ASE recognizes you as a Master Automobile Technician when you hold certification in all eight Automobile tests from A1 Engine Repair to A8 Engine Performance. A9 (light vehicle diesel engines) and G1 are not part of the eight. Between them, the eight tests have 365 scored questions and 585 minutes of testing time, and booked in one order they cost $530 in ASE fees (8 × $62 plus one $34 registration fee). Each certification also needs documented relevant work experience, and suitable vocational training can be credited toward it; ASE's study guide points to workexp.ase.com for the details rather than spelling them out. Each certification lasts 5 years and is renewed with a shorter recertification test; the eight recertification tests total 184 questions.
01What is a Master Automobile Technician?
It is ASE's recognition for a technician certified across the whole car. ASE's Automobile study guide marks eight tests, A1 to A8, as the ones you need to be recognized as a Master Automobile Technician. The ninth test in the series, A9 Light Vehicle Diesel Engines, is not one of them, and neither is G1 Auto Maintenance and Light Repair.
There is no separate Master Technician test. The status comes from holding the eight individual certifications, each earned by passing its test and documenting work experience.
02Which tests do you need?
These are the eight tests, with their scored questions, testing time and recertification test, from ASE's study guide. Each certification test also has 10 unscored questions inside the time shown.
| Test | Scored | Time | Recertification |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASE A1 Engine Repair | 45 | 75 min | 23 in 30 min |
| ASE A2 Automatic Transmission/Transaxle | 45 | 75 min | 23 in 30 min |
| ASE A3 Manual Drive Train & Axles | 40 | 60 min | 20 in 30 min |
| ASE A4 Suspension & Steering | 40 | 60 min | 20 in 30 min |
| ASE A5 Brakes | 45 | 75 min | 23 in 30 min |
| ASE A6 Electrical/Electronic Systems | 50 | 90 min | 25 in 45 min |
| ASE A7 Heating & Air Conditioning | 50 | 75 min | 25 in 30 min |
| ASE A8 Engine Performance | 50 | 75 min | 25 in 45 min |
| Total | 365 | 585 min | 184 in 270 min |
Each test links to our study guide for it, with its content areas and task list in plain words.
03What does each test cover?
Each test is built on its own specification. The largest content area in each is a good first indicator of where its study time goes:
ASE A1 Engine Repair: Five content areas. The largest is General Engine Diagnosis with 18 of 45 scored questions (40.0%).
ASE A2 Automatic Transmission/Transaxle: Three content areas. The largest is Transmission/Transaxle Diagnosis with 26 of 45 scored questions (57.8%).
ASE A3 Manual Drive Train & Axles: Six content areas. The largest is Four-Wheel Drive/All-Wheel Drive Component Diagnosis and Repair with 8 of 40 scored questions (20.0%).
ASE A4 Suspension & Steering: Four content areas. The largest are Steering Systems Diagnosis and Repair and Suspension Systems Diagnosis and Repair, with 12 of 40 scored questions each (30.0%).
ASE A5 Brakes: Four content areas. The largest is Hydraulic, Power Assist, and Parking Brake Systems Diagnosis and Repair with 19 of 45 scored questions (42.2%).
ASE A6 Electrical/Electronic Systems: Five content areas. The largest is Body Electrical Systems Diagnosis and Repair with 17 of 50 scored questions (34.0%).
ASE A7 Heating & Air Conditioning: Three content areas. The largest is Heating, Ventilation, A/C (HVAC), and Engine Cooling System Service, Diagnosis, and Repair with 21 of 50 scored questions (42.0%).
ASE A8 Engine Performance: Five content areas. The largest is Computerized Engine Controls Diagnosis and Repair with 13 of 50 scored questions (26.0%).
The study guide for each test walks through every area and its task list.
04What is the experience requirement?
ASE's study guide says certification requires two things: passing the test and documenting relevant work experience. It adds that suitable vocational training can be credited toward that experience. It does not state how many years are needed or how training is counted; it sends you to workexp.ase.com for the details.
Read that page before you start, so you know what you will need to document. Passing tests before you have the experience is a question for ASE's current rules on ase.com, not something the study guide settles.
05What does it cost?
At $62 per test plus $34 per order, all eight tests booked in one order cost $530. Booked one at a time, in eight orders, they cost $768, $238 more. A middle path is to group tests in twos or threes as you get ready for them. Any retest is booked again after the 30-day wait. Full detail and current-fee caveats are in ASE test fees and registration.
06What order should you take them in?
ASE's study guide does not set an order, so any sequence works. The task lists do show overlaps you can use. A1 and A8 share their engine tests: both include vacuum, power balance, compression and leak-down testing, so studying them back to back saves time. A6's electrical skills (voltage drop, resistance, wiring diagrams, scan data) appear across the other tests too: the samples for A3, A4 and A7 include meter readings or circuit diagrams, and A2's diagnosis area has a large electronic group.
One plan you could adapt: start with the test closest to your daily work, take A6 early because its skills carry over, and pair A1 with A8. Whatever order you choose, use each test's task list as the checklist: A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8.
07How do you keep it?
Each ASE certification lasts 5 years. You renew it with a recertification test that is shorter than the original; for the eight tests together that is 184 questions and 270 minutes, against 365 scored questions and 585 minutes for the full tests. You can take a recertification test only after passing the matching certification test once.
The study guide does not describe how Master status is handled when one certification lapses, or whether recertification tests are priced like full tests, so check ase.com for both.
08Questions people ask
- Which tests do you need for ASE Master Automobile Technician?
- All eight Automobile tests from A1 to A8: Engine Repair, Automatic Transmission/Transaxle, Manual Drive Train and Axles, Suspension and Steering, Brakes, Electrical/Electronic Systems, Heating and Air Conditioning, and Engine Performance. A9 and G1 are not required.
- How many questions are on all eight ASE A-series tests?
- 365 scored questions in 585 minutes of testing time, plus 10 unscored questions on each test. The tests range from 40 scored questions (A3, A4) to 50 (A6, A7, A8).
- How much does it cost to become an ASE Master Technician?
- The eight test fees are $530 if booked in one order (8 × $62 plus one $34 registration fee) and $768 if booked in eight separate orders. Retests and recertification are extra; check ase.com for current fees.
- How much work experience do you need for ASE certification?
- ASE's study guide says certification needs documented relevant work experience and that suitable vocational training can be credited toward it, but it does not give the details. It points to workexp.ase.com for them.
- Does G1 count toward ASE Master Technician?
- No. ASE's Automobile study guide lists only A1 to A8 as required for Master Automobile Technician. G1 is a separate certification.
- Is ToolboxPrep affiliated with ASE?
- ToolboxPrep is an independent study site. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by ASE (the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence). Our questions are original practice questions written to the published ASE test specifications; they are not actual test questions.
09Sources
- ASE Automobile Study Guide (Tests A1 to A9), 2026: question counts, testing times, recertification test lengths, the unscored-question rule, the Master Automobile Technician test list, the work experience requirement and the sample-question formats
- ASE Auto Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) Study Guide, 2026: the G1 content areas, testing time, G1R recertification test and the student route to G1
- ASE (ase.com): the $34 registration fee per order, the $62 fee per test, the 5-year certification period and the 30-day retest wait
The question counts and testing times were checked against ASE's published study guides on October 11, 2026; fees and rules are as ASE publishes them on ase.com, and they can change. ASE is the final word. If you find one of ours out of date, tell us.
Related: free practice questions · ASE test fees and registration · G1 or the A-series
10Practice tests
ToolboxPrep practice tests are weighted to each ASE test specification, area by area, and every answer is explained, all four options. Each practice page has five sample questions you can try with no account.
Ten free questions per test, no account: free practice questions. How our questions are written and checked: how our questions are made.
ToolboxPrep is an independent study site. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by ASE (the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence). Our questions are original practice questions written to the published ASE test specifications; they are not actual test questions.