Automobile (A-Series) ASE Test Prep
The A-series is ASE's automobile track: nine tests, A1 through A9, each covering one system from engine repair to light-vehicle diesel. Eight of them — A1 through A8 — combine into Master Automobile Technician; A9 is a standalone specialty. This page lays out all nine side by side, shows which build toward Master, and gives a sequence that puts the highest-leverage tests first instead of going in number order.
The nine A-series tests at a glance
| Test | Covers | Counts toward Master? |
|---|---|---|
| A1 Engine Repair | Blocks, heads, timing, valvetrain, lubrication | Yes |
| A2 Automatic Transmission | Automatics and transaxles, in-car and overhaul | Yes |
| A3 Manual Drive Train & Axles | Clutches, manual boxes, driveline, axles | Yes |
| A4 Suspension & Steering | Steering, suspension, alignment, wheels, tires | Yes |
| A5 Brakes | Hydraulics, disc, drum, power assist, ABS | Yes |
| A6 Electrical / Electronic | Batteries, starting/charging, lighting, body electronics | Yes |
| A7 Heating & Air Conditioning | A/C, refrigerant handling, heating, engine cooling | Yes |
| A8 Engine Performance | Driveability, ignition, fuel, emissions, computer controls | Yes |
| A9 Light Vehicle Diesel | Light-duty diesel diagnosis and repair | No — specialty |
A1 through A8 are the Master Automobile Technician set. A9 is real and valuable if you work diesel, but it sits outside Master — treat it as a specialty add-on, not a Master requirement.
Which A-test to take first
Number order is not study order. Sequence by what you turn daily and where the points are:
- Start with the test that matches your bench. If you do brakes and chassis all day, A5 and A4 are quick wins — you already know the work, you just learn how ASE frames it. Banking passes early keeps momentum.
- Save A8 Engine Performance for when you have time to study. It’s the broadest A-test — driveability, fuel, ignition, emissions, and computer controls all at once — and the one most techs underestimate.
- Pair A6 before A8. Engine Performance leans on electrical fundamentals; passing A6 first makes the circuit-diagnosis questions on A8 far less painful.
- Don’t leave Master to chance — book in windows. Each test window costs one $34 registration, so cluster two or three tests you’re ready for into a single window.
What the A-series rewards (and where techs lose points)
Across all nine tests, the questions are written for diagnosis, not parts replacement. The pattern that loses points is studying components in isolation and skipping the symptom-to-cause reasoning:
- A5 buries a large share of its weight in hydraulic diagnosis and ABS, not pad-and-rotor service.
- A6 and A8 are mostly circuit-diagnosis problems — reading a voltage-drop result or a wiring diagram back to a fault.
- A4 tests alignment angles and their symptoms (a pull, a wandering wheel) more than ride-control part names.
- A2 expects you to read hydraulic and electronic control behavior, not just name clutch packs.
If a question gives you a symptom and four parts, the test is checking whether you can reason to the cause. That skill transfers across every A-test.
Study by system
Most techs prep by system, not by test number, because the systems overlap:
- Brakes & chassis study — for A4 and A5.
- Electrical & HVAC study — for A6 and A7.
- Engine & drivetrain study — for A1, A2, A3, A8, and A9.
Start with the individual test that’s closest to your daily work — the A5 Brakes guide is a good model for how each test breaks down — then read the certification guide for the cost, recert, and experience rules before you register.