ASE A4 Suspension and Steering practice test: free drill

The ASE A4 Suspension and Steering test is 50 questions (40 scored) in 60 minutes on steering systems, suspension systems, wheel alignment, and wheels and tires. The free drill below is 12 original A4-style questions at the real pace, then the alignment rules, inspection order and traps the A4 tests most.

50
questions, 40 scored: 60 min
on the real test: 3
alignment angles to know: 12
free drill questions

Last checked 22 October 2026 · Test length from ASE's Automobile study guide (2026); rules from standard service practice

Free drill: 12 original ASE-style A4 questions at the real test's pace, then every answer explained. No sign-up.

12
questions
14:24
time limit
Free
every answer explained

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated 22 October 2026 · How we check facts · How this is scored

What is on the ASE A4 Suspension and Steering test?

Steering systems (columns, gears, power steering, linkage, electric steering); suspension systems; wheel alignment diagnosis and adjustment; wheels and tires. The real test is 50 questions (40 scored) in 60 minutes.

The A4 content areas and what the questions ask
Area	What the questions ask
Steering systems	Steering columns, rack-and-pinion and gearbox steering, hydraulic and electric power steering, tie rods and linkage, and their noises and leaks
Suspension systems	Control arms, ball joints, bushings, springs, struts and shocks, stabilizer links, and rear suspension types
Wheel alignment	Camber, caster, toe, thrust angle, steering axis inclination, included angle, setback and toe-out on turns, and what each does to handling and tire wear
Wheels and tires	Tire wear patterns, sizes, balance, runout, rotation, TPMS, and vibration diagnosis

A4 is a diagnosis test as much as an alignment test. Many questions give a complaint (a pull, a wander, a clunk, a shake at 60 mph) and ask which part or angle explains it. The right answer explains every symptom in the question, not only one of them.

Inspect before you align is the rule behind a lot of answers: worn ball joints, tie rods or bushings make an alignment pointless, because the angles will not hold.

Which A4 alignment rules do I need to know?

Three angles and what each does: camber, caster and toe. Then which way a car pulls with each, and which tire wear each causes.

Camber: the tilt of the wheel from vertical. A car drifts toward the side with more positive camber. Too much either way wears one shoulder of the tire.
Caster: the tilt of the steering axis, seen from the side. More positive caster gives stability and return to center. A car drifts toward the side with less positive caster.
Toe: whether the fronts of the tires point in or out. Wrong toe wears tires with a feathered edge and is the biggest tire-wear angle. Total toe is the two sides added.
Thrust angle: the direction the rear axle points. A thrust angle makes the steering wheel off-center when driving straight.
Steering axis inclination and included angle: used to find bent parts. If SAI is out but camber is in, suspect a bent strut or spindle.

Most pull questions are decided by those rules, so say them before you read the options. A pull that changes when the front tires are swapped side to side is a tire problem (radial pull), not an alignment problem.

The formulas our A4 questions use
Rule	How it works
Total toe	Left toe + right toe; a car drifts toward more positive camber and less positive caster

What do ASE A4 questions look like?

Short shop situations with four options: a reading, a measurement against a limit or a symptom to match to its cause. Try it before you open the working below.

ASE-style question 1 · Alignment
Camber reads −0.4° on the left front and +0.5° on the right front. Caster and toe are within specification. Which way will the vehicle tend to drift?
1. ATo the left
2. BTo the right
3. CIt will not drift
4. DIt will wander side to side
Worked answer
B: To the right. A vehicle drifts toward the side with more positive camber. The right side is more positive (+0.5° against −0.4°), a cross-camber of 0.9°, so it drifts right.
1. Find the more positive side: +0.5° on the right.
2. The vehicle drifts toward it.
3. So it drifts to the right.
The trap: Using the caster rule. Caster pulls toward the less positive side; camber pulls toward the more positive side.
ASE-style question 2 · Tires
About how tall is the sidewall of a P225/60R16 tire?
1. A135 mm
2. B60 mm
3. C225 mm
4. D90 mm
Show the worked answer
A: 135 mm. The aspect ratio (60) is the sidewall height as a percentage of the section width (225 mm): 225 × 0.60 = 135 mm.
1. Width: 225 mm.
2. Aspect ratio: 60%.
3. 225 × 0.60 = 135 mm.
The trap: Reading the 60 as millimetres. It is a percentage of the width.

These were written for this page and are not in any mock or drill. More are on ASE practice questions.

More A4 practice

Four A4 drills of 12 and A4 in each of eight full mocks, every answer explained like the ones on this page.

The ASE Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 20 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The ASE Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the ASE Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

8
timed mocks: 20
topic drills: 1
score predictor

How do I answer "Technician A says, Technician B says" questions on the ASE A4 test?

Judge each technician's statement on its own, as true or false, before you look at the four options. Then the answer is mechanical: only A true, only B, both or neither.

