ASE Prep Lab

ASE A6 Electrical/Electronic Systems — Free Course & Practice Test

The complete ASE A6 course, free on YouTube: 34 video lessons built from ASE's published A6 task list, with a printable workbook for every module. The ASE A6 exam itself is 60 questions (50 scored + 10 unscored) in 90 minutes.

Electrical diagnosis, starting, charging, lighting, and body electrical — the complete A6.

Course modules — watch free on YouTube

Printable workbooks (Etsy)

Prefer to study on paper? Each module has a printable follow-along workbook with worksheets and practice questions drawn from the same 300-question bank as the video course.

ASE A6 practice test — sample questions

Seven questions from the ASE A6 question bank, spread across the modules. Pick your answer, then open the reveal to check it and read the explanation.

Sample question 1 (QA-20, Module 1)

A voltmeter across a closed switch in an operating circuit reads 0.02 V; across the load it reads 12.1 V; battery voltage is 12.6 V. These readings indicate:

  1. The switch is essentially resistance-free and the circuit is healthy, with the small remaining drop spread across wiring and connections
  2. The switch is open
  3. The load is shorted
  4. The battery is defective
Show answer

Answer: A. Drops around a series circuit sum to source voltage; near-zero drop across the closed switch means it is passing current cleanly, and the load receives nearly all of the available voltage. Distractors: B — an open switch would show full source voltage across it. C — a shorted load would show near-zero volts and blown protection. D is unsupported by a 12.6 V static reading. Source: Task A3.

Sample question 2 (QA-59, Module 1)

A vehicle kills its battery overnight. With the key off and all modules given time to power down, the measured parasitic draw is 720 mA. The correct conclusion is:

  1. This is normal for a modern vehicle
  2. The battery must be replaced before any further testing
  3. The draw will stop once the battery is fully charged
  4. The draw is far above the typical manufacturer allowance (commonly on the order of 50 mA or less — always confirm the vehicle specification), so a circuit is staying powered or a module is not sleeping and must be isolated
Show answer

Answer: D. Three-quarters of an amp overnight will discharge any healthy battery; a draw of this size means something is awake that should be asleep. Distractors: A misstates normal key-off draw by more than tenfold. B condemns the victim, not the cause. C — charging does not switch off a stuck load. Source: Task A9.

Sample question 3 (QB-14, Module 2)

Technician A says an open-circuit voltage reading of 12.6 V proves a battery is good and needs no further testing. Technician B says open-circuit voltage shows state of charge only; a battery at full charge can still lack capacity, which requires a load or conductance test to judge. Who is right?

  1. A only
  2. B only
  3. Both A and B
  4. Neither A nor B
Show answer

Answer: B. A charged battery can still be a failed battery — voltage is the fuel gauge, not the engine. Capacity under load is the true verdict. Distractors: A-only and Both credit the most common battery-testing mistake in the trade. Neither denies B's correct distinction. Source: Tasks B3/B4.

Sample question 4 (QB-41, Module 2)

A fully charged battery and verified-good cables supply a starter that cranks the engine slowly while drawing current well above the manufacturer's specification. The MOST likely cause is:

  1. A high-resistance battery cable
  2. An open solenoid winding
  3. A dragging/worn starter motor (worn bearings, shorted armature windings) or excessive engine mechanical drag — current is high because the motor is working against abnormal resistance to rotation
  4. A weak ignition switch
Show answer

Answer: C. With supply proven good, excessive draw and slow cranking mean the load itself is at fault — the motor is laboring, electrically or mechanically. Distractors: A would limit current (and was verified good). B would stop operation entirely. D is in the control circuit, which does not set main-circuit current. Source: Task B10.

Sample question 5 (QC-16, Module 3)

An AC voltage (ripple) measurement at the battery with the engine running shows excessive AC content, and a scope shows one phase's humps missing from the ripple pattern. This confirms:

  1. A healthy alternator
  2. A rectifier diode (or stator) fault — the three-phase output is no longer being fully rectified into smooth DC
  3. A bad battery cable only
  4. Normal operation at high rpm
Show answer

Answer: B. Ripple is the alternator's fingerprint: uniform small ripple is normal; a missing or distorted hump pattern is a diode/stator confession. Distractors: A and D dismiss a defined fault signature. C — cables drop DC voltage under load; they do not reshape alternator ripple. Source: Task C4.

Sample question 6 (QD-19, Module 4)

The right turn signals flash at double speed while the left side flashes normally. The MOST likely cause is:

  1. A failed flasher unit
  2. A burned-out bulb (or open circuit) on the right side — the reduced load is the classic fast-flash bulb-out indication
  3. Low system voltage
  4. A shorted hazard switch
Show answer

Answer: B. Flash rate follows load: one side's missing bulb halves that side's current, and the flasher (thermal or module-logic) answers with hyperflash on that side only. Distractors: A would affect both sides. C slows or destabilizes flashing system-wide. D takes out hazard and turn functions together, not one side's rate. Source: Task D4.

Sample question 7 (QE-52, Module 5)

A heated seat comes on, gets far hotter than it should, then shuts off and will not restart until the vehicle is cycled off and on. The MOST likely fault is:

  1. The seat element is open
  2. The seat switch is stuck
  3. The seat temperature sensor (thermistor) is reading falsely low, so the module keeps driving the element until over-temperature protection shuts the system down
  4. The battery is overcharged
Show answer

Answer: C. Closed-loop heat needs honest feedback; a thermistor lying about temperature makes the module cook the seat and trip its own safety. Distractors: A produces no heat at all. B would show as a switch input fault and typically one behavior, not overheat-then-lockout. D doesn't target one seat's regulation. Source: Task E5.

All 300 questions for ASE A6 — with full answer keys — are in the printable workbooks above, and every one is worked through in the free video lessons.