HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (003)The Complete Beginner's Guide

Introduction to Infrastructure as Code and Terraform

Objective 1.1 · Explain infrastructure as code (IaC) concepts and the benefits of using Terraform.

Terraform Core Components and Architecture

Objective 1.2 · Explain the core components of Terraform (Terraform CLI, Terraform Cloud, and Terraform Enterprise) and how they interact.

Installing and Managing Terraform Versions

Objective 1.3 · Describe how to install and manage the Terraform CLI and its versions.

Terraform Configuration Basics: Providers, Resources, and Variables

Objective 2.1 · Explain the purpose and usage of providers, resources, data sources, variables, and outputs in Terraform configurations.

Writing and Organizing Terraform Configurations

Objective 2.2 · Demonstrate the structure and syntax of Terraform configuration files (HCL).

Understanding and Managing Terraform State

Objective 3.1 · Explain the purpose of Terraform state and how to manage it for collaboration and team workflows.

Remote State and Backends

Objective 3.2 · Describe different backends and how to use remote state for team environments.

Terraform Workflow Essentials: Init, Plan, Apply, Destroy

Objective 4.1 · Demonstrate the core Terraform workflow: init, plan, apply, and destroy.

Resource Dependencies and Lifecycle Management

Objective 4.2 · Explain resource dependencies, resource addressing, and lifecycle customization.

Creating and Using Terraform Modules

Objective 5.1 · Explain the concept of modules and how to create, call, and publish modules for code reuse.

Advanced Module Practices: Versioning and Composition

Objective 5.2 · Describe best practices for module versioning, composition, and sharing via the Terraform Registry.

Terraform Cloud and Enterprise: Core Features and Setup

Objective 6.1 · Identify the key features of Terraform Cloud and Terraform Enterprise and how they improve team workflows.

Remote Operations, Workspaces, and VCS Integration

Objective 6.2 · Explain remote operations, workspaces, and how to integrate Terraform with version control systems.

Sentinel Policies and Governance in Terraform Enterprise

Objective 6.3 · Describe Sentinel policies and their role in enforcing compliance and governance in Terraform Cloud/Enterprise.

Testing, Security, and Best Practices for Production

Objective 7.1 · Explain testing strategies, security practices, and best practices for writing and organizing Terraform code for production environments.