Taking ASE Tests in Spanish: What's Offered and How to Study Bilingually

Many of the best technicians in US shops learned the trade in Spanish, or work in both languages every day. They might talk through a diagnosis with a coworker in Spanish and read the service information in English. If that’s you, here’s some good news: ASE has built Spanish support into its Automobile tests and the G1 test.

This post explains what ASE offers, based on its official Spanish and English study guides and its English/Spanish glossary. It also covers how to study so that test day feels natural in either language.

What ASE offers Spanish-speaking technicians

The “Leer en español” button

According to ASE’s study guides, the Automobile series tests (A1–A9) and the G1 Maintenance & Light Repair test include a “Leer en español” button. Clicking it brings up the question and its answer options side by side in Spanish and English.

Key points from the guides:

• No special registration. You don’t sign up for a separate Spanish test. The option is built into the regular test.
• Side by side, not either/or. You see the Spanish and English versions together, so you can check one against the other.
• ASE has more information at ase.com/spanish.

A pop-up Spanish/English glossary

The study guides also say a pop-up Spanish/English glossary is available during the tests. If a technical term trips you up, you can look it up without leaving the question.

Spanish-language study guides

ASE publishes its official study guides in Spanish as well as English, including La Guía Oficial de Estudio ASE for the Automobile tests and a Spanish G1 guide. They contain the same test specifications, task lists and sample questions. The question-count and timing tables are the same in both languages. For example, A1 is listed at 55 questions (45 scored) in 75 minutes in each version.

One gap: official practice tests

ASE’s Spanish study guides note that its official practice tests are available only in English. If you want practice in Spanish, you’ll need to find it somewhere else.

The ASE Glossary of Automotive Terminology

Separately, ASE publishes a Glossary of Automotive Terminology, English/Spanish. ASE describes it as a list of technical terms in both languages, with the Spanish translations meant to help technicians correctly interpret the original English terms.

That purpose matters. The glossary isn’t trying to replace English. It’s meant to help you connect the Spanish you know with the English term on the test and in service information.

Here are a few entries from the glossary that show how it handles shop terms:

Notice that some entries keep the English word in parentheses, such as buje (bushing). Shop Spanish often uses the English term directly, and the glossary reflects that. Where a term has more than one common Spanish version, the glossary often lists both, as it does with llanta (neumático) for tire.

Why studying in both languages helps

You don’t have to pick one language. Since the real test shows Spanish and English side by side, studying the same way builds the skill you’ll use on test day.

1. You learn the English terms the test is built on

Service manuals, TSBs, scan tool menus and wiring diagrams are mostly in English. The glossary itself says the Spanish translations are there to help you interpret the English terms. Knowing voltage drop as well as caída de voltaje means you can read the question, the exhibit and the shop manual without slowing down.

2. You catch translation traps

Technical translation isn’t always one-to-one. A word that is clear in your regional Spanish may be translated differently on the test. Seeing both versions lets you check the English when the Spanish wording seems off, and the other way around.

3. You understand the concept, not just the words

If you can explain why a high-resistance cable causes slow cranking in both languages, you understand it. Moving between languages makes you think about the idea instead of memorizing a sentence.

4. Careful reading matters most on tricky formats

Two-technician questions and EXCEPT questions depend on small words like could, must, only and EXCEPT (EXCEPTO in the Spanish guide). Reading a tricky item in both languages helps you catch what it’s really asking. We cover these formats in how to answer Technician A/B and EXCEPT questions.

A bilingual study routine that works

• Read the question in your stronger language first. Get the scenario clear in your head.
• Then read it in the other language. Note any technical term you didn’t already know in both, and add it to a personal word list.
• Review your word list by system. Group brake terms, electrical terms and HVAC terms. The ASE glossary is a good reference for checking them.
• Take some timed tests mainly in English. Even with side-by-side Spanish available, you want to read the English quickly in case you need to check it against the Spanish.
• Use the task lists in both languages. The Spanish and English study guides list the same tasks, so you can check your understanding of each one.

How GearheadPass supports bilingual study

GearheadPass was built for technicians who work in both languages. Every question in the app is written in English and Spanish, and you can flip any question between the two. That includes the A1–A8 and G1 question banks, exhibit questions, and exam-style timed mocks.

Since ASE’s official practice tests are English-only, a bilingual question bank fills a real gap. Start with free questions on the practice quiz page, browse content areas on the topics page, see the test lineup on the tests page, or download GearheadPass. For question counts, time limits and weights for each test, read how ASE A1–A8 and G1 tests work.

ASE is a registered trademark of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (NIASE). GearheadPass is an independent study app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ASE.