Learning Path - Terraform Authoring and Operations Pro with AWS

This exam version assumes that candidates have experience using Terraform with AWS in a production environment. You will need to interact with AWS throughout the exam.

The Terraform Authoring and Operations Professional certification assesses your knowledge of Terraform best practices, both in developing dynamic HCL configuration and establishing scalable, collaborative workflows. This study guide is not all-encompassing of everything you will encounter in the exam.

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. Earning this credential reflects that the practitioner has professional-level expertise in both domains. Candidates should prepare for the exam through hands-on practice and production experience to build mastery of Terraform syntax and operations.

Objectives covered

1. Manage the resource lifecycle
2. Develop and troubleshoot dynamic configuration
3. Develop collaborative Terraform workflows
4. Create, maintain, and use modules
5. Configue and use providers
6. Collaborate using HCP Terraform Multiple-choice questions only

Manage the resource lifecycle

The exam will assess your ability to use the Terraform CLI and write Terraform configuration to create and modify infrastructure over time. This includes initializing, planning, and applying configuration, destroying resources, and using HCL and the CLI to manage resources in state.

Study tips

• You should be comfortable with using the CLI commands and their arguments to initialize configuration, apply changes, and manage resource state.

• Review how to safely import resources into a Terraform project.

• Know how to scope Terraform execution plans using resource targeting.

• Understand how Terraform creates and updates state.

• Review how to refactor configuration, including updating resource addresses.

Develop and troubleshoot dynamic configuration

The exam will assess your ability to use HCL syntax and functions to create well-structured Terraform configuration.

Study tips

• Review how to use resource meta-arguments to limit redundant code and control the resource lifecycle.

• Understand how to use data sources to query providers for resource data.

• Understand how to use complex types in configuration, including in input variables and outputs.

• Review how to use expressions in configuration.

• Review supported HCL functions.

• Manage sensitive inputs and data in configuration.

Create, maintain, and use Terraform modules

The exam will assess your ability to create and use modules, and refactor configuration that includes modules.

Study tips

• Review module design and usage, including variable and output scoping.

• Know how to manage a module over time, including module versioning and refactoring.

Develop collaborative Terraform workflows

The exam will assess your ability to write reusable Terraform configuration and use Terraform operations to manage safe and predictable team workflows.

Study tips

• Know how to set Terraform module and provider versions and manage upgrades.

• Manage the Terraform binary and upgrades.

• Understand how to configure and use remote state.

• Review how to share data across configurations and state files.

• Review how to modify Terraform workflows for automation.

Configure and use providers

The exam will assess your ability to manage provider versions and configuration.

Study tips

• Understand provider configuration options, including configuring aliasing.

• Review provider authentication methods.

Collaborate Using HCP Terraform

Study tips

• Review the HCP Terraform run workflow options, including extensibility options such as run tasks and run triggers.

• Understand how to manage HCP Terraform workspaces, including variable assignment and using dynamic credentials.

• Review team access management and permissions scoping.

• Know how to create and enforce policies.

Next steps

For a detailed list of exam objectives and corresponding study materials, check out the content list.

Sign up for the exam here!