You might think it goes without saying, but it’s so important we’re saying it three times: practice, practice, practice.
All three of our pros agree.
Aman created his own Terraform projects to practice:
“[I started by comparing] what I actually know from my personal experience with what I needed to know, based on the exam description. There were quite a few concepts that I knew about, but only conceptually, so there were things that I still had to learn from a practical perspective… To do so, I created my own scenarios and then tried to experiment with those [topics]. That helped me a lot, because I could anticipate what I would see on the exam more.”
Ben also found comparing his standing knowledge with the exam prep materials helpful:
“For areas I wasn’t as confident in, I made a point to read through the material and then test things out in my own environment. I set up my own Terraform configuration, created local states, built modules, and experimented with moving things around. Practicing in a hands-on environment made a huge difference because it helped me reinforce my understanding and problem-solving skills.”
Elif leaned on practice projects as well, and had this suggestion for those who are preparing:
“I would kick things off by having them build a Terraform module. Then we would build from there, covering different topics. This practical approach helps candidates touch on various topics organically and reinforces concepts they’ll encounter in the exam.”
We were delightfully surprised to hear that our Terraform pros also treated their exam prep like a learning path. Each learned about a new topic, function, or tool in Terraform during their study.
In Aman’s words, “[One] cool thing is that this certification encourages a culture of continuous learning. Cloud tech moves fast, and staying up to date is super important.”
For Ben, the exam helped him dive deeper into using Terraform in different ways,
“I’ve used Terraform in the most common ways to provision and manage infrastructure in the cloud, but there are some topics I haven’t explored as much, such as migrating resources between state files. So for me, that was an opportunity for me to learn some more, and sort of put into practice some scenarios that I could come across in the future.”
And Elif “discovered the Terraform remote state data source through certification prep”, saying, “Turns out it’s useful for things like sharing Terraform state, but sharing the whole file with sensitive data inside? Not the best idea.”
So, while you need production experience with Terraform before attempting the exam, it doesn’t mean you have to be an expert on everything. If you approach your study activities with a growth mindset, you might just learn something new on the way to achieving your certification goals.
Not only will reviewing the Terraform docs help you prepare for the exam content, but if you pay close attention to how they’re structured, you’ll be well prepared to use the docs to your advantage on exam day too.
We touched on it before, but it’s worth noting again: managing your time well is important in your success on the exam.
In a four-hour exam, it may seem like you have plenty of time, but most exam takers end up using most if not all of their allotted time. Ben mentions that this was one of the toughest parts of the exam, “One of the biggest challenges was balancing accuracy with speed. Some tasks required deep thinking and debugging skills, and in a high-pressure environment, it’s easy to get stuck on a problem for too long.”
To ensure you manage your time well on exam day, “focus on practicing complex Terraform scenarios with a time constraint to get used to thinking fast and making decisions under pressure,” suggests Ben.
In a high-pressure testing environment, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But, as an experienced engineer, don’t forget to remember your fundamentals during the exam.
“A major trap is overlooking the basics,” Elif says, “before diving into advanced topics, it’s crucial to understand why Terraform exists, how it compares to other tools, and how it fits into the broader infrastructure landscape.”
Aman shares an example that helped him, saying “I made sure to always run terraform_plan before applying anything! That’s a lifesaver in both real-world work and the exam.”
In other words, trust your instincts, lean on your knowledge and practice, and you’ll be well set up for success.
We hope these tips will demystify the Terraform Authoring & Operations Professional exam and set you up for success in your preparation.
Remember what our exam pros said:
- Have the right foundation: Know if this exam is for you by reviewing the materials on HashiCorp Developer.
- Practice, practice, practice: Build your own practice environments and experiment with the tools, functions, and tasks you may be less familiar with.
- Be open to learning something new: You don’t have to be an expert on all things Terraform; be willing to fill in any knowledge or skill gaps during your prep.
- Get familiar with HashiCorp docs: Ensure you can make the most out of the tools given to you on exam day by knowing how to navigate the docs.
- Avoid common mistakes: Manage your time well, utilize your hard-earned skills, and stay committed to growth. It’s what makes the certification journey worth it.
Thank you to Elif, Aman, and Ben for sharing their experience with us! We hope their advice has you feeling ready to start (or continue) your Terraform Professional certification journey.
