One of the most misunderstood subjects within the collision repair industry is the difference between training and certification. This is all too often demonstrated when I hear collision repairers describe themselves as either “ASE trained or I-CAR certified.” They’re not. In fact neither ASE training nor I-CAR certification exists. But both training
and certification are necessary to establish meaningful professional credentials. The two work hand-in-hand. Much has been written about training in the pages of ABRN, but what about the other half of the equation? What is ASE certification and, more importantly, how can you maximize your chances of passing an ASE test? In the following article, we’ll take a look at ASE certification testing and provide you with important insights that will help you succeed and achieve one of the most widely recognized and respected professional credentials in the collision repair industry.
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The value of ASE certification
Assuming you’ve decided to take the next step and get yourself ASE certified, what’s in it for you? Quite a bit, actually. Many shop owners, insurers and consumers are increasingly recognizing ASE certification as an excellent measure of both shop and individual technician capability. And that’s as it should be, because the reason ASE was founded was to provide an independent assessment of a technician’s technical knowledge. Passing an ASE certification test is also a great way to measure the effectiveness of ongoing training. In fact, many of the top training providers within the collision repair industry have their programs ASE certified through the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) Continuing Automotive Service Education (CASE) program. Those training providers certified under the CASE program employ ASE certified instructors and meet stringent guidelines for the training they offer. Having ASE certification is also recognized as a basic qualification for many advanced training programs in the collision repair industry. These training providers clearly see the value that ASE brings to the industry and the credibility ASE professional credentials provide—both to themselves and the technicians they train.
Many shop owners and managers have already discovered that encouraging technicians to obtain voluntary ASE certification not only increases their value to the company, it increases their value to themselves. Achieving certification provides a badge of accomplishment and professionalism that consumers can readily identify. It also shows a strong sense of commitment to the profession from the technician and, when trying to identify those employees who have the motivation to consistently perform, what better yardstick than the demonstrated proficiency of achieving ASE certification?
Smart marketers spotlight their employees’ training diplomas and ASE certifications in their promotions and advertising to consumers. Consumers are continuously hearing that one of the best ways to identify a good repair shop is to look for ASE-certified technicians. They see it every time they take their vehicle in for mechanical service or maintenance. For them, the ASE logo is a symbol of trust. Even though collision repair services are needed much less frequently, you can leverage that consumer trust and confidence by promoting the fact that your collision repair shop employs ASE certified technicians in your local advertising and through prominent display of the ASE logo at your facility.
Achieving ASE certification is not easy—nothing worthwhile is. But embracing the value of professional credentials and ongoing training can only help improve the image of the industry and help reduce fraud by providing a well-trained and educated workforce that knows how to do a job right.
It’s not surprising that many working technicians are uneasy about the idea of taking a test to demonstrate their technical knowledge. So how do you maximize your chances of successfully passing an ASE test? The answer is simple: preparation. Let’s take a closer look at how an ASE test is put together.
How do those questions work?
The biggest challenge any competent technician faces when taking an ASE test is fear—fear of taking a test and fear of the unknown. But once you understand how ASE testing works, a lot of that fear will disappear. One important fact is that ASE tests are specifically designed to test real-world knowledge. How do ASE test questions parallel the “real world” of vehicle diagnosis and repair? Most people deal with “cause and effect” relationships in everyday life. In doing so, we typically weigh our actions against certain circumstances and attempt to determine the effect that will result.
The world of diagnosis and damage analysis for collision repair professionals actually works in the opposite manner. Vehicles are presented for repair and it is the technician’s job to make a diagnosis as to the extent of the damage and the best course of repair. In this manner, technicians must apply reasoning for “effect and cause” relationships when making a diagnosis. The four-choice questions used in ASE tests are formatted to follow the same thought process and to parallel actual work situations. A test question will outline a vehicle concern (direct or ancillary damage) and supply the information necessary for a knowledgeable technician to make an accurate diagnosis and determine the best repair procedure. The vehicle concern (in this case collision damage) and diagnostic information, represents the “effect” that the technician must diagnose.
The four options provided as answer choices for each question represent possible “causes” for the concern. Each option represents a plausible choice; however, only one option is correct based upon fundamental technical reasons. Similarly, the incorrect options are disqualified based upon fundamental technical reasons. Technicians must apply their knowledge of the subject and select the option that they determine is the cause for the outlined concern. Test question content, in this format, tests a technician’s knowledge of the skills necessary for competent job performance, which is the foundation for earning the ASE credential. It’s also important to know that the questions are created in workshops made up of working collision repair professionals, including technicians. So it’s really your peers who are defining what knowledge is relevant for testing.
Now that you understand where the questions come from, how can you best prepare to take the ASE test? One of the best ways to start is to download a free copy of the Official ASE Catalog of Tests for each certification test series from the ASE Web site at www.ase.com.
