ASE A8 exam facts, sourced and dated

A8 facts with sources

Format

The test has 60 questions in all: 50 scored questions and 10 unscored research questions, not marked. Answer every question, since you cannot tell which ten are unscored. All are multiple choice. Besides the plain one-best-answer item, the guide’s samples show Technician A / Technician B items and EXCEPT items (question formats).

Language: English with a side-by-side Spanish version and a pop-up glossary.

Time

You have 75 minutes for all 60 questions. Don’t carry over the A6 time: A6 has the same number of questions but 90 min.

Scoring and results

Passing score. Not published: ASE releases neither a cut score nor the questions you missed. A “70%” you see online is not from the test owner.

Results. Score report emailed when you finish the test, and myASE shows results later: within 24 hours in most cases (FAQ); the Need to Know guide says within 5 days.

We found no A8 pass rate in the 2026 guide or on the test pages we checked, so this site doesn’t quote one.

Retakes and scheduling

After a failed attempt you wait 30 full days before you can buy and schedule the same test again. A retake is a new purchase, so you pay the $62 test fee again, plus the $34 registration fee unless that order holds other tests (cost).

Scheduling: 90 days from purchase to schedule and take the test; no changes within 3 days of the appointment; untaken, unexpired tests canceled within 90 days of purchase are refunded. Registration windows: 2026: Jan 10–Mar 31 · Apr 10–Jun 30 · Jul 10–Sep 30 · Oct 10–Dec 31.

Recertification

A8 is valid for 5 years, then a recertification test; a recertification resets the expiry to five years from the recert date. The A8 recertification test has 25 questions, 45 minutes, with no research questions; open only to those who passed the certification test once.

Ways to recertify: test center, remote proctoring (Prometric ProProctor) or the ASE Renewal App. The app route: $52 a year covers all your A1–A9 certifications; 8 correct answers in an area add 1 year; one question per certification every 30 days; an expired credential is reactivated for at least 18 months. More on keeping several certifications current: recertification.

Work experience

Certification needs 2 years of full-time hands-on work (or the part-time equivalent), but you can test first; the certificate waits until the experience is approved.

Substitutes: An ASE-accredited program counts as 1 year, an OEM co-op program up to 2 years, 3+ ASE entry-level tests as 1 year, other training up to 1 year; substitutes cannot be combined.

Where to take it

Delivery: first attempt at a Prometric test center only; remote testing is for recertification. Offered in: United States, U.S. territories and Canada; some overseas military bases. You book the seat with Prometric after you buy the test, inside the scheduling window above.

What changed for 2026

Unchanged. No change from the 2025 guide: same 50 scored questions, areas and task list. We compared the 2025 and 2026 guides line by line. Some A tests did change (A1: 50 → 45 scored), so check the year on any A1 material; A8 material written to the 2025 guide still matches.

More on A8

• ASE A8 →Format, the five content areas, fees and every A8 page on this site
• ASE A8 practice test →Questions from all five A8 content areas, every option explained
• ASE A8 cost →One attempt, retakes, recertification and the smog-license budget
• ASE A8 smog license →California’s A6 + A8 + L1 route to a Smog Check license, fees and renewal
• ASE A8 study guide →A scan-data-first study plan built on the 2026 A8 task list