ASE A5 Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.

The numbers to remember

• Full test: 55 questions, 75 minutes, only 45 scored.
• Recertification test: 23 questions, 30 minutes.
• Certification validity: 5 years.
• Fees: $62 per-test fee + $34 registration fee per order.
• Renewal: $52 annual renewal application fee (any number of certifications); 8 renewal credits extends a certification area by 1 year.
• Certification also requires full-time, hands-on work experience (or an accepted combination of training and experience) — the amount varies by test, in addition to passing.

Blueprint areas and weights

• Hydraulic system — master cylinders, lines/hoses, proportioning/metering/combination valves, brake fluid, bleeding procedures.
• Drum brakes — self-adjusters, wheel cylinders, return springs, lining wear patterns.
• Disc brakes — caliper types, slide pins/bushings, rotor thickness variation and runout, drum-in-hat parking brake designs.
• Power assist units — vacuum boosters, hydro-boost, check valves.
• ABS and electrical — wheel speed sensors, hydraulic control unit, warning lamp logic, brake light switches.

Diagnostic quick rules

• Low, sinking pedal → suspect hydraulic (master cylinder bypass, leak, air in system), not the booster.
• Hard, high pedal with poor stopping → suspect the power booster or its vacuum/hydraulic supply, not the hydraulic circuit.
• Pedal pulsation under braking → rotor thickness variation is the classic disc-brake cause.
• Uneven drum lining wear → check for a dragging wheel cylinder or a seized self-adjuster before condemning the shoes.
• ABS warning lamp on → system typically defaults to conventional (non-ABS) braking until the fault clears; sensor signal dropout and air-gap issues are common triggers.
• Contaminated brake fluid → moisture lowers the boiling point, which shows up as pedal fade after hard, repeated braking.

Top traps

• Technician A/B questions: read both statements fully before answering — one can be right, both can be right, or both can be wrong. Don't assume a 50/50 split.
• Absolute words like "always," "only," or "never" in a technician statement are a common signal of the wrong half of the pair.
• Don't confuse the 55-question full test with the 45 scored questions — unscored pretest items still count toward your time, just not your grade.
• Passing the test alone does not equal certification — the hands-on experience requirement is verified separately.
• Mechanical brake symptoms and electronic ABS-control symptoms get mixed together in scenario questions; identify which layer the question is actually asking about.