How to Get the A9 ASE Study Guide and Practice Test
When you start your mechanic career, you want to have the skills and credentials to get the best automotive technician job possible. You can build your career based on your education alone, or you can earn an ASE Master Technician certification and improve not only your resume, but also your income potential. Most certified technicians earn more on average than those who do not have ASE in their job titles.
NIASE (National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence) governs the certification of master technicians. The Institute offers tests in more than 40 different areas, including Series A - Exams A1 - A9, representing experience in the field of cars and light trucks. Although you only need to pass A1-A8 to get certified (in addition to two years of experience in the field), it is certainly useful to have a ninth designation. A9 covers diesel engines for passenger cars.
The first thing you need to do while preparing for certification is to get the A9 ASE study guide and practice test.
Site ACE
NIASE provides free study guides for each category of testing. These guides can be found on the Test Prep & Training page via PDF links. You can also check out other resources, including helpful tips on when it's time to take the actual exam.
While the tutorials are free, the practice tests provided by the NIASE website will cost you a nominal fee. If you want to take one or two, they will cost you $14.95 each, while three to 24 will cost $12.95 each, and 25 or more will cost you $11.95 each. Instead of buying access to a specific test, you buy a voucher that gives you a code that you can use on the test of your choice.
The practice tests are half the length of the real test and offer you a progress report that informs you about the questions you answered correctly and incorrectly. Each exam comes in only one configuration, which means that if you redeem additional vouchers on the A9 trial test, you will get the same version again.
Third Party Sites
Not surprisingly, aftermarket test preparation companies have participated in the ASE certification action. They are numerous and offer study guides, practice tests, and personalized learning assistance. NIASE does not endorse or review any of these services, although it does offer a list of companies on its website. Just be sure to read the reviews and testimonials of any company you plan to work with in order to prepare for the A9.
Passing the test
Once you have gone through the learning and preparation process, you can use the ASE website to find a test site near you. There are days and times available all 12 months of the year, as well as weekends. All tests are now taken on a computer, as the institute phased out written tests at the end of 2011. If you don't like the idea of a computer format, you can take part in the demo on the website so you get used to it before the big day.
The A50 Engine Performance exam includes 9 multiple choice questions. There may also be 10 or more additional questions that are used for statistical purposes only. Graded and ungraded questions are not separated, so you will need to complete the entire set, no matter how many questions you have.
Other than the minor fees associated with taking these exams, you have nothing to lose by upping the stakes on your resume and in your automotive engineering career. With all the learning resources available and some effort and determination, you should be well on your way to becoming an ASE Chief Automotive Technician.
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