51 questions

Suspension & Steering (A4)

Technician A says a defective (conicity) tire can cause a pull. Technician B says swapping the front tires side to side can help confirm a tire-caused pull. Who is correct?

  • a.Technician A only
  • b.Neither A nor B
  • c.Technician B only
  • d.Both A and B✓

A tire with internal conicity can steer the vehicle, and swapping the tires side to side changes or moves the pull, confirming the tire. Both technicians are correct. This test isolates a tire pull from an alignment pull.

How hard is the exam?

ASE Automobile certification is eight separate tests (A1-A8). Each initial test has 40-50 scored questions (plus 10 unscored research items) and runs 60-90 minutes; fees are $34 per registration plus $62 per test. ASE uses a criterion-referenced scaled score and does not publish a pass percentage. Automotive service technicians and mechanics earn a median of about $49,670/year (BLS, May 2024).

Recommended study hours
20-40 hours per test for most, plus the required hands-on work experience for full certification.
Pass rate
We read ASE's own published material in September 2026 and there is no pass rate in it. ase.com has no statistics page — the URL that looks like one redirects to the About page — and neither the A1-A9 test pages nor the FAQs carry a rate. Each test uses a criterion-referenced cut score set by a panel, so there is no curve to report.Source: ASE — FAQs and Test Results · ASE — Automobile tests A1-A9
Where to focus first
Varies by test — e.g. General Engine Diagnosis is 40% of A1 (Engine Repair) and Computerized Engine Controls is 26% of A8 (Engine Performance).

Fees and salaries are approximate and change over time. The pass rate above is quoted from the source linked beside it, for the period that source covers — where we have not checked a source, we say so and give no number.

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