Free HashiCorp Terraform-Associate-004 Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 6

Not all standard backend types support state locking and remote operations like plan, apply, and destroy. For example, the local backend does not support remote operations and state locking. State locking is a feature that ensures that no two users can make changes to the state file at the same time, which is crucial for preventing race conditions. Remote operations allow running Terraform commands on a remote server, which is supported by some backends like remote or consul, but not all.

Rationale for Correct Answer: To expose values from a child module to a parent module, you define an output in the child module (e.g., output " public_ip " { value = aws_instance.example.public_ip }). The parent module can then reference it via module. < child_name > .public_ip.

Analysis of Incorrect Options (Distractors):

B: A data source in the parent could look up an instance, but that’s unnecessary and brittle compared to using module outputs (and may require extra identifiers).

C: Import is for bringing existing resources into state; it doesn’t expose attributes between modules.

D: Locals are only scoped within the module; they are not accessible from the parent.

Key Concept: Module composition: outputs are the contract for passing data from child to parent.

Terraform workspaces allow you to create multiple states but still be associated with your current code. Workspaces are like “environments” (e.g. staging, production) for the same configuration. You can use workspaces to spin up a copy of your production deployment for testing purposes without having to configure a new state backend. Terraform data sources, local values, and modules are not features that allow you to create multiple states. References = Workspaces and How to Use Terraform Workspaces

 The concept of infrastructure as code (IaC) is to define and manage infrastructure using code, rather than manual processes or GUI tools. A script that contains a series of public cloud CLI commands is an example of IaC, because it uses code to provision resources into a public cloud. The other options are not examples of IaC, because they involve manual or interactive actions, such as running curl commands, sending REST requests, or entering commands into a console. References = [Introduction to Infrastructure as Code with Terraform] and [Infrastructure as Code]

Rationale for Correct Answer:

A: The plan is stale because state changed after it was created. The correct fix is to recreate the plan against the latest state and apply that new plan.

B: Running terraform apply without specifying the old plan causes Terraform to re-plan using the current state and configuration, then apply the resulting changes.

Analysis of Incorrect Options (Distractors):

C: -lock=false disables locking; it does not make an old plan valid and is unsafe in team environments.

D: -refresh-only changes what’s recorded in state (when applied) but does not “unstale” an existing saved plan file.

E: terraform state push is for advanced/manual state management and does not update a saved plan file; using it here is inappropriate and risky.

Key Concept: Saved plans are tied to a specific state snapshot; if state changes, you must re-plan.

Rationale for Correct Answer: IaC enables reviewable, version-controlled change proposals (for example, Terraform plans in pull requests). This makes it possible to systematically review proposed infrastructure changes—including automated security/policy checks—before they are applied. That review-and-approve workflow is a direct outcome of defining infrastructure as code and generating an execution plan.

Analysis of Incorrect Options (Distractors):

A: Auto scaling is enabled by cloud services (e.g., ASGs, autoscalers) and can be configured with or without IaC.

B: RBAC is a capability of cloud/IAM platforms and can be managed without IaC (though IaC can codify it).

C: Cost optimization is a practice/process; IaC can help standardize and enforce cost controls, but it’s not “only enabled” by IaC.

Key Concept: IaC enables version control, change review, and pre-deployment validation (plan + policy/security review).

A Terraformbackenddetermineswhere and how Terraform state is stored.

Bothterraform applyandterraform destroyinteract with state, so Terraform needs access to the backend for state storage and updates.

D (Neither are correct)is incorrect becauseTerraform state is required for both apply and destroy operations.

Official Terraform Documentation Reference:

Terraform Backends

The correct syntax to pass a variable from the root module to a child module isservers = var.num_servers. Terraform uses dot notation to reference variables.

These are features of Terraform Cloud, which is a hosted service that provides a web-based UI, remote state storage, remote operations, collaboration features, and more for managing your Terraform infrastructure.

 This is the command that can add existing resources into Terraform state, by matching them with the corresponding configuration blocks in your files.