How many questions is the ASE A1 test, and how long do I get?

ASE's official study guide lists A1 as 55 total questions with 45 scored in 75 minutes. The other 10 are unscored research questions that ASE uses to build future tests, and you are not told which ones they are — so answer every question.

How current is the ASE A1 cheat sheet?

It is built from ASE's current Automobile Study Guide test specifications and task list for Test A1, including the published per-area question counts. ASE revises task lists periodically, so confirm the live specification at ase.com before test day.

Can I pass the ASE A1 with the cheat sheet alone?

No — the sheet is a cram and review layer, not a full course. ASE also requires two years of relevant hands-on work experience (or one year plus a qualifying two-year degree) for certification, so use the sheet to lock in facts, then work full domain-weighted practice tests to find and fix weak areas.

What does the ASE A1 test cost?

ASE charges a $34 registration fee per order plus $62 for a general certification test such as A1 (advanced L-series tests are $124). A retake is a new test purchase, so verify current pricing on ASE's Dates, Fees & Test Times page before you register.

Which A1 area should I study hardest?

General Engine Diagnosis — it is 18 of the 45 scored questions, about 40% of the test and by far the largest area. Fuel, Electrical, Ignition, Air Induction & Exhaust is next at 9 questions, then Lubrication & Cooling at 8.

How do I get the ASE A1 cheat sheet?

Click the download button or the preview card at the top of this page to open the PDF instantly. Bookmark the page so you can pull it up again the morning of your test appointment.

Free ASE A1 Cheat Sheet 2026 — Downloadable PDF

Q: What's on the ASE A1 cheat sheet?

It condenses the highest-yield Engine Repair facts into a fast reference: the compression / leak-down / cylinder-balance test trio, the wet-versus-dry compression split, smoke-color diagnosis, valve lash and torque-to-yield rules, oil-pressure and cooling-system causes, stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, and all five ASE content areas with their exact question counts.

This ASE A1 cheat sheet compresses the ASE Engine Repair certification test into a printable rundown of the diagnostic facts ASE tests most. It's a premium cheat sheet built by Capital Prep — the one premium prep we trust — and it's yours free. Reinforce it with the rest of your free ASE A1 toolkit: the practice test, study guide, and flashcards.

ASE A1 exam at a glance

Questions: 55 total (45 scored + 10 unscored research questions)
Time: 75 minutes
Result: Pass/Fail, with a per-content-area performance breakdown
Cost: $34 registration per order + $62 per general test (verify at ase.com)
Experience: 2 years of relevant hands-on work experience, or 1 year plus a qualifying two-year degree

What’s on the ASE A1 cheat sheet

General Engine Diagnosis (18 of 45 — 40%) — the diagnostic method, the compression / leak-down / cylinder-balance trio, wet-vs-dry compression, smoke-color and engine-noise diagnosis, and excessive oil or coolant consumption.
Fuel, Electrical, Ignition, Air Induction & Exhaust (9 of 45 — 20%) — stoichiometric 14.7:1 air-fuel ratio, rich-versus-lean causes, upstream and downstream O2 sensor roles, spark-plug reading, and voltage-drop testing.
Lubrication & Cooling Systems (8 of 45 — 18%) — low and high oil-pressure causes, multigrade viscosity and the 'W' rating, coolant mix freeze and boil points, radiator-cap pressure, and thermostat failure modes.
Cylinder Head & Valve Train (6 of 45 — 13%) — head warp checks, head-gasket failure signatures, crisscross torque sequence, torque-to-yield bolts, valve face and seat angles, and valve lash effects.
Engine Block Diagnosis & Repair (4 of 45 — 9%) — cylinder taper and out-of-round, reboring and oversize pistons, ridge reaming, bearing oil clearance, Plastigage technique, and piston ring end gap.

Highest-yield facts on the sheet

The wet-versus-dry compression split is the most-reversed fact on the test: if the reading RISES when oil is added the rings are worn; if it STAYS low the valves or head gasket are at fault.
Each cylinder test answers a different question — compression proves THAT a cylinder is low, leak-down shows WHERE the air is escaping, and cylinder balance shows which cylinder is not contributing.
Smoke color names the leak: white is coolant, blue is oil, black is a rich fuel mixture — and blue only at startup points to valve stem seals rather than rings.
Valve lash cuts both ways — too tight holds the valve open and burns it, too loose ticks and accelerates wear ('tight burns, loose talks').
A thermostat stuck CLOSED overheats the engine and one stuck OPEN runs it cold; students reverse these constantly, and removing the thermostat entirely does not fix overheating.
Torque-to-yield head bolts are stretched by design and must never be reused, and head bolts are torqued crisscross from the center out in progressive stages.

How to use it in your final week

Front-load General Engine Diagnosis — at 18 of 45 scored questions it is roughly 40% of the test on its own, so if you master one section from the sheet, make it this one.
Drill the three cylinder tests until you can say what each one answers: compression proves THAT a cylinder is low, leak-down shows WHERE the air escapes, and cylinder balance shows which cylinder is not contributing.
Memorize the wet-versus-dry compression split cold — if the reading RISES when you add oil the rings are worn, and if it STAYS low the problem is valves or the head gasket. This is the single most commonly reversed fact on the test.
Read the sheet the morning of your appointment for a last pass on the memory hooks — smoke colors (white = coolant, blue = oil, black = rich), 'tight burns, loose talks' for valve lash, and the thermostat rule that stuck CLOSED overheats.

The cheat sheet is your review layer — your ASE A1 practice test drives the exam-readiness ring at the top of this page. Download it, review, then take a full practice exam (or drill with the study guide and flashcards) to see where you stand.

ASE A1 cheat sheet FAQ

Yes — the ASE A1 cheat sheet downloads as a PDF at no cost and with no sign-up. It sits alongside Career Employer's free ASE A1 practice test, study guide, and flashcards, so your whole Engine Repair prep is free in one place.

References

1.National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). “The Official ASE Study Guide — ASE Automobile Tests (A1–A9), Test Specifications and Task List.” ase.com, 2026. ↑
2.National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). “Automobile & Light Truck Certification Tests, A Series: A1–A9.” ase.com, 2026. ↑
3.National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). “Dates, Fees & Test Times.” ase.com, 2026. ↑
4.National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). “Work Experience Requirements for ASE Certification.” ase.com, 2026. ↑

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Your Free ASE A1 Cheat Sheet 2026 — Downloadable PDF