Work Experience Requirements
Two-Year Requirement
To become ASE certified, you must pass an ASE test and have at least two years of relevant full-time hands-on work experience in the motor vehicle service industry. If you have not previously provided work experience information, you will receive a Work Experience Report with your Admission Ticket when you register for the tests. You may also download a copy of the Work Experience Report now (using the link located at bottom of this page). You must complete and return this form to receive a certificate.
You may register and take tests (except X1, L1, and L2) before you have two years of experience. You will receive a score report, but you will not earn certification or receive certificates until you fulfill the experience requirement.
Different Experience Types
The Work Experience Report Form has separate sections for different types of automotive industry job experience, and your work experience must match the kind of certification you are trying to achieve. Experience as a repair technician (automobile, truck, school bus, etc.) does not satisfy the experience requirements for Collision Damage Estimator (test B6), Automobile Service Consultant (test C1) or Parts Specialist (tests P1 through P4 and P9).
Substitutions
You may receive credit for up to one year of the two-year work experience requirement by substituting relevant formal training in one, or a combination, of the following:
- High School Training: Two full years of training, either in automobile/truck/school bus repair or in collision repair, refinishing, or damage estimating, may be substituted for one year of work experience.
- Post-High School Training: Two full years of post-high school training in a public or private trade school, technical institute, community or four-year college, or in an apprenticeship program may be counted as one year of work experience.
- Short Courses: For shorter periods of post-high school training, you may substitute two months of training for one month of work experience.
You may receive full credit for the two-year work experience requirement with the following:
- Completion of Apprenticeship: Satisfactory completion of either a three-or four-year bona fide apprenticeship program.
- Completion of an OEM-Sponsored Co-op Program: Satisfactory completion of a post-secondary two-year factory sponsored training program that results in a two-year associates degree or equivalent, such as GM ASEP, Ford ASSET, Toyota T-TEN, Honda PACT, or Chrysler CAP; plus adequate hands-on experience obtained during the co-op program.
To have your training considered as a substitute for work experience, complete the Work Experience Report Form (download below) and return it to ASE/ACT with an official transcript of courses, or a statement of training, or a certificate showing satisfactory completion of apprenticeship. Documents must show the length of training (hours or weeks).
Parts Specialists: The guidelines above apply, but credit will only be given for training related to automotive or truck parts. No credit will be given for mechanical repair or collision repair training. Also, experience as a repair technician does not satisfy the experience requirement for parts specialist certification.
Collision Damage Estimators: The guidelines above apply, but credit will only be given for training related to damage analysis/estimating. No credit will be given for mechanical or collision repair training. Also, experience as a repair technician does not satisfy the experience requirement for collision damage estimator certification.
Service Consultants: The guidelines above apply, but credit will only be given for training related to service consulting. No credit will be given for mechanical or collision repair training. Also, experience as a repair technician does not satisfy the experience requirement for service consultant certification.
Canadian Technicians: A valid provincial automotive trade certificate is acceptable evidence of sufficient work experience. Include a copy of your provincial license with your completed report form.
ASE reserves the right to evaluate all requests for substitution of training for experience and to grant such credit as may be appropriate. Work experience other than that described above also may be credited toward fulfillment of the two-year experience where, in the ASE’s judgment, the nature of the experience so warrants.
If you have questions about the work experience requirement or training substitutions, call the ASE Help Desk at 319-337-1433, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central time, Monday – Friday.
Related Links
ASE Work Experience Reporting Form (pdf)
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