Automotive & Mechanic Certifications
ASE automotive service certifications — the industry standard for professional mechanics.
Which exam are you taking?
Exams are grouped with their close relatives — the other tiers of the same licence, the same exam in other states. Open a group to see each exam with its free practice questions, study guide and cheat sheet.
- ASE certifications10 exams690 free questionsThe National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) test series — G1 maintenance and the A-series specialist certifications.ASE G1ASE A1ASE A2ASE A3+6 moreExplore ASE certifications →
Which ASE test, and what does certification actually require?
ASE — the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence — is the industry's independent certifying body, and no state licenses mechanics on top of it. An ASE certification is two things at once: a passed test, and documented hands-on work experience in the trade. Passing the test alone earns a test result, not the credential; the certificate is issued only when the experience requirement is met, and formal training at an ASE-accredited program or appropriate vocational schooling can substitute for part of that experience.
The A series is the core for automobile and light-truck technicians: nine tests from engine repair through engine performance, each certifying one area, and technicians who hold the first eight together earn Master Automobile Technician status. The G1 Maintenance and Light Repair test sits below that as the entry credential for technicians who do routine service rather than diagnosis and repair. Each test is registered for on its own, so you certify area by area.
Certifications are not permanent. ASE requires recertification on a recurring cycle, and it offers a renewal app that lets certified technicians keep credentials current by answering questions over time instead of sitting a full test again.
Start from the work you do
Links go to the exam guide, where the question count, time limit and fee come from ASE's test pages.
G1 Maintenance and Light Repair — the entry certification for service technicians, with a shorter experience requirement than the A series.
A1 Engine Repair, A2 Automatic Transmission/Transaxle, A3 Manual Drive Train and Axles. Each is its own test and its own certification.
A4 Suspension and Steering and A5 Brakes — the two chassis tests, and among the most commonly held certifications.
A6 Electrical/Electronic Systems, A7 Heating and Air Conditioning, A8 Engine Performance. A8 is the diagnosis-heavy test technicians usually take last.
Hold A1 through A8 concurrently, each with the experience requirement met, and keep them current through recertification.
A9 Light Vehicle Diesel Engines, a separate certification outside the Master requirement.
From test to certificate
- 01Register for the individual tests you want through ASE and book them at a test centre; each test stands alone.
- 02Pass the test. Results are reported per test, and a pass is held on your record while you complete the experience requirement.
- 03Submit the work-experience form with your hands-on experience and any accredited training or vocational credit; certification is issued when it is accepted.
- 04Recertify on ASE's cycle, by full test or through the renewal app, to keep each certification current.
Fee, format and passing standard
The 6 exams asked about most, of 10 on this page. Each figure is that exam's verified fact, cited to the regulator's page on the exam guide it links to. A blank cell means the regulator publishes no fixed figure.
| Exam | Fee | Questions | Time | Passing | Written by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASE G1 | $62 | 45 | 1h 30m | — | National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) |
| ASE A1 | $62 | 45 | 1h 15m | — | National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) |
| ASE A4 | $62 | 40 | 1h | — | National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) |
| ASE A5 | $62 | 45 | 1h 15m | — | National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) |
| ASE A6 | $62 | 50 | 1h 30m | — | National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) |
| ASE A8 | $62 | 50 | 1h 15m | — | National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) |
Who writes these exams
- ASE
- Writes and administers the tests, sets the experience requirement, issues the certifications and runs recertification. It is an independent non-profit, not a government agency, and no state licenses automotive technicians.
Official pages this section is drawn from
What you'll find on every Automotive & Mechanic Certifications exam
Each exam has up to four pages, one per job to be done: practice the questions, understand the exam, study the outline, or revise the morning of. Flashcards and glossary terms sit inside the study guide rather than on pages of their own.
- Practice tests10
- Free question banks with a worked explanation on every answer.
- Exam guides10
- Cost, format, eligibility and difficulty, straight from the official outline.
- Study guides10
- Full outline coverage, plus the exam's flashcards and glossary terms.
- Cheat sheets10
- One-page summaries built for the last review, with a PDF download.
Frequently asked questions
ASE certification is the industry standard: separate tests per specialty for cars and light trucks, each requiring documented hands-on experience plus a passing exam score. Many employers treat ASE as the hiring bar.
Document the required work experience, register for your test series, and pass each specialty exam you want on your certificate. Recertification exams keep the credential current afterward.
Yes — free ASE practice questions with explanations for each specialty covered here, plus study guides and cheat sheets. No signup.
No — the questions are original, modeled on the official task lists for each specialty, which is what makes them safe and legal to study from.
Official sources
Every exam number on this page traces to a document published by the body that sets or administers the exam. These are the primary publishers cited across Automotive & Mechanic Certifications.
- National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)ase.comcited by 10 exams
Last verified against these documents: