ASE tests are computer-based, multiple-choice exams administered at Prometric testing centers across the United States. Each test contains between 40 and 80 questions depending on the specific exam.

You have a fixed time window to complete the exam — typically 30 to 60 minutes for most tests. The computer-based format allows you to flag questions and return to them before submitting.

Tests are offered during two testing windows per year: spring (April–May) and fall (October–November). Registration opens several weeks before each window.

ASE questions are scenario-based. A typical question presents a technician with a customer complaint, a set of test readings, or a symptom description — then asks what the most likely cause is, or what the correct next diagnostic step would be.

Questions are designed to test applied knowledge, not memorization. You will not be asked to recite a specification from memory. Instead, you will be asked to interpret a situation and select the most logical response.

Some questions use a "EXCEPT" format: "All of the following are true EXCEPT..." These require you to identify the one incorrect statement among four options. Read these carefully.

Diagrams, wiring schematics, and data tables may be included with some questions. Familiarity with reading wiring diagrams and interpreting scan tool data is important for electrical and engine performance tests.

ASE does not publish a fixed passing percentage. Instead, each test has a scaled passing score that accounts for question difficulty. In practice, most technicians need to answer approximately 70% of questions correctly to pass.

In addition to passing the written exam, you must document at least two years of hands-on work experience to receive your certification. Experience can be submitted after passing the exam — you have up to two years to submit your experience documentation.

If you do not pass, you must wait 30 days before retaking the exam. There is no limit on the number of retake attempts.

ASE certifications expire after five years. To maintain your certification, you must pass a recertification exam before your credentials expire.

Recertification exams are shorter than the original exams and focus on updated content — new technology, revised standards, and changes in diagnostic procedures. This ensures that certified technicians stay current.

If your certification expires before you recertify, you must retake the full original exam rather than the shorter recertification version.

Valid government-issued photo ID (driver's license or passport)

Your ASE registration confirmation

No reference materials are allowed — the exam is closed-book

Arrive at least 15 minutes early to complete check-in procedures