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Free ASE A9 Exam Prep

ASE A9 — Light Vehicle Diesel Engines Certification

Prepare for the ASE A9 exam without spending hundreds on expensive prep courses. Free study guides, practice questions, flashcards, and related exam resources.

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Your Study Path

ASE ASE Certifications License: Complete Roadmap

Follow this path to organize your licensing and exam preparation

1

Master Fuel and Air/Exhaust SystemsYou are here

Start with the two largest areas: high-pressure common-rail fuel control, injector diagnosis/coding, turbocharging, EGR, and DOC/DPF/SCR aftertreatment.

16
hours
2

Add Lubrication, Cooling, and General Diagnosis

Review oil/coolant cross-contamination, oil pressure and overheating diagnosis, smoke analysis, and systematic no-start strategy.

10
hours
3

Finish Head, Valve Train, and Block

Cover cylinder head warpage/cracks, valve train measurement, torque-to-yield bolts, bore and bearing measurement, and bottom-end noise.

8
hours
4

Run Mixed Timed Sets

Practice mixed Technician A/Technician B and direct items under time to build pacing and diagnostic reasoning across all six areas.

6
hours
Estimated total study time
40 hours
That's about 4 weeks at 10 hours/week

Can You Take the ASE A9 Exam?

Check if you meet the basic eligibility requirements

Age
Education
No formal education requirement; certification requires relevant hands-on work experience
Experience
Two years of relevant automotive work experience for certification; relevant training can substitute for part of the requirement
Additional Requirements
  • Candidates may test before meeting the experience requirement, but certification is awarded only after the experience requirement is documented
  • Tests are delivered by computer at Prometric test centers during ASE registration windows
  • Certification must be recertified periodically per ASE policy

ASE A9 Quick Facts

Time to Get Licensed

3-6 weeks typical preparation

From start to license in hand

Exam Provider

Prometric

In-Person Only
Schedule Your Exam

Retake Policy

Retake timing follows current ASE policy; confirm waiting periods and registration windows on the ASE website before rescheduling.

Total Cost Breakdown

Exam Fee~$59 ASE A9 test fee plus the ASE registration fee
Total Estimated Cost~$59 plus any optional study materials
Why Choose Us

Free ASE A9 Prep Tools

Reported exam pass rate: Not publicly reported by ASE. These figures describe exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep user outcomes. Check the exam sponsor’s website for published statistics.

100 Practice Questions

Covers all six official ASE A9 content areas with detailed answer rationales for every option.

Current 2026 Content

Built around modern light-vehicle diesel technology: common-rail injection, VGT turbos, EGR, and DOC/DPF/SCR aftertreatment.

Free Prep

Full bank with no paywall so you can target weak diesel systems before test day.

Compare:
Kaplan $300+Achievable $200+OpenExamPrep $0

What You'll Study

14 chapters covering the exam topics in this guide

ASE A9-Specific Topics Covered

ASE A9 is a national certification with no state-specific contentOfficial structure is 50 scored multiple-choice items plus about 10 unscored research items (60 total)Testing time is 75 minutes at a Prometric test centerASE uses criterion-referenced scoring set by ASE rather than a fixed percentageCertification requires two years of relevant work experience or an approved training substitutionContent emphasizes modern light-vehicle diesel technology including common-rail injection and DOC/DPF/SCR aftertreatment

ASE A9 Exam Details

ASE A9 — Light Vehicle Diesel Engines Certification

Administered by ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence)

Official Source
Criterion-referenced (set by ASE)
Passing Score
50
Questions
75
Minutes
~$59 (ASE registration)
Exam Fee
Study time: 3-6 weeks
Prerequisites: 2 years relevant work experience (or training substitution) for certification

Exam Content Breakdown

Based on the official ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence) content outline

General Engine Diagnosis~18% (approx. 9 of 50 scored)

No-start and hard-start diagnosis, smoke analysis (black/blue/white), compression and cylinder leakage testing, injector balance/contribution interpretation, knock and oil-consumption diagnosis, and systematic diagnostic strategy.

Cylinder Head & Valve Train Diagnosis & Repair~10% (approx. 5 of 50 scored)

Cylinder head warpage and crack inspection, valve guide and seat condition, valve lash and hydraulic lash adjusters, valve springs and installed height, camshaft wear, torque-to-yield head bolts, and intake-port carbon.

Engine Block Diagnosis & Repair~10% (approx. 5 of 50 scored)

Cylinder bore taper and out-of-round, piston and ring condition, bearing clearance (Plastigage), crankshaft journal and end-play measurement, cylinder honing, piston slap and bottom-end knock, and oil-pressure-related wear.

Lubrication & Cooling Systems Diagnosis & Repair~12% (approx. 6 of 50 scored)

Oil pressure diagnosis, oil/coolant cross-contamination and oil coolers, oil aeration, thermostat and cooling fan faults, overheating diagnosis, low-SAPS oil specification, and coolant combustion-gas testing.

Air Induction & Exhaust Systems Diagnosis & Repair~24% (approx. 12 of 50 scored)

Turbocharging (fixed, wastegate, and variable-geometry), boost and MAF/MAP sensor diagnosis, charge-air leaks and intercoolers, EGR, DOC/DPF/SCR aftertreatment, DEF, regeneration, and exhaust backpressure.

Fuel System Diagnosis & Repair~26% (approx. 13 of 50 scored)

Low-pressure supply and high-pressure common-rail systems, rail-pressure control, injector testing/coding/back-leakage, fuel contamination and water-in-fuel, priming/bleeding, fuel dilution, and high-pressure system safety.

What's Included

14 Chapters

Complete exam coverage

Practice Quizzes

With detailed explanations

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ASE A9 Exam FAQ

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