HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (003) Exam Experience
<a class="" href="/category/sam-mcgeown">Sam McGeown</a>
Since joining HashiCorp as a Developer Advocate, one of the first things on my to-do list was to take — and hopefully pass — the HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (003) exam.
As someone who’s been using Terraform for a while, I was reasonably confident I could pass, but I’ll admit I went slightly overboard on the preparation. There’s something about representing the company that makes the idea of failing an internal certification feel…awkward. So I spent a few weeks digging deep into every objective, revisiting fundamentals, and labbing out scenarios that were well beyond the exam scope.
Exam Day
The check-in process was quick and relatively painless. You got through what is a pretty standard remote-proctored setup these days: ID verification, room scan, and you’re off. The exam interface was straightforward and responsive — until my camera froze halfway through. That required restarting the browser, which I assumed would cost me a lot of time. It didn’t.
Despite the interruption, I completed all the questions in around 14 minutes.
Exam Quality
The Terraform Associate exam is designed as an entry-level certification, and it hits that balance really well. The questions are practical and focused on core Terraform concepts: the workflow, the CLI, basic HCL syntax, and understanding how Terraform fits into the infrastructure lifecycle.
There were no trick questions or ambiguous wording; it’s a fair test of the fundamentals. If you’ve spent any time using Terraform to build or manage real infrastructure, you’ll likely find the exam straightforward — but still a satisfying validation of your knowledge.
I genuinely enjoyed the experience — it was refreshing to take a certification that felt aligned with how people actually use the tool day-to-day.
What’s Covered (and What’s Not)
The exam objectives are clearly laid out on the Terraform Associate page, and I’d strongly recommend reviewing them before you start studying. Broadly, you’ll need to understand:
- The Terraform workflow — from
inittoapplyanddestroy - Core concepts — providers, state, and the purpose of modules
- Terraform Cloud and Enterprise basics — workspaces, remote backends, and version control integration
- HCL fundamentals — variables, outputs, and simple resource definitions
- Best practices — how and when to use
terraform fmt,validate, andplan
The exam doesn’t go deep into complex module composition, custom providers, or advanced multi-cloud patterns — and it shouldn’t. It’s a certification that ensures you understand the why and how of Terraform before diving into large-scale automation or infrastructure design.
Study Resources
I worked through the Udemy course by Bryan Krausen and Gabe Maentz — HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate 003 – Hands-On Labs. It’s an excellent resource, combining theory with practical labs that closely reflect real-world use cases. If you prefer a hands-on approach to learning, I can recommend it without hesitation.
Why Certification Matters
I’ve always been a strong advocate for certification — not as (well, not only as) a badge-collecting exercise, but as a structured way to focus my learning. Setting a certification goal gives you direction and motivation, especially in a field as broad and fast-moving as cloud infrastructure.
The Terraform Associate exam is aimed at those starting out with Terraform, and that’s exactly why it’s such a valuable entry point. It gives you a solid foundation to build from — understanding the workflow, the language, and the principles that underpin Infrastructure as Code.
For those early in their careers, it’s a great way to stand out and show commitment to learning. For those further along, it’s more about reflection and confidence — confirming what you know, identifying any gaps, and reinforcing good practices.
Ultimately, certification is as much about confidence as capability. It’s a way to measure progress in a field that never stops evolving — and, in the case of the Terraform Associate exam, it’s an enjoyable and worthwhile milestone on that journey.