ASE Overview
The independent, non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was established in 1972 to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service through the voluntary testing and certification of technicians and other automotive service professionals. ASE also encourages and assists in the development of automotive training programs.
At present, about 385,000 professionals hold current certifications. They work in every segment of the automotive service industry: car and truck dealerships, independent garages, fleets, service stations, franchises, and more.
ASE's tests are industry-driven and are grouped into specialties that cover virtually every on-highway vehicle service segment. The exams stress knowledge of job-related skills.
Certification consists of passing at least one specialty test and documenting two years of relevant work experience. To maintain certification, those with ASE credentials must be retested every five years.
Written tests are conducted twice a year, in the spring and fall at over 750 locations around the country. In addition, selected tests are offered in a computer-based testing (CBT) format at 200 sites over a five-week period each summer and winter.
ASE tests are administered in the field by ACT, formerly American College Testing, a nonprofit corporation engaged in test development and administration, and in educational and vocational research.
Motorists as well as technicians and their employers benefit from ASE certification. It is a valuable yardstick by which to measure the knowledge and skills of individual technicians as well as the commitment to quality of the repair facility employing them.
ASE-certified professionals usually wear blue and white ASE insignia and carry credentials listing their exact areas of expertise (brakes, engine repair, etc.), while employers often display their technicians' credentials in the customer waiting area and ASE signage on the premises. Shops with a high commitment to ASE's mission are eligible to join ASE's elite Blue Seal of Excellence Recognition Program.
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, ACT, and the ACT Centers are Equal Opportunity Employers.
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