HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate 2025

Module 1: Environment Setup & IaC Fundamentals

⏳ 30 minutes

• Install Terraform and configure your local CLI environment.

• Understand the IaC paradigm and benefits over manual provisioning.

• Explore the Terraform workflow: init, plan, apply, and destroy.

Module 2: Terraform Configuration Language (HCL) Basics

⏳ 1 hour

• Define providers, resources, and arguments in HCL syntax.

• Use terraform fmt and validate to enforce configuration quality.

• Structure configurations across multiple .tf files for clarity.

Module 3: State Management & Remote Backends

⏳ 45 minutes

• Examine the Terraform state file and its importance.

• Configure remote backends (e.g., S3, Azure Storage) for state locking and collaboration.

• Recover and inspect state snapshots for troubleshooting.

Module 4: Variables, Outputs & Data Sources

⏳ 45 minutes

• Declare input variables with types, defaults, and validations.

• Use outputs to expose values and chain configurations.

• Query external data sources to incorporate dynamic data.

Module 5: Resource Dependencies & Meta-Arguments

⏳ 1 hour

• Control resource creation order with depends_on.

• Apply count, for_each, and dynamic blocks for DRY configurations.

• Leverage provisioners and connection settings for bootstrapping.

Module 6: Modules & Configuration Reuse

⏳ 1 hour

• Create and consume local and registry modules.

• Pass variables and outputs between root and child modules.

• Version, publish, and maintain modules for team-wide reuse.

Module 7: Workspaces & Multi-Environment Management

⏳ 30 minutes

• Use workspaces to isolate environments (dev, stage, prod).

• Automate workspace creation and switching in CI/CD pipelines.

• Manage environment-specific variables securely.

Module 8: Testing, Security & Best Practices

⏳ 45 minutes

• Implement static analysis with terraform validate, tflint, and tfsec.

• Write basic unit tests using Terraform’s built-in testing framework.

• Follow style guides, naming conventions, and organization patterns.

Module 9: Collaboration & Version Control

⏳ 30 minutes

• Integrate Terraform with Git workflows and CI tools.

• Set up Terraform Cloud or Enterprise for team collaboration.

• Configure remote runs, policy checks, and notifications.

Module 10: Exam Preparation & Practice Tests

⏳ 1 hour

• Review key exam domains aligned to the Terraform Associate blueprint.

• Take multiple timed practice tests and analyze performance.

• Learn exam strategies, time management techniques, and common pitfalls.

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