Vault Associate (003) vs Terraform Associate (004)
Deciding between the HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate and the HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate? Here is a side-by-side comparison to help you pick the right one for your goals.
| Vault Associate (003) | Terraform Associate (004) | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate | HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate |
| Level | associate | associate |
| Cost | USD $70.50 | USD $70.50 |
| Difficulty | ★★★ | ★★ |
HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate
Validates using HashiCorp Vault for secrets management — authentication methods, policies, tokens, leases, secrets engines, Encryption as a Service and Vault architecture. The current exam is the Vault Associate 003 (it replaced 002) and is valid for two years.
HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate
The most popular infrastructure-as-code certification. The current 004 exam (launched January 2026) tests Terraform 1.12 and validates the core Terraform workflow — writing, planning and applying configurations, modules, state management, and HCP Terraform. It is valid for two years.