5 Tips for ASE Testing, and My Test Day

Here, I share my story test day, and I also show you resources to help you prepare for the your big day. I actually noticed many more than 5 tips in the video, but the ones I labeled are the best testing tips I mentioned.Show more

This was a lot of fun to edit. I love tests and the effort that goes into them and I think it shows with the way I decided to v-log this day and help others with their testing day while I'm at it.

ASE testing is the only way on paper to show skills other than your word on a resume. It can be a valuable tool for jobs, but remember, it's just paper. This is a profession where you have to show with your actions that you know what you're doing. These papers back this up, or prove that you're good at books, versus real-life doing.

That's the arguments for and against that I've seen. My personal view on it, is that studying can teach you things, which combine with real-life experience and make you better at your job. I've had many moments where, because I studied deep behind a question on the ASE test prep, I saw through to the core of many problems, when I may not have been as able otherwise.

I could have chosen easier tests, but I specifically wanted to take 3 tests, 2 of which would show case my talents the most. The two? Electrical and Engine Performance. I threw brakes in there just because a boss figured it was a good first test.

I must say brakes were harder to study up for in a way than electrical because you can know brake systems very well simply on the surface, but the nitty gritties are deep in the world of brakes. Without that study, you'll miss some subtle clues if your not more book learned on top of experience.

Electrical was easier because I've had a background in since I was a child. I never went far, but if you have the basics down pat, it's not too hard to add to it. The resource I show in this video for studying has more modern electrical questions, which other sites often explain tools and procedures that no modern shop actually does any more. Testing tools, and parts have changed, but the electron, and how it behaves, remains the same.

Engine Performance, or how I prefer to refer to it, diagnostics, was the easiest for my to study up on, because it was my favorite to study. The actual test still managed to be very challenging, just like the others, but I finished it more under the maximum time allowed than for the brakes tests.

The tests I took by ASE designation:
A5 – Brakes
A6 – Electrical/Electronic Systems
A8 – Engine Performance