Exam Orientation - Terraform Authoring & Operations Pro with AWS

The Terraform Authoring & Operations Professional with AWS exam is a lab-based exam for practitioners with extensive production experience developing Terraform configuration and using it to manage infrastructure over time. Earning this credential proves professional-level experience in implementing and authoring Terraform modules, as well as managing Terraform operations at the organizational level.

Prerequisites

• HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate Certification (002 or 003) (recommended)
• Linux skills, such as the ability to list and edit files via the command terminal
• Experience with YAML, JSON, HCL, CSV file formats
• Understanding of the networking stack & protocols, including TCP/IP and UDP
• Experience using the Terraform AWS provider in a production environment
• Experience with, and understanding of, cloud credentials
• Advanced configuration authoring
• Deep understanding of Terraform workflows
• Terraform language best practices

Assessment details

The exam uses Terraform 1.6 to manage AWS resources and assumes familiarity and experience with the AWS Terraform provider.

During the exam, you will have access to any required provider documentation, the AWS console, and Terraform documentation. You will not be able to access any HashiCorp tutorials or outside resources.

The exam contains two question formats:

Lab-based scenarios

Scenarios ask you to demonstrate your Terraform knowledge by modifying configuration, as well as provisioning and managing actual infrastructure. You will work in a pre-provisioned Linux environment to complete exam objectives. Each scenario consists of multiple tasks, and grading will validate your configuration syntax, state files, and the settings on the provisioned infrastructure resources.

You may complete the labs in any order. Each lab is scored independently and scores from one lab have no impact on any other lab.

Multiple-choice questions

The multiple-choice questions ask you to select the best answers for the prompt or fill-in-the-blank. Be careful to avoid spelling errors and typos for fill-in-the-blank question answers. You can flag questions to return to later.

View the exam environment and learn more about the exam experience in the orientation video:

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q: Why does the exam cover both authoring and operations?

• Terraform configuration and operations are intertwined: authoring techniques drive operations, and operational needs inform authoring techniques. Designing scalable, collaborative systems requires an understanding of both.
• This exam assesses both advanced configuration authoring and a deep understanding of Terraform workflows. We believe that a Terraform professional should have experience in implementing and authoring Terraform modules, as well as managing Terraform operations at the organizational level.

Q: I don't have much Terraform experience, can I study and take the exam?

• This exam is designed for practitioners with extensive production experience in both authoring and operations. The only way to truly prepare for the exam is professional expertise. Training without deep experience is not enough.

Q: What Linux skills are required?

• You should know basic Linux commands that allow you to copy and paste, navigate a Linux file system, change permissions, and create folders and files.
• You must be able to work with Terraform instances running on Linux.
• You should be able to execute commands from the Linux terminal.

AWS resources

This exam requires experience using Terraform with AWS. The below list provides some AWS specific resources to review before the exam and is organized by Terraform topic expertise needed for the exam. AWS docs and Terraform docs will be available during the exam. There will be limited access to Terraform Registry during the exam.

Debugging

• aws_instance
• aws_ami data source
• aws_launch_template
• aws_autoscaling_group
• aws_security_group
• aws_security_group_rule

Terraform providers

• aws_s3_object
• random_integer
• aws_s3_bucket
• aws_caller_identity data source
• aws_iam_session_context data source
• aws_iam_policy_document data source
• aws_iam_role

HashiCorp configuration language (HCL)

• aws_subnet data source
• aws_vpc_security_group_ingress_rule

Modules and module refactoring

• aws_iam_policy_document data source
• aws_iam_role
• aws_iam_instance_profile
• aws_instance
• aws_iam_policy
• aws_iam_role_policy_attachment
• aws_s3_bucket
• The terraform s3 backend
• terraform_remote_state data source (that uses the s3 backend)

Next steps

The learning path provides curated tutorials to prepare for the exam. Review the content list for a quick reference of exam topics.

Sign up for the exam here!