resource in state but not in configuration is marked for deletion.

Answer

The configuration for aws_instance.db has been added back to the .tf files.

Answer

The aws_instance.db resource was manually deleted from the AWS console.

Answer

The aws_instance.web resource is being imported into Terraform management.

Question 15

A company uses Terraform to deploy virtual machines. They want to ensure that the same exact operating system and software versions are used every time. Which practice supports this?

Accepted Answer

Using a golden image and referencing it in the configuration. Option B is correct because using a golden image—a pre-configured virtual machine template containing the exact operating system and software versions—ensures consistency across deployments. Terraform can reference this image via the `source_image` or `image_id` argument in a resource like `azurerm_virtual_machine` or `aws_instance`, guaranteeing that every provisioned VM starts from the same immutable baseline.

Answer

Manually installing software

Answer

Using inline userdata scripts

Answer

Running configuration management after provisioning

TF-003 Practice Test 35 — 15 Questions

Exhibit

TF-003 Practice Test 35 — 15 Questions

Exhibit