ASE certification: tests, cost, requirements and Master status

What is ASE certification?

ASE certification shows that a technician has passed an ASE test in a specific area and has the required work experience. ASE certification tests cover almost every aspect of automotive repair and service, from engine repair and brakes to collision repair, parts, service consulting, trucks and buses.

So what is the ASE certification in practice? It is not one exam but a set of certifications, one per test. An ASE certified technician holds one or more of them, and an ASE certified mechanic is usually described by the areas they hold, such as A5 Brakes or A8 Engine Performance. The A series is the ASE certification for auto mechanics working on cars and light trucks.

Source: ASE — Certifications and Tests. Checked 19 October 2026.

ASE certification list: the test series

ASE’s current certification list, grouped by series:

• A1–A9: Automobile and Light Truck (for example A1 Engine Repair, A4 Suspension & Steering, A5 Brakes, A6 Electrical/Electronic Systems)
• B2–B5: Collision Repair and Refinish; B6: Damage Analysis and Estimating
• C1: Automobile Service Consultant; F1: Alternate Fuels; G1: Auto Maintenance and Light Repair
• H1–H8: Transit Bus; S1–S7: School Bus; T1–T8: Medium-Heavy Truck
• L1: Advanced Engine Performance; L2: Electronic Diesel Engine Diagnosis; L3: Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle; L4: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
• P1–P2: Parts Specialist; MIL1–MIL8: Military Tactical Wheeled Vehicles; xEV safety certifications

Source: ASE — Certifications and Tests. Checked 19 October 2026.

ASE exam format

Every ASE exam is multiple choice, and each question tests a specific diagnostic or repair problem with only one correct answer. Each ASE certification test also includes 10 unscored research questions that you cannot tell apart from the scored ones.

Length depends on the test. In the A series, A1 Engine Repair and A5 Brakes have 45 scored questions in 75 minutes, A4 Suspension & Steering has 40 in 60 minutes, and A6 Electrical/Electronic Systems has 50 in 90 minutes. G1 has 55 scored questions in 90 minutes. ASE does not publish a passing score on the pages checked.

Source: ASE — A1–A9 Automobile & Light Truck Certification Tests. Checked 19 October 2026.

How to get ASE certified

If you are asking how do I get my ASE certification, there are two parts: pass the test and meet the work experience requirement. ASE requires one year for G1, three years for the advanced L tests and two years for all other tests, and up to half can come from appropriate vocational training.

You may register and take tests before you have the experience, except the X1 test, but you do not earn certification until the experience is approved. To get ASE certified, register in your myASE account, buy the test and schedule it within 90 days of purchase.

For students there is a separate route: student ASE certification, the Entry-Level Certification run by the ASE Education Foundation for the Automobile, Collision Repair and Refinish and Medium/Heavy Truck segments. A student ASE test costs $47 per seat at ASE Accredited Programs and $57 at other programs, and it is described as the first step towards professional credentials rather than professional certification itself.

Source: ASE — Certification: Need to Know (revised January 2026). Checked 19 October 2026.

ASE certification cost

The ASE certification cost has two parts: a $34 registration fee per order and a fee per test. Most tests cost $62; the advanced L1 to L4 tests cost $124 each. Buying several tests in one order means paying the registration fee only once.

Recertification uses the same fees, but ASE caps the cost of recertification tests at $186 per order. The ASE Renewal App, an alternative way to keep A-series certifications current, costs $52 a year.

Source: ASE — Register Now: Registration Dates and Fees. Checked 19 October 2026.

ASE test centers and online testing

Initial certification tests are taken in person at Prometric ASE test centers in the United States, US territories and Canada. Online remote testing with a live proctor is available for recertification tests only, excluding G1.

So you cannot become ASE certified online for the first time. ASE certification online applies to keeping a certification: once you hold it, recertification tests can be taken remotely if your room, computer and webcam meet ASE’s requirements.

Source: ASE — Online Remote Testing. Checked 19 October 2026.

Results, retakes and recertification

Your score report is emailed to you immediately after the test and posted to myASE within five days. If you fail, you must wait 30 full days before you can purchase and schedule the same test again.

Certification is valid for five years. Recertification tests usually have about half the number of questions of the regular tests; A1R, for example, has 23 scored questions in 30 minutes.

Source: ASE — FAQs. Checked 19 October 2026.

Master ASE certification

Master ASE certification is available for the Automobile, Collision, Transit Bus, Medium-Heavy Truck and School Bus series, and requires passing a specified group of four to eight tests depending on the series. An ASE certified master technician in the Automobile series holds A1 through A8; A9 is not required.

Being master ASE certified is not for life. If an area in the group expires, you need to recertify in it to keep Master status.

Source: ASE — A1–A9 Automobile & Light Truck Certification Tests. Checked 19 October 2026.

ASE certification for diesel mechanics

There are three main routes to ASE certification for diesel mechanics. For medium and heavy trucks, T2 Diesel Engines has 55 scored questions in 90 minutes, and T2 through T8 make an ASE Certified Master Medium-Heavy Truck Technician. For cars and light trucks, A9 Light Vehicle Diesel Engines has 50 scored questions in 75 minutes. At the advanced level, L2 is the Electronic Diesel Engine Diagnosis Specialist test.

Which diesel mechanic ASE certification fits depends on the vehicles you work on; the experience requirement is two years for T2 and A9 and three years for L2.

Source: ASE — T1–T8 Medium-Heavy Truck Certification Tests. Checked 19 October 2026.

ASE certified auto repair shop: the Blue Seal

An ASE certified auto repair shop in ASE’s Blue Seal of Excellence program must have at least 75 percent of the technicians who diagnose and repair vehicles ASE certified, with every service area offered covered by at least one certified technician. Shops with full-time service consultants or estimators need at least one of them certified.

To find an ASE certified mechanic shop, look for the ASE sign at the business or use ASE’s Blue Seal of Excellence Shop Locator.

Source: ASE — Blue Seal Program. Checked 19 October 2026.

Official ASE practice tests, training and free options

Official ASE practice tests are online quizzes with ASE-style questions, about half the length of the real tests, with a printable performance report and explanations. They exist for A1 to A8, C1, G1, L1, P2 and T2, T4, T6 and T8; the official ASE A1 practice test has 25 questions, the ASE A4 practice test 20, the ASE A5 practice test 23, the ASE A6 practice test 25 and the G1 ASE practice test 28. Vouchers are bought in myASE, are non-refundable and are English only.

ASE does not list a free ASE practice test. Its free options are the ASE study guides, which include sample test questions, and the Free Test Drive, which uses sample questions to show the look and feel of the testing platform. For ASE certification training, ASE’s test prep page points to ASE Accredited Training Providers, evaluated through a quality-assurance process, and to Officially Licensed Test Prep Partners. When you compare ASE certification classes, check whether the provider holds one of those designations.

Source: ASE — Official ASE Practice Test Program. Checked 19 October 2026.

ASE practice questions

Certsqill’s ASE practice questions are expert-developed and mapped to the task areas of each ASE test, so an ASE certification practice test works as ASE exam prep for one area at a time, from the ASE practice test brakes set for A5 to engine repair, electrical and maintenance. You can take every ASE practice test online in your browser.

Every question comes with an explanation for each answer option, and your results build a readiness score per task area, so your ASE test prep shows where you stand before you pay for the real test. A 7-day money-back guarantee applies.

ASE questions people ask

What is ASE certification?

A certification from Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), earned by passing an ASE test and meeting the work experience requirement. Source: ASE, checked 19 October 2026.

What is ASE certified, exactly?

Certified in one or more specific test areas, such as A5 Brakes. Each area is a separate certification, valid for five years. Source: ASE FAQs, checked 19 October 2026.

Is there one ASE certified test?

No. There is no single ASE certified test; each series has its own tests, and you are certified per test you pass. Source: ASE, checked 19 October 2026.

How much does ASE certification cost?

$34 registration per order plus $62 per test, or $124 per L1 to L4 test. Source: ASE Register Now, checked 19 October 2026.

How long is ASE certification valid?

Five years. Technicians must retest every five years to keep certification. Source: ASE, checked 19 October 2026.

Can I get ASE certified online?

Not for the first certification: initial tests are at Prometric test centers. Online remote testing is for recertification tests only, excluding G1. Source: ASE, checked 19 October 2026.

What is the ASE passing score?

ASE does not publish a passing score on the pages checked. Your score report is emailed right after the test. Checked 19 October 2026.

Is there a free ASE practice test?

ASE lists no free practice test; its official practice tests are bought with vouchers. The ASE study guides with sample questions and the Free Test Drive are free. Source: ASE, checked 19 October 2026.

ASE in detail

• ASE study guide: the free official guides and how to use them →