Upgrading your credentials

Motor,  Mar 2003  by Layne, Ken

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MASTERING THE BASICS

It's a basic fact of the auto repair industry that so-called consumer activists periodically go witch hunting against our profession. While hundreds of thousands of professional technicians keep the nation's vehicles running smoothly, the muckrakers sensationalize the few who engage in less than honorable or competent business practices.

It was in such an atmosphere of accusation in the early 1970s that a group of automotive companies and individuals decided to take a proactive step to raise the stature of professional technicians, in the eyes of both consumers and the automotive industry.

ASE Is Everywhere

Incorporated on June 12, 1972, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was established as a nonprofit organization to improve the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians and parts specialists. Today, there are more than 420,000 ASE-certified professionals who work in dealerships, independent shops, service stations, collision repair shops, auto parts stores, fleets, machine shops, schools and colleges throughout the country.

In the past 30 years, ASE has become the overwhelming common denominator of automotive service certification. First and foremost, ASE certifies the knowledge and skill of professional technicians. Then, through the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), ASE certifies the school programs that train tomorrow's technicians. NATEF also evaluates the providers of in-service technician training materials under a program called Continuing Automotive Service Education (CASE). Additionally, ASE recognizes the repair shops and other facilities that employ certified personnel through the Blue Seal of Excellence Recognition Program. Finally, ASE has expanded its certification activities internationally with testing programs in Canada, Mexico and Brazil.

Contact ASE

If you're a technician or shop owner, you may already hold one or more ASE certifications. Maybe you're just starting in the profession and planning to take your first tests. Or, you may be planning to add to your certificates or take recertification tests. In any case, you're probably thinking about the upcoming spring 2003 test session.

ASE gives its tests twice a year, in May and November, with registration closing at the end of March and the end of September, respectively. Registration for this spring's tests closes March 28. ASE can provide the pertinent information about all the tests, registration fees and how to register. Contact them at 101 Blue Seal Dr. S.E., Suite 101, Leesburg, VA 20175. Their toll-free phone number is 877-- 273-8324 (ASE-TECH)-press Option 7; the number for customer service is 703-669-6600. Or, you may find it easier to visit the ASE website, www.ase.com. ASE even offers phone registration for its tests at 877-- 564-8661.

Full details on registration procedures and policies are in the Spring 2003 Test Registration Booklet. ASE registration booklets and catalogs of tests, with sample questions, test specifications, task lists and references to study materials, can be requested by mail or viewed and downloaded at no charge from the ASE website.

Test Prop

If you're planning to take any ASE tests, now or in the future, the most helpful thing we can do here is offer some basic advice and hints on preparing for the test questions. First, as ASE advises, get the catalog for the test series that you want to take. Separate catalogs exist for automotive tests, heavy truck tests, collision repair tests and so on. There's a separate section in each catalog for individual tests.

Each test section begins with the test specifications, which describe the content and task list for that test. The content area lists the main categories covered on the test and the number of questions and percentage of the test devoted to each topic. The task list describes the work activities a technician should be able to do in each area covered on that test. This list was developed by working techs and experts from across the country, and will provide a valuable checklist for your test preparation.

The task lists may seem overwhelming when you first look at them, but you'll see a lot of repetition-"inspect, test and diagnose" over and over for every component in a system. It's ASE's way of being thorough, but don't get put off by the minutiae. Focus on the fundamental tasks.

Also, notice the growing emphasis on diagnosis rather than repair. This direction in ASE test emphasis simply reflects the long-term trends in the service industry. In 1977, for example, just 10% of the electrical system test (A6) covered general diagnosis. Today, general diagnosis is almost 30% of the same test. Keep this important fact in mind as you study for the tests.

To maximize your test preparation, ASE suggests the following steps:

1. Study the content areas for each test.

2. Read the task list for each content area.

3. Study the sample questions to become familiar with each question type.