• A-1 Engine Repair
  • Questions 1-10
  • Questions 11-20
  • Questions 21-30
• A-2 Automatic Transmissions
  • Questions 1-10
  • Questions 11-20
• A-3 Manual Drive Trains and Axles
  • Questions 1-10
  • Questions 11-20
• A-4 Steering and Suspension
  • Questions 1-10
  • Questions 11-20
  • Questions 21-30
• A-5 Brakes
  • Questions 1-10
  • Questions 11-20
  • Questions 21-30
• A-6 Electrical / Electronic Systems
  • Questions 1-10
  • Questions 11-20
• A-7 Heating and Air Conditioning
  • Questions 1-10
  • Questions 11-20
• A-8 Engine Performance
  • Questions 1-10
  • Questions 11-20

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Effective Study Tips

Start Early

It pays off to start your preparations early. This is important and helps from being over burdened as test day approaches. Remember a slow but steady study routine wins the race. Way too many people fail these exams. Unfortunately there are many reasons and the most prevalent is "I didn't have time to study". It's not good to cram in fact you will probably lose your span of attention after 45 minutes or so anyway. Have you ever read something and then said to yourself, "What did I just read?". You may have just drifted away, a symptom of studying too long. If you have to cram stick with a half hour to forty-five minutes and then take a ten or fifteen minute break. Don't take on more than you can handle.

Use Index Cards

Use flash cards to help when studying for any exam. They are especially useful when cramming for an upcoming test. A flash card is nothing more than a 3" by 5" index card you can buy at any drug or convenience store. They usually come in blocks of 50 or 100. Fill out the front or lined part with a question that you found difficult or answered incorrectly and fill out the back with the answer. Keep 5 or 6 of these cards in your car or in your pocket and use them when your caught in traffic, in line at the grocery store, the parts window, or anytime you find yourself waiting. The idea is to use them on down or idle time through out the day to study so you may enjoy more of your quality time at night. Plus you are much more likely to remember something if you write it down, the repetition helps to reinforce your memory.

Use the Internet

Use workbooks and the Internet to research anything that doesn't seem clear or if you have any misunderstandings. If you come by a word or theory you don't understand, don't just go by it. When you understand that term everything that follows will be clear as well. Use the Internet as both an automotive encyclopedia and dictionary in one. If you type a broad term in the search pane of a search engine you may be overwhelmed with information. In fact it's best to narrow your keyword search term by adding an extra word. Here's an example: A broad search for the word "crank sensor" will bring up extra and unneeded information while a narrow search for "hall-effect crank sensor" will bring up more relevant information. The Internet is free and an absolute gold mine of information right at your fingertips. When in doubt do a search. It's easy.

Start With a Question

The best place to begin is with a question. Simply find a question in one of the preparation books that you felt unsure of or just plain got wrong. Purchasing a book from Delmar Thomson or Motor Age is an excellent start. If you are near a computer with the Internet do a Google or Yahoo keyword search and clear up your confusion. Use the index cards you filled out earlier during down time to reinforce your memory. Put the question on one side and the actual answer on the other. Be sure to omit the wrong choices presented by the preparation books answers section. Keep things simple.

In Summary

It's important to start early enough, use the Internet, and index cards. While some technicians can take all of these tests at once, they are few and far in between. It often makes sense to take them in pairs. For Example: Engine Repair and Engine Performance or Manual Drive Train and Axles and Automatic Trans/Transaxle. Sometimes you will see the same type of questions on both tests. It's up to you, the test taker to make these decisions as only you know what you can handle at this time. If this is your first test you should check out the testing format section in the left navigation bar. These tests have a different format than most and if not read carefully its easy to make a mistake. I strongly recommend that you use the methods outlined in this section to greatly improve the odds of you passing your A.S.E. test the first time - every time.