A5 is the brakes certification test for car and light-truck technicians. You get 55 questions in 75 minutes, and only 45 of them count. Hydraulics, power assist and parking brakes alone account for 19 of those 45, so that is where the test is won.
55questions on the test
45scored
75 mintesting time
$96one test, one order (Oct 2026)
Try 4 A5 questions
0 of 4 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 4 · Electronic Brake Control Systems: ABS, TCS, and ESC Diagnosis and Repair · 22%Not answered
After performing a four-wheel alignment, a vehicle intermittently applies electronic stability control braking on straight, dry roads. No diagnostic trouble codes are stored. Which action is MOST appropriate?
Explanation
Incorrect: An alignment does not touch the wheel speed sensor gaps, and a gap problem would normally set a sensor DTC.
Correct: An alignment moves where straight ahead sits on the steering wheel; until the steering angle sensor is re-zeroed, ESC compares a false steering input with the real yaw and brakes a wheel to 'correct' it.
Incorrect: A hydraulic bleed fixes air in the brakes; it has nothing to do with ESC deciding to intervene on a straight road.
Incorrect: Replacing the yaw rate sensor is premature: a failed yaw sensor sets a code, and an alignment would not damage it; the steering input is recalibrated first.
Incorrect: Replacing the ESC module is a costly guess when the trigger was an alignment and no code points at the module.
Question 2 of 4 · Electronic Brake Control Systems: ABS, TCS, and ESC Diagnosis and Repair · 22%Not answered
A wheel speed sensor passes a static resistance test at 1.2 k ohms, which is within specification. During a road test, the scan tool displays 0 mph for that wheel while the vehicle is moving. What should the technician do NEXT?
Explanation
Incorrect: Inspecting the tone ring without rotating the wheel shows only a few teeth, so a cracked or missing section is easy to miss.
Incorrect: Measuring DC voltage with the key on applies to active sensors; a sensor that reads about 1,200 ohms is a passive coil type that makes its own AC signal.
Correct: A passive sensor can show correct resistance and still give no usable signal (weak magnet, damaged ring, wide gap); an AC voltage and frequency check while the wheel turns tests the signal the module needs.
Incorrect: Continuity of the wiring alone says nothing about whether the sensor produces a signal, so it cannot finish the diagnosis.
Incorrect: Replacing the wheel speed sensor before checking its output can throw away a good part when the real problem is the tone ring or air gap.
Question 3 of 4 · Hydraulic, Power Assist, and Parking Brake Systems Diagnosis and Repair · 43%Not answered
A technician needs to top off a brake system that is currently filled with DOT 4 fluid. Which of the following fluids shares the same glycol base and can be safely mixed without causing fluid separation or seal damage?
Explanation
Incorrect: LHM is a mineral-oil fluid for specific hydraulic systems, and mineral oil swells the seals used with glycol fluid.
Incorrect: Despite its number, DOT 5 is silicone-based; it does not mix with glycol fluid and separates into layers.
Incorrect: Power steering fluid is a hydraulic oil, not brake fluid, and it contaminates the brake seals.
Incorrect: Automatic transmission fluid is petroleum-based and attacks the rubber seals of a glycol system.
Correct: DOT 5.1 is a glycol-ether fluid like DOT 3 and DOT 4, so it mixes with DOT 4 without separating; only its higher boiling point sets it apart.
Question 4 of 4 · Hydraulic, Power Assist, and Parking Brake Systems Diagnosis and Repair · 43%Not answered
Which statement represents the best practice for determining the correct brake bleeding sequence on a modern ABS-equipped vehicle?
Explanation
Correct: Bleed order depends on the circuit split and the ABS unit, so the only reliable sequence is the one in the manufacturer's service information.
Incorrect: Starting with the wheel closest to the master cylinder reverses the traditional rule and still ignores what the manufacturer specifies.
Incorrect: Beginning with the wheel farthest from the master cylinder is the traditional rule for front/rear split systems, but many diagonal-split and ABS vehicles specify a different order.
Incorrect: Bleeding both front wheels before the rears suits some layouts and not others; no single rule covers every split.
Incorrect: Some procedures do include the ABS unit, but bleeding it first is not a universal rule, and many units have no bleeders at all.
Answer every question to see your score
The test at a glance
Checked Oct 23, 2026 against each source linked in the table. Every rule with its own anchor: A5 exam facts.
Hydraulic, power assist and parking brakes carry 19 scored questions, more than disc and drum brakes put together (11 and 5). Wheel bearings have no area of their own: they sit inside the drum and disc task lists. Each area opens its own page with questions.
Air brakes. They belong to the truck test T4 Brakes, where they are the largest content area. A5 is hydraulic brakes only.
State brake inspection licenses. A state license to inspect or adjust brakes at a licensed station comes from that state, not from this test.
Federal brake inspector. Inspecting commercial-vehicle brakes under 49 CFR 396.25 is a separate qualification.
How the questions are written
The task list words almost every diagnosis task as a symptom: poor stopping, pulling, dragging, pedal pulsation, a high, low, hard or spongy pedal. Expect a complaint first and a part second. The A5 samples in the study guide are direct questions, two-technician “Technician A says… Technician B says…” items and items built on a photo of a measuring set-up; EXCEPT items appear in the samples of other A-tests.
The 10 research questions are mixed in and not marked, so treat every one of the 55 as scored. Symptom-first practice is on brake diagnosis; the full question set is the practice test.
From order to certificate
Buy the test in myASE. The test fee is $62 and the registration fee $34 per order, so A5 on its own is $96 as of Oct 2026. Ordering it with another test saves a registration fee: A5 cost.
Book a seat at a test center. A first attempt at A5 is test center only; remote testing comes later, for recertification. You have 90 days from purchase to test day.
Sit the test. The score report is emailed at once, and ASE publishes no cut score (passing score).
Add the experience. The certificate is issued once 2 years of full-time hands-on work (or the part-time equivalent) is approved; you can test first.
Keep it current. The certificate lasts 5 years. A5 is also one of the 8 tests (A1–A8) required for Master Automobile Technician (Master Technician).
Everything on A5
ASE A5 practice test →Brake questions from all four content areas, every option explained
ASE A5 exam facts →Passing score, format, retakes, experience and recertification, each with its source
ASE A5 cost →A5 alone or paired, the retake bill, A5R vs the Renewal App
ASE A5 study guide →A study order by question count, the 68 tasks by area, what the guide’s samples test
ASE A5 brake diagnosis →Pedal pulsation, sinking, spongy or hard pedal, pull, grab and drag, sorted by system
ASE publishes no passing score for A5, so there is no honest number for how hard it is. What makes it demanding is the split: 19 of 45 scored questions are on hydraulics, power assist and parking brakes, including electronic parking brakes and brake-by-wire simulators. Take the practice test to see your own weak area.
How many questions are on the A5 test?
55 in 75 min: 45 scored and 10 unscored research questions that are not marked. The recertification test is shorter: 23 questions in 30 min.
Does A5 cover air brakes?
No. Air brakes are tested on the medium/heavy truck test T4. A5 covers hydraulic brakes, power assist, parking brakes, drums, discs and ABS, traction and stability control.
Which ASE test is A6?
A6 is Electrical/Electronic Systems. Like A5, it is one of the eight tests for Master Automobile Technician: ASE A6.