ASE A5 Brakes practice test: free drill and what to know

The ASE A5 Brakes test is 55 questions (45 scored) in 75 minutes on hydraulic systems, drum brakes, disc brakes, power assist, parking brakes and electrical, and ABS. The free drill below is 12 original A5-style questions at the real pace, then the hydraulic rules, measurements and traps the A5 asks most.

55
questions, 45 scored: 75 min
on the real test: P = F ÷ A
the rule behind hydraulics: 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 A5 questions at the real test's pace, then every answer explained. No sign-up.

12
questions
16:22
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 A5 Brakes test?

Hydraulic system; drum brakes; disc brakes; power assist; parking brakes, wheel bearings and electrical; ABS and electronic brake control. The real test is 55 questions (45 scored) in 75 minutes.

The A5 content areas and what the questions ask
Area	What the questions ask
Hydraulic system	Master cylinders, lines and hoses, valves (metering, proportioning, combination), fluid types, bleeding, and pedal complaints
Drum brakes	Shoes, wheel cylinders, self-adjusters, drum measurement and machining limits
Disc brakes	Calipers, pads, rotor thickness, thickness variation and runout, machining and pad wear indicators
Power assist	Vacuum boosters and their tests, hydraulic and electric assist
Parking brakes, bearings and electrical	Parking brake adjustment and electric parking brakes, wheel bearings, brake lights and warning lamps
ABS and electronic brake control	Wheel speed sensors, modulators, ABS self-tests and codes, traction and stability control

A5 rewards a clear picture of the hydraulic system: pressure is the same everywhere in the closed system, so a bigger piston gives more force, and a leak, air or a bypassing seal each produces a different pedal. Learn which pedal goes with which fault.

Measurements decide many answers: a rotor or drum is machined only if it stays within its limit after the cut. The limit is stamped on the part.

Which A5 rules do I need to know cold?

The hydraulic rule, the pedal faults, the machining limits, and the causes of a pull when braking.

Pressure = force ÷ area, and output force = pressure × area. Pressure is equal throughout the system.
Spongy pedal: air in the system. Pedal slowly sinks with no leak: master cylinder bypassing. Low pedal that pumps up: excessive clearance or poor adjustment. Hard pedal: power assist fault.
Rotors: do not machine below minimum thickness (the "min thk" figure); thickness variation and lateral runout cause pulsation.
Drums: never machine past the maximum machining diameter; replace at or over the discard diameter.
A pull when braking usually means one side is doing less work: a seized caliper, contaminated pads, a restricted hose, or mismatched friction material.
Vacuum booster check: with the engine off, pump the pedal to remove reserve, hold it down and start the engine. The pedal should drop slightly.

Brake fluid questions turn on two facts: DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 are glycol-based and absorb water, and DOT 5 is silicone and must not be mixed with them.

The formulas our A5 questions use
Rule	How it works
Hydraulic pressure	Pressure = force ÷ area; output force = pressure × piston area
Rotor thickness variation	Thickest reading − thinnest reading around the rotor

What do ASE A5 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 · Hydraulics
A master cylinder piston has an area of 0.8 square inch and is pushed with 400 pounds. Each front caliper piston has an area of 4 square inches. What force does each caliper piston apply?
1. A2,000 pounds
2. B500 pounds
3. C1,600 pounds
4. D400 pounds
Worked answer
A: 2,000 pounds. Pressure = force ÷ area = 400 ÷ 0.8 = 500 psi, the same everywhere in the closed system. Caliper force = pressure × area = 500 × 4 = 2,000 pounds.
1. Pressure: 400 ÷ 0.8 = 500 psi.
2. Pressure is equal throughout the system.
3. Force: 500 × 4 = 2,000 pounds.
The trap: Stopping at 500. That is the pressure in psi, not the force at the caliper.
ASE-style question 2 · Disc brakes
A rotor's minimum thickness is 1.024 in. It measures 1.039 in, and machining it true will remove 0.018 in. What should be done?
1. AReplace the rotor; it would be 1.021 in, under the minimum
2. BMachine it; it will be 1.021 in
3. CMachine it; it will be 1.057 in
4. DReuse it; it is above the minimum now
Show the worked answer
A: Replace the rotor; it would be 1.021 in, under the minimum. After machining the rotor would be 1.039 − 0.018 = 1.021 in, which is under the 1.024 in minimum, so it must be replaced. A rotor may only be machined if it stays at or above the minimum after the cut.
1. Thickness after machining: 1.039 − 0.018 = 1.021 in.
2. Compare with the minimum: 1.021 < 1.024.
3. Under the minimum, so replace.
The trap: Checking only today's thickness. The rule is about the thickness after machining.

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

More A5 practice

Four A5 drills of 12 and A5 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 A5 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 · Hydraulics
A brake pedal feels spongy and goes lower than normal, and the fluid level is correct. Technician A says air in the hydraulic system is the likely cause. Technician B says a vacuum booster with no reserve is the likely cause. Who is right?
1. AA only
2. BB only
3. CBoth A and B
4. DNeither A nor B
Worked answer
A: A only. Air compresses, so a spongy, low pedal points to air in the lines or calipers; bleeding fixes it. A booster fault makes the pedal hard, not spongy, so B is wrong.
1. Spongy means something is compressing.
2. Fluid does not compress; air does.
3. A booster fault gives a hard pedal, so only A is right.
The trap: Blaming the booster for any pedal complaint. A booster changes effort, not sponginess.

Where do people lose points on the ASE A5 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.

Machining a rotor that is above minimum now but would be below it after the cut.
Mixing DOT 5 silicone fluid with DOT 3, 4 or 5.1.
Calling a spongy pedal a booster fault. Spongy is air; hard is the booster.
Forgetting that pulsation comes from thickness variation or runout, not from pad wear.
Assuming a pull is always on the side with the problem: a pull is toward the side that brakes harder, so the fault is often on the other side.

How long is the ASE A5 test, and how is it scored?

The ASE A5 test is 55 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes, 45 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 A5 drill is 12 questions at the real test's pace, and each full mock has 20 A5 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 A5?

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 A4 Suspension and Steering
Steering systems (columns, gears, power steering, linkage, electric steering); suspension systems; wheel alignment diagnosis and adjustment; wheels and tires
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 A5 a good first ASE test?

Many technicians take A5 first because brake work is common and the systems are simpler than engine controls.

How many questions are on the ASE A5 test?

55: 45 scored and 10 unscored research questions, in 75 minutes.

What score do I need to pass A5?

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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