Certified Auto Technicians:
An Edge For Motorists
reprinted Courtesy Of The Car Care Council
Trial and error can be a costly way of finding a competent auto technician,
especially in this age of high-tech, complex vehicles. Happily, some of the guesswork has
been eliminated, thanks to efforts by the non-profit National Institute for Automotive
Service Excellence. ASE tests and certifies automotive technicians in all major technical
areas of repair and service. With approximately 425,000 currently certified technicians,
ASE is the only automotive certification group that is both national in scope and
industry-wide. ASE-certified technicians can be found at every type of repair facility,
from dealerships, service stations, franchises to independent garages.
Certification Benefits Motorists
Prior to taking ASE certification tests, many technicians attend training classes or study
in order to brush up on their knowledge. By passing difficult, national tests,
ASE-certified technicians prove their technical competency to themselves, to their
employers, and to their customers.
ASE certifies the technical
competence of individual technicians, not repair facilities. It stands to reason that
employers and managers who encourage their technicians to become certified will be equally
concerned about the other aspects of their business. Likewise, because ASE’s program
is voluntary, technicians who have gone to the effort to earn ASE certification can be
counted on to take pride in their work.
How Certification Works
About 100,000 technicians sit for ASE certification tests each May and November at over
750 locations. Technicians who pass at least one exam and fulfill the two-year work
experience requirement become ASE-certified.
Those who pass a battery of exams (and fulfill the experience requirement) earn Master
Technician status.
There are specialty exams covering all major areas of repair. There are eight tests for
auto technicians alone: Engine Repair, Engine Performance, Electrical/Electronic Systems,
Brakes, Heating and Air Conditioning, Suspension and Steering, Manual Drive Train and
Axles, and Automatic Transmissions. (There are also exams for collision repair/refinish
technicians, engine machinists, parts specialists, and medium/heavy truck technicians, and
other specialists.)
To make certain that its technicians are qualified to repair tomorrow’s vehicles, ASE
requires technicians to recertify every five years to keep up with technology and to
remain certified. All ASE credentials have expiration dates.
Finding ASE-Certified Technicians
Repair establishments with at least one ASE technician are permitted to display the ASE
sign. Each ASE technician is issued personalized credentials listing his or her exact
area(s) of certification and an appropriate shoulder insignia. Technicians are also issued
wall-sized certificates that employers often post in the customer-service area.
Employers often display the blue and white ASE sign as well.
MARATHON AUTO AIR & ELECTRIC SERVICE
