ASE Training Plan Using ASE Test Prep
1) Choose the exact ASE test first
Start by selecting the specific exam you are taking, such as A1 through A8, and commit to studying only that test area until you are ready. We specifically recommends picking the exact ASE test and setting the goal so your study stays focused instead of bouncing between unrelated topics.
2) Begin with Key Terminology
The first training step should be Key Terminology. This gives you the language used throughout the ASE Study Guide and helps you interpret what questions are really asking. Mastering the terms helps you read faster and interpret questions more accurately. For the average technician, this is the foundation because many missed ASE questions come from misunderstanding wording, not necessarily lacking hands-on experience.
How to use it
- Review terminology for the chosen ASE area before doing any serious testing.
- Make note of terms that are unfamiliar, commonly confused, or easy to mix up.
- Revisit terminology throughout the training cycle whenever a missed question points to a vocabulary gap.
3) Move into System and Process Animated Videos
After terminology, use the System and Process Animated Videos. These visual learning tools make complex systems easier to understand and remember. This step should come before quizzes and tests because it helps you see the “why” behind system operation before being asked to answer questions about it.
How to use them
- Watch videos for one system or content area at a time.
- Focus on normal operation, component roles, cause-and-effect, and failure patterns.
- After each video, summarize the system in plain language: what it does, what inputs it needs, what outputs it creates, and what happens when it fails.
4) Follow with Animated Schematic Videos
Once you understand system operation, the next step is Animated Schematic Videos. These help technicians connect circuits, diagnostics, and system behavior more intuitively. That makes them the ideal bridge between conceptual understanding and test-taking.
Why this comes after system videos
A technician should first understand what the system is trying to do, then learn how that system is represented electrically or logically in a schematic. This sequence is especially important for A6, A7, A8, and any test area involving inputs, outputs, circuit paths, and fault tracing.
How to use them
- Watch schematic animations for the same topic you just studied in system videos.
- Trace power, ground, signal flow, switches, modules, and loads.
- Practice explaining what a failure in each part of the circuit would do to system operation.
5) Use 10-Question Quizzes next
Only after the technician has the language and system understanding should they move into the 10-Question Quizzes. These are quick, targeted quizzes by ASE content area that are ideal for daily skill checks and tightening weak areas fast.
Purpose of this phase
This is the first true knowledge check, but in a manageable format. It lets you test one topic at a time without the fatigue of a full exam.
How to use them
- Take quizzes by content area, not randomly.
- Use quiz performance to identify weak topics.
- After every weak quiz result, go back to Key Terminology and the related videos before retaking that topic.
6) Advance to Untimed Tests
After short-topic quizzes, move to Untimed Tests. We also refer to Untimed Tests as “Study Prep” mode that supports deeper learning with answer explanations, including why wrong choices are wrong. We explicitly recommends starting with untimed quizzes and tests to learn the material and build accuracy without pressure.
Why untimed comes before timed
This is where you learns how ASE asks questions, how distractors work, and where their reasoning breaks down. For most techs, this is the most important learning phase.
How to use them
- Take full untimed practice tests only after completing terminology, videos, and quizzes for core topics.
- Read every explanation, even for correct answers.
- Track patterns in missed questions:
- terminology issue
- system-operation misunderstanding
- schematic/diagnostic logic issue
- careless reading
- Return to the earlier resources based on the type of miss.
7) Finish with Timed Tests
The last phase is Timed Tests, which we refer to as “Final Prep.” Timed mode simulates real ASE pace, roughly about one minute per question, and helps technicians train speed and familiarity so test day feels normal.
Goal of this phase
This is no longer about initial learning. It is about readiness, pace, confidence, and endurance.
How to use them
- Begin timed tests only after untimed scores show solid understanding.
- Simulate real testing conditions: no interruptions, no notes, no pausing.
- Review misses afterward and go back only to the exact weak content areas.
- Repeat until results are consistent, not just occasional.
Best logical resource order
For the average mechanic or technician, the most effective order is:
1. Key Terminology
2. System and Process Animated Videos
3. Animated Schematic Videos
4. 10-Question Quizzes
5. Untimed Tests
6. Timed Tests
That sequence matches the natural progression from understanding words, to understanding systems, to understanding diagnostic relationships, to checking knowledge in small chunks, to building test skill in full-length study mode, and finally to exam simulation. It also aligns with ASE Test Prep’s own emphasis on terminology, visual learning, focused content-area practice, untimed learning, and timed final preparation.