Motorists Benefit from Auto Technician Certification

Perhaps years ago, any shade-tree mechanic would do; after all, cars were simpler, less complex. But with today’s high-tech vehicles the margin for error is less; mistakes can be costlier, so it makes good financial sense to protect your automotive investment through maintenance and service performed by qualified professionals.

An increasingly popular way to distinguish between auto technicians is to look for national certification. The independent, non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was founded in 1972 with the mission of developing a mechanism by which auto technicians could prove their competence through a series of national exams.

ASE’s certification program is both industry-wide and national in scope. There are tests for auto and collision technicians, parts specialists, and service consultants as well as many other industry specialties. The ASE program has attracted technicians from every type of employer.

The program is voluntary, so technicians who have taken the time and expense to earn ASE certification have a strong sense of pride in accomplishment. Further, employers who support their technicians’ efforts to become certified can be counted on to be concerned about the other aspects of their business as well.

How does ASE certification work?

Twice a year at some 700 national locations, thousands of technicians sit for ASE certification exams. Technicians who pass at least one exam and fulfill the work experience requirement earn the title of ASE-certified Automobile Technician, while those who pass a battery of tests become Master Technicians in their given specialty. All ASE technicians are issued personalized credentials listing their exact areas of certification and an appropriate shoulder insignia.

Certification is not for life; technicians must re-certify every five years to keep current with changing technology.

How to Find an ASE-Certified Technician

ASE technicians can be found at every type of repair facility: new car dealerships, independent garages, service stations, tire dealers, specialty shops, and major franchises. About 400,000 ASE technicians are at work nationally.

Repair facilities employing ASE-certified technicians usually display the distinctive blue and white ASE sign on the premises and post their technicians' credentials in the customer service area. Further, establishments with a high percentage of ASE professionals on staff are eligible to participate in ASE’s elite “Blue Seal of Excellence Recognition Program.”

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was founded in 1972 as a non-profit, independent organization dedicated to improving the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians. ASE-certified technicians wear blue and white ASE shoulder insignia and carry credentials listing their exact areas of certification. Their employers often display the blue and white ASE sign. Visit www.ase.com for more information.

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