Read the situation once and note the symptom or the reading.
Cover B. Is A's statement true for this situation? Write T or F.
Cover A. Is B's statement true? Write T or F.
Pick the option that matches: T and F is "A only", F and T is "B only", T and T is "Both", F and F is "Neither".

The trap is letting one statement colour the other. Two technicians can both be right about different causes, and a statement can be true in general but wrong for the situation in the question. Words like "always", "only" and "proves" usually make a statement false, because diagnosis rarely works that way.

"Neither" is a real answer, not a trick. On our tests the four keys come up about equally often, so do not avoid one because you picked it last time.

ASE-style question 1 · Steering
A vehicle pulls right. Swapping the two front tires side to side makes it pull left. Technician A says the cause is a tire with a radial pull. Technician B says the right front camber should be reset first. Who is right?
1. AA only
2. BB only
3. CBoth A and B
4. DNeither A nor B
Worked answer
A: A only. A pull that moves to the other side when the tires are swapped follows the tire, so the tire is the cause (often a belt shifted inside it). An alignment change would not move with the tire, so B is wrong.
1. The pull changed direction when the tires moved.
2. So the cause travels with the tire.
3. A is right; adjusting camber would not fix it.
The trap: Going straight to alignment. Rule out tires first; it is quicker and cheaper.

Where do people lose points on the ASE A4 test?

On rules they half-remember and on statements that are true in general but wrong for the situation. These are the ones our explanations correct most often.

Mixing up the camber and caster pull rules: more positive camber pulls toward that side; caster pulls toward the less positive side.
Aligning before inspecting. Worn parts must be replaced first.
Blaming alignment for a vibration. A shake that rises with speed is usually balance, runout or a tire.
Treating cupped tires as an alignment fault. Cupping usually means worn shocks or struts.
Setting toe before camber and caster. Toe is set last, because changing camber or caster changes it.

How long is the ASE A4 test, and how is it scored?

The ASE A4 test is 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, 40 of them scored and 10 unscored research questions. ASE publishes no fixed passing percentage; you get pass or fail, with a breakdown by content area.

The real A-series tests, with where each fact comes from
Who gives it	The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), by appointment at Prometric test centersPublished by the ownerASE, "Testing": registration and Prometric test centers
How it is split	One test per system (A1 Engine Repair to A9 Light Vehicle Diesel). Each test is booked, timed and scored on its ownPublished by the ownerASE, "Automobile & Light Truck Certification Tests, A Series: A1-A9"
Questions	40 to 50 scored multiple-choice questions per test, plus 10 unscored research questions you cannot tell apartPublished by the ownerASE, "The Official ASE Study Guide: ASE Automobile Tests" (2026)
Time	60 to 90 minutes per test, depending on the testPublished by the ownerASE, "The Official ASE Study Guide: ASE Automobile Tests" (2026)
Passing score	Not published as a percentage. A panel sets the standard for each test, and you get pass or fail with a breakdown by content areaPublished by the ownerASE, "The Official ASE Study Guide: ASE Automobile Tests" (2026)
Cost	A $34 registration fee plus a fee for each test; 2026 guides quote about $62 per standard test. Check ase.com before you bookSourcedTorquePrep, "ASE Certification Cost 2026: Test Fees & Renewals"
Certification	A pass plus 2 years of hands-on work experience (a two-year automotive degree can count for one). Certifications last 5 yearsSourcedUniversal Technical Institute, "ASE Certification: How To Become ASE Certified"

Our free A4 drill is 12 questions at the real test's pace, and each full mock has 20 A4 questions on the same pace. Because ASE does not publish a percentage, we use 70% as a practice target with a margin, and say so on every result. More on that is in ASE passing score.

Which ASE test should I take after A4?

The one closest to the work you do. Most technicians pair tests by system, and each one below has its own free drill.

ASE A1 Engine Repair
General engine diagnosis; cylinder head and valve train; engine block; lubrication and cooling systems; fuel, electrical, ignition and exhaust checks an engine repair needs
ASE A5 Brakes
Hydraulic system; drum brakes; disc brakes; power assist; parking brakes, wheel bearings and electrical; ABS and electronic brake control
ASE A6 Electrical/Electronic Systems
General electrical diagnosis; battery; starting and charging systems; lighting; gauges and driver information; horn, wiper and accessories; body electronics and networks
ASE A8 Engine Performance
General engine diagnosis; ignition system; fuel, air induction and exhaust; emission control; computerized engine controls and OBD II

Or take the free ASE practice test, which scores all five tests in one sitting, and see the whole path in the ASE certification test guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is there much math on A4?

A little: adding toe readings, cross-camber and cross-caster, and tire sizes. Most questions are diagnosis.

How many questions are on the ASE A4 test?

50: 40 scored and 10 unscored research questions, in 60 minutes.

What score do I need to pass A4?

ASE does not publish a percentage; a panel sets the standard. We use 70% as a practice target.

Is this drill the real ASE test?

No. It is ASE-style practice with original questions. LifeScore is not affiliated with ASE.

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