The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) will discontinue five of its least-taken certification and recertification exams on Dec. 31, clearing budget and staff bandwidth to develop credentials for advanced vehicle safety and security systems. The nonprofit said exam volumes for truck equipment installation, electronics, auxiliary power, GM parts consulting and exhaust systems no longer justify annual updates and psychometric reviews.
Matt Shepanek, ASE vice president of credential testing programs, urged technicians who still rely on the soon-to-be-retired tests — E1, E2, E3, P4 and X1 — to “act now” if they need initial certifications or renewals by Dec. 31.
"ASE is constantly being asked by industry partners to create new credential tests," Shepanek said. "By retiring some of the lower volume tests, we will be able to free up resources to work on some of these new requests.”
The discontinued tests include:
• E1 Truck Equipment Installation & Repair
• E2 Electrical/Electronic Systems Installation & Repair
• E3 Auxiliary Power Systems Installation & Repair
• P4 General Motors Parts Consultant
• X1 Undercar Specialist Exhaust Systems
"Along with transportation industry leaders, we continuously evaluate the need for new and existing certifications to best serve consumers and industry," said Dave Johnson, ASE president and CEO. "As part of that ongoing review, we are also in the process of updating some automotive series tests and we will be adding new certifications focused on today's advanced vehicle safety and security systems."
