ASE Master Certified Technicians: The Best of the Best

When you bring your vehicle in for repair, or even for a tune up, you want to assure that only the best and most capable hands work on it. ASE, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, allows you to do just that. ASE certified technicians are among the best master technicians in the business. From general car maintenance to specialty repair, they have their bases covered. They prove this simply by achieving ASE certification. But titles are nice; what exactly is an ASE technician?

Hands on ASE Tests

To receive certification in any field, you have to meet certain requirements. For ASE technicians, these requirements go by field. There are a number of different ways for a technician to become ASE certified. Most commonly, certification goes by a group of tests specific to the type of vehicles the technician will be working on, known as a series. For instance, a technician looking to become certified for working on school buses at the master level needs to pass six series of tests, as well as tests on general car maintenance. They have to know how to service the transmission, change tires and replace brakes, among other things. Each type of vehicle has its own set of qualification tests, and all are designed to challenge even the most competent of technicians. According to ASE’s criteria listings, they also require a minimum of two years of relevant hands on experience in order to take the certification test. This assures that the technician has on the job experience, which can differ greatly from school experience due to the uncontrolled state of the environment.

Written ASE Tests and Continued Master Technicians Certification

All ASE technicians are required to take a written proficiency test. This is to ensure that they have not only the required technical skills, but the required knowledge as well. Written tests cover a variety of subjects, all related to the vehicle the technician is testing for. Questions vary from potential solutions of problems, to proper treatment of specific damages, and can be multiple choices or written answer. ASE technicians also have to renew their master certifications every five years to prevent them from expiring. This is to ensure that the technician is keeping up with the latest in repair work. It also allows ASE to check if the technician is still competent at regular intervals. Tests are updated frequently to keep up with the current mechanical standards and practices, so all technicians looking to receive master technician certification are required to keep up with all updates in the automotive world.

Finding an ASE Technician

If a master technician’s certification is expired, and you have a newer vehicle, the technician may not have the know how to properly diagnose or fix it. Check online at ASE’s web site before choosing a technician. Once you have found one that you believe will do a good job, look at consumer reports. This will allow you to see whether or not the technician is renowned for good work. If they aren’t, don’t bring your vehicle to their shop; certification is great, but it doesn’t necessarily qualify the technician as the best for you.