ACT/ASE Grow Together Throughout 25-Year Working Partnership

“From the get-go, the ACT team has been willing to go to the mat for us. As I reflect back on the past 25 years, much of our success has been due to ACT’s experience in all areas of testing and certification,” said Ronald H. Weiner, ASE president. “In the late 1970s, as the ASE certification program began to expand, we needed a partner who could grow with us—ACT has been that partner.”

Based in Leesburg, Virginia, ASE is a national nonprofit organization designed to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service through testing and certification of repair and service professionals. It is the largest industry-sponsored, voluntary certification program in the world.

Today, about 420,000 professionals hold certifications with ASE. They work in every segment of the automotive service industry: car and truck dealerships, independent garages, fleets, service stations, and franchises. They include 294,000 automobile technicians, 96,000 master automobile technicians, 49,000 advanced engine performance specialist technicians, 45,000 medium/heavy truck technicians, 41,000 parts specialists, and 34,000 collision repair/refinish technicians.

“ASE has been repeatedly cited, both within the U.S. and internationally, as an example of how voluntary certification can improve the skills, image, and status of a profession. This would not have been possible without the ASE/ACT partnership,” said Chuck Kunce, ASE vice president, Assessment and Technical Programs.

The ACT/ASE partnership began July 1, 1981, when ASE signed a two-year contract with ACT for the development and administration of automotive technician certification examinations. ACT’s first administration of the ASE tests was in mid-May 1982. The project began at that time with 16 certification and 16 recertification exams in three series covering a variety of areas associated with automobile, truck, and collision repair. Today, ACT develops and administers 48 certification and 43 recertification exams in 12 series. “This kind of growth is possible only with a successful partnership,” said Kunce.

In 1982, 64,000 people registered for the paper/pencil tests; in 2006, that number had grown to 218,000. Since 2004, nearly 30,000 people have registered for ASE’s computer-based testing (CBT) exams. Since 1982, 4.9 million technicians have registered for the paper/pencil tests.

“People test many times to keep their skills up to date. Some test at every test adminis-tration. Some are ‘world class’ in that they are certified in many areas; they are continuously updating their skills and certification as technology evolves,” said Susan Valentine, vice president, ACT professional development services.

Technology has changed the way the tests are administered and scored. In 2004, ACT began offering some of the more popular tests via computer and some in an English/Spanish bilingual format. In addition, for paper/pencil tests, ACT reduced the time from test night to technicians receiving their test results from two months to three weeks. Today’s test-takers can now even view their results through the ASE website.

“Technology as it relates to testing and certification is a huge issue,” said Weiner. “ACT’s commitment to investigating and implementing appropriate technology has been key to our continued success and growth.”

ACT assists ASE at every stage of the testing process:

• Sets up and handles registration: Telephone, online, and mail.
• Develops tests: Item banking, test design, and test form preparation.
• Manages database: Analysis of data on test results and validity studies, and automatic notification of recertification requirements.
• Developed and maintains a portal: MyASE lets technicians track the tests they’ve taken, obtain their scores, and register for upcoming tests.
• Administers tests: Prints and ships all tests and forms to the test sites and provides instant, computer-based testing scores.
• Handles fulfillment: Sends ASE-certified insignia and certificates to newly certified and recertified professionals.

ACT also helped ASE launch an end-of-program series with the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) in the 1990s. NATEF is an independent, nonprofit organization that evaluates technician-training programs against standards developed by the automotive industry and recommends qualifying programs for certification (accreditation) by ASE. Today, NATEF has evaluated automotive training programs at the secondary and post-secondary levels in all 50 states with more than 2,000 achieving ASE program certification.

Before ASE was established, consumers had no way to reliably distinguish between incompetent and competent automotive technicians. Today, many automotive repair and body shops display the familiar blue seal medallion that bears the words “ASE Certified.” ASE-certified professionals usually wear the blue and white ASE insignia and carry credentials listing their exact areas of expertise.

Here’s how ASE certification works:

• Prospective candidates take one or more of ASE’s exams. The tests are grouped into specialties for automobile, medium/heavy truck, truck equipment, school bus, and collision repair technicians, as well as engine machinists, alternate fuels technicians, parts specialists, service consultants, and collision damage estimators.
• After passing one exam and providing proof of two years of relevant work experience, the test-taker becomes ASE certified. Certification, however, is not for life. To remain certified, which means keeping up with changing technology, those with ASE credentials retest every five years.
• We administer paper/pencil tests twice a year—May and November—at more than 750 locations across the country. (A test site is within 50 miles of most technicians.) Selected tests are offered in a CBT format at 200 sites for two five-week periods each winter and summer. Paper/pencil tests are given at night to accommodate work schedules.

“There is a very short list of testing companies that have the size and depth of capabilities to support a program as complex as ASE,” said Kunce. “Beyond that, on a daily basis, it comes down to the people. We believe we have a close working relationship with the people at ACT who provide the support for this program. And those people clearly have a strong Midwestern work ethic. Their efforts ‘above and beyond’ have made a real difference.”

ACT Marks Anniversaries with Many Long-term Clients

In addition to the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), ACT has provided examination administration services to a variety of long-term clients, including:

33 years:	American Academy of Ophthalmology
30+ years:	American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Foundation
29 years:	Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board
28 years:	Society of Actuaries
27 years:	National Conference of Bar Examiners
23 years:	American Dietetic Association
18 years:	Certifying Board for Dietary Managers
13 years:	American College of Physicians
11 years:	Association of Social Work Boards
10 years:	Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools