ASE A6 Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.

The numbers to remember

• 60 questions total, 50 scored — 10 unscored research questions are mixed in and can't be identified, so treat every question as if it counts
• 90 minutes time limit, roughly 90 seconds per question if you pace evenly across the test
• $62 test fee plus a separate $34 registration fee per order, charged once regardless of how many tests you register for together
• Certification is valid 5 years, after which technicians must retest to keep it active
• Recertification is a shorter test: 25 questions in 45 minutes
• Certification also requires 1, 2, or 3 years of full-time hands-on experience (or a combination of formal training and experience) — a passing score alone is not certification

Blueprint areas and weights

• A. General Electrical/Electronic Diagnosis — 13 questions (26%): wiring diagrams, meters, and tracing shorts, opens, and high resistance
• B. Battery and Starting System — 9 questions (18%): battery service and starter circuit diagnosis
• C. Charging System — 5 questions (10%): alternator output, regulation, and charging faults
• D. Lighting Systems — 6 questions (12%): headlight and interior/exterior lighting circuits
• E. Body Electrical Systems — 17 questions (34%), the largest area: accessories, power windows/locks, security, and related modules

Diagnostic quick rules

• Verify the complaint exists before testing anything — intermittent electrical faults often only show up under specific conditions
• Use voltage drop testing to catch high resistance that a simple continuity check misses
• Divide the circuit at its midpoint to isolate a fault fast, cutting the remaining search area roughly in half each time
• Trace the circuit with the wiring diagram rather than guessing at which component is at fault
• Diagnose before you replace parts — confirm the fault, repair it, then confirm the fix actually worked before calling the job done

Top traps

• On Technician A/B questions, read both statements fully before answering — "both correct" and "both incorrect" are real options, not distractors
• Absolute words like "always" or "never" in a technician's statement are usually a red flag, since real electrical diagnosis has few zero-exception rules
• General Diagnosis (A) and Body Electrical (E) together make up 60% of the scored test — weight your review time there first if you're short on time
• A passing score alone does not equal ASE Certification — the hands-on experience requirement still has to be met and documented separately, and it can be completed before or after the test
• Don't stop at the first technician you agree with — the correct answer may include, or exclude, both