Free Practice Questions for HashiCorp Terraform-Associate-003 Exam

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Terraform sends requests to the provider, which then interacts with the underlying API. Changes take effect once the provider successfully fulfills the request, not when the state file is updated.

Analysis of Incorrect Options (Distractors):

A: State is updated after changes occur, not before.

C: Changes are not necessarily immediate; they depend on provider execution.

D: Incorrect because option B is correct.

Key Concept:Terraform relies on providers to apply infrastructure changes via API calls.

Some backends support state locking, which prevents other users from modifying the state file while a Terraform operation is in progress. This prevents conflicts and data loss. Not all backends support this feature, and you can check the documentation for each backend type to see if it does.

The purpose of state in Terraform is to keep track of the real-world resources managed by Terraform, mapping them to the configuration. The state file contains metadata about these resources, such as resource IDs and other important attributes, which Terraform uses to plan and manage infrastructure changes. The state enables Terraform to know what resources are managed by which configurations and helps in maintaining the desired state of the infrastructure.References = This role of state in Terraform is outlined in Terraform's official documentation, emphasizing its function in mapping configuration to real-world resources and storing vital metadata .

The default “local” Terraform backend stores the state file in a local file named terraform.tfstate, which can be used to track and manage the state of your infrastructure3.

Runningterraform destroywill show all resources that will be deleted before prompting for approval. You can also runterraform plan -destroyto simulate the destruction without actually applying it, which is useful for reviewing the planned changes.

Variables declared within a module are only accessible within that module, unless they are explicitly exposed as output values1.

You need to write Terraform configuration files for the existing infrastructure that you want to import into Terraform, otherwise Terraform will not know how to manage it. The configuration files should match the type and name of the resources that you want to import.

A (✅Correct)– Providers allow Terraform tointeract with APIsof cloud/on-premises services.

B (✅Correct)– Some Terraform providers can provisionon-premises infrastructure, such as VMware, OpenStack, etc.

C (❌Incorrect)– This describesTerraform Workspaces, not providers.

D (✅Correct)– Terraform providers allow provisioning ofpublic cloud resources(AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.).

E (❌Incorrect)– Enforcing security and compliance policies isnot a direct provider function, but it can be done using Sentinel or other policy-as-code tools.

Official Terraform Documentation Reference:

Terraform Providers

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:While HashiCorp publishes and maintains some official modules, many modules on the Terraform Registry are community-maintained. HashiCorp does not test or maintain all published modules. The Registry clearly distinguishes between official, partner, and community modules.

Analysis of Incorrect Options (Distractors):

A. True: Incorrect because not all Registry modules are maintained or tested by HashiCorp.

Key Concept:Understanding the difference between official, partner, and community modules in the Terraform Registry.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:

init: Initializes the working directory, downloads providers and modules.

apply: Executes the planned changes and provisions infrastructure.

Both steps are mandatory for provisioning new infrastructure.

Analysis of Incorrect Options (Distractors):

A. import: Used for existing resources, not provisioning new ones.

B. plan: Optional but recommended; not strictly required.

C. validate: Checks syntax only; does not provision resources.

Key Concept:The Terraform workflow requires initialization and application to create infrastructure.