Exam Terraform-Associate-004 Topic 3 Question 93 Discussion
Actual exam question for HashiCorp's Terraform-Associate-004 exam
Question #: 93
Topic #: 3
Question #: 93
Topic #: 3
Exhibit:
Error: Saved plan is stale
The given plan file can no longer be applied because the state was changed by another operation after the plan was created.
You have a saved execution plan containing desired changes for infrastructure managed by Terraform. After running terraform apply my.tfplan, you receive the error shown. How can you apply the desired changes?
(Pick the 2 correct responses below.)
Error: Saved plan is stale
The given plan file can no longer be applied because the state was changed by another operation after the plan was created.
You have a saved execution plan containing desired changes for infrastructure managed by Terraform. After running terraform apply my.tfplan, you receive the error shown. How can you apply the desired changes?
(Pick the 2 correct responses below.)
Suggested Answer: A,B Vote an answer
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.
Reference: Terraform Objectives - Implement and Maintain State (state consistency and plan/apply workflow), Understand Terraform Basics and CLI (plan files).
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.
Reference: Terraform Objectives - Implement and Maintain State (state consistency and plan/apply workflow), Understand Terraform Basics and CLI (plan files).
by Jack at Mar 13, 2026, 04:58 AM
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