A non-profit called the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence issues ASE certification to only the best and brightest. Our MANN CHEVROLET-BUICK-GMC service department boasts many techs with ASE certification, and we're immensely proud of them for it. Here's why.
What it Takes to Be Certified
To obtain certification, an auto mechanic must sit for a long, rigorous, multi-part test that covers the maintenance, repair and optimal replacement of:
- Manual drive train/axles
- Automatic transmission/transaxle
- Brakes
- Engine performance and repair
- Electrical systems
- Steering
- Suspension
- Air conditioning/heating
Only two-thirds of mechanics pass the certification exam on the first try. That's how hard it is. The exam is merely the culmination of several key prerequisites, some of them discussed below.
Requirements to Sit for the ASE Certification Exam
Before an auto mechanic is even allowed to take the ASE certification exam, they must possess one of the following:
- Successful graduation from an automotive repair apprenticeship
- Two years of on-the-job training
- A two-year degree in automotive repair in addition to one year of on-the-job training
Beyond the main certification exam to become a Repair Technician, every few years, an auto mechanic becomes eligible to sit for more specialized certification exams: Collision Damage Estimator, Parts Specialist and Service Consultant, for example. Mechanics must re-certify via exam every five years.
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