Getting familiar
The ASE Catalog of Tests will help you become familiar with test content and question format. The test specifications in this booklet contain a summary description of the content covered by each test. The task lists describe the actual work performed by technicians in each specialty area. Together, these form a “blueprint” for writing and assembling the ASE tests. Note that each question on the test is keyed, or linked, to a particular task or set of tasks on the task lists. Therefore, a review of the lists, with an eye to judging whether you know how to perform each task listed, will provide you valuable information during test preparation.
There are five types of multiple-choice questions on the tests, each of which is included in the sample questions in this booklet. Note the different instructions for some questions. Be sure to read each question carefully—twice, if necessary—so that you understand exactly what is being asked. Each question tests a specific diagnostic or repair problem and has only one best answer.
What is tested?
The types of knowledge and skills you will need to know to pass the tests include the following:
- Basic technical knowledge. This tests your knowledge of what is in a system and how the system works, and what are the proper procedures and precautions to be followed in making repairs and adjustments.
- Service or repair knowledge and skill. This tests your understanding and ability to apply generally accepted repair procedures and precautions in assembly, disassembly and reconditioning operations; and in making inspections and adjustments. Your ability to use shop manuals and precision tools of the trade also will be measured.
- Testing and diagnostic knowledge and skill. This tests your ability to recognize problems and to use generally available measurement and testing equipment to make a diagnosis. This covers your ability to trace the effects of a particular condition and find the cause of a particular set of symptoms.
If you are an experienced and competent technician or estimator, a careful review of this booklet and additional brush-up on those areas in which you are weakest, is all you should need to pass the ASE tests. If you find you need more in-depth training, this will help you determine what type of study material you’ll need to prepare for certification testing. There is a lot of study material available. The success an automotive professional has with study material depends on the level of knowledge that he or she has in the area he or she is studying, and at what level the study material is written. Due to the fact that ASE tests are designed to test for a wide range of job specific skills, it is unlikely that one single book can be found that will have everything in it that will serve all technician’s needs for knowledge. So the first thing to do is to make sure individuals are matched up with material that will help them.
Self-evaluation is important
When preparing to take a collision certification test, ASE also recommends that first you do a self-evaluation of your knowledge in your desired certification area(s) using the ASE Catalog of Tests mentioned above. The task lists contained within encompass the vital skills collision repair experts have identified for techs to do their job. What’s important about this information? Well, all of the questions on the ASE tests relate directly to these identified skills.
The best way to do the self-evaluation it is to read through each of the task lists separately and determine whether or not you know what is involved in performing each diagnostic or repair procedure. If you don’t have a clear understanding of a specific skill, put a checkmark next to it. This evaluation requires you to be honest with yourself about what you know and don’t know, and you also must be intuitive about what is involved in performing each diagnostic or repair skill.
Knowing exactly what you need to study is critical. Your self-evaluation should help you determine what level and/or type of study material is needed for you to enhance your knowledge and help you achieve your professional goals.
Getting trained
Your self-evaluation may reveal that the best way for you to prepare to take an ASE test is to actually attend technical training. Many training providers use the ASE task lists as a reference when creating their course materials and as such make excellent preparation courses. One of the best ways to select a training provider is to look for CASE certification. These companies have passed a rigorous inspection process to ensure they are delivering quality training. Perhaps the best-known CASE provider in the collision repair industry is I-CAR, whose courses are designed to help prepare the individuals taking the class to take and pass the appropriate ASE certification test. If your self-evaluation indicates the need for more extensive training than a simple study guide can provide, you might want to consider attending an I-CAR class in the area you’re interested in becoming ASE certified. You can view a list of all CASE providers at the NATEF Web site at www.natef.org.
What to expect at the test center
ASE testing takes place in a proctored test center at one of more than 700 locations nationwide. When you go to take the test, bring three or four sharpened soft-lead (No. 2) pencils and an eraser with you; pencils will not be furnished at the test center. If you wish to pace yourself, bring a watch, as some testing rooms may not have clocks. Finally, be sure to bring along your test center admission ticket and some form of photo identification.
Once the test has begun, keep track of time. Do not spend too long on any one question. If a question is difficult, mark the answer that you think is correct and put a check by it in the test book. Then go on to the next question. If you finish before the allotted time, go back to those questions you checked. It is to your advantage to answer every question. Do not leave any answers blank. Your score will be based on the number of correct answers that you give.
Last Words
The final tips in preparing to take an ASE test are more common sense than technical but nonetheless important for maximizing your chances of success. It’s important to be alert and well rested. Try to get a good night’s sleep the day before the testing and avoid working a heavy day just before heading off to the test center. Eat a good dinner, but don’t overeat, and avoid consumption of alcohol. Speaking from experience, it’s also important not to overdo the coffee just before taking the test. Too much caffeine will make you jittery and four hours is a long time to go between restroom visits.
If you do everything covered in this feature, you shouldn’t have any trouble achieving ASE certification. Do it for yourself. Good luck on the test!
