Short answer
A good automotive technician test checks 4 things: current certifications, the basics (a short written test), real work (about an hour in the bay), and how the tech thinks through a problem (a diagnostic talk-through). Before any of that, run a quick fit check online. A skills test won't tell you if they'll stick around.
Give everyone applying for the same job the same test, and score it the same way. And keep the shop visit to about two hours. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects about 66,200 openings a year for automotive service technicians and mechanics from 2025 to 2035. Good techs have options, and they won't give you a whole day.
Every tech's resume says "diagnostics." That doesn't tell you whether they can track down an intermittent misfire or catch a seized caliper slide. Watching them work will.
What should an automotive technician test include?
Test what the job actually needs. For most shops that's the right certifications, the basics, hands-on work and how the tech thinks when something doesn't add up. The fit check happens before they ever walk in.
| Part | Time | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Certification check | 5 minutes | ASE certifications are current, state certification where your state requires it, and the EPA Section 609 card if they'll touch A/C |
| 2. Fit check | Online, before the visit | Whether their work style fits your shop, so they stay |
| 3. Written test | 15 to 20 minutes | Basic knowledge of brakes, electrical, engine and safety |
| 4. Hands-on bay test | 45 to 60 minutes | Tool use, safe lifting, clean work and speed |
| 5. Diagnostic talk-through | 15 minutes | How they think when the answer isn't obvious |
Research backs this up. In a 2022 review of hiring research by Sackett and others in the Journal of Applied Psychology, job knowledge tests and work sample tests were among the 5 strongest predictors of job performance, with validities of .40 and .33. Structured interviews came out on top at .42. SIOP explains the findings in plain language. In shop terms: a short knowledge test, a real job in the bay and the same interview questions for everyone will tell you a lot more than a friendly chat by the toolbox.
Step 1: Check certifications first
Before you book any bay time, ask for the candidate's ASE certificates and look at the dates. ASE says its certification credentials are valid for five years, and the expiration dates are on the certificates or in the tech's myASE account.
ASE isn't a legal requirement for most repair work, so don't toss a good tech just because they don't have it. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says employers may require or prefer certification, and some pay for their techs to earn it. Decide up front whether ASE is a must-have or a nice-to-have for each job, and say so in the ad.
Your state may have its own rules, so check. In Michigan, for example, the Department of State says anyone who repairs motor vehicles for pay in a category of major repair must be state certified as a mechanic, or hold a mechanic trainee permit for that category.
A/C work has a hard rule. Under the EPA's Section 609 rule, anyone who repairs or services a motor vehicle air conditioning system for payment must be trained and certified by an EPA-approved program. If the job touches A/C, ask to see the card.
Step 2: Check whether they will stay, before they come in
Plenty of techs ace the bay test and are gone by spring. A skills test can't tell you whether someone will keep showing up, follow your process, or walk for a dollar more an hour down the street.
So send a short online work style check before you book bay time. A validated personality assessment shows how someone is likely to work. Do they follow a process? Stay calm when the board is full on a Monday? Finish what they start? Our post on why personality predicts success covers what it can and can't tell you.
Then, in the interview, ask two questions every time: "Why did you leave your last shop?" and "What would make you stay here for five years?" The answers usually come back to the pay plan, tools, training or the service manager. Write them down. If you're losing techs after you hire them, our guide to cutting dealership turnover has a section on why auto mechanics quit.
Want to know which techs are likely to stay before you spend an hour in the bay with them? See how pre-hire assessments work.
Step 3: A short written test, with sample automotive technician test questions
Keep it short: 15 to 20 questions in 15 to 20 minutes, on the systems your shop sees most. It's there to weed out people who don't know the basics. It doesn't replace the bay.
Write questions about the work you actually do. A few sample automotive technician test questions to start from:
- Brakes: "The brake pedal slowly sinks to the floor at a stoplight, and there's no visible leak. What's the likely cause?"
- Electrical: "What does a voltage drop test across a ground circuit tell you that a resistance check doesn't?"
- Engine: "Code P0300 with no misfire on the scan data at idle. What do you check next?"
- Safety: "Where do you set the lift arms on a unibody car, and how do you check them before you raise it?"
- Shop work: "What goes on the repair order before you start, and what goes on it when you finish?"
Everyone applying for that job gets the same questions and the same answer key. Update them when your work changes, not between candidates.
Step 4: A hands-on bay test (45 to 60 minutes)
This is the part that matters most. Give the candidate a shop car with faults you planted (so you know the answers), a short list of tasks, and a clock. Don't use a customer's car. You don't want a comeback on a paying job, and every candidate should face the same car.
Pick 2 or 3 tasks that fit in the hour, and score each one the same way:
| Task | What a good tech does | Score (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Safe lift and inspection | Sets the arms on the right lift points, checks before raising, does a complete multi-point inspection | |
| Brake inspection and quote | Measures pads and rotors against spec, checks slides and hardware, and writes what the car needs and why | |
| Find the planted fault | Uses the scan tool and a meter, follows a plan, finds the cause instead of throwing parts at it | |
| Write it up | Clear notes a service advisor could explain to the customer | |
| Work habits | Clean bay, fender covers, puts tools back |
Have your lead tech watch and score, and get the scores on paper before anyone talks about the candidate. Ask the candidate to talk you through what they're doing as they go. Honestly, you'll learn as much from that as from the finished work.
Step 5: A diagnostic talk-through
End with a problem that doesn't have one right answer, and ask the tech to walk you through it. This is where you see how they work when the scan tool doesn't hand them the answer.
Try something like this: "A 2019 SUV comes in with the battery light on and an intermittent no-start. The customer already replaced the battery. What do you do first, and what would change your plan?" A strong tech asks questions, starts with simple checks, and explains which test result would point to a bad cable or ground instead of the alternator. A weak one goes straight to "replace the alternator."
How to keep the test fair and legal
Use the same test for everyone applying for the same job, and put nothing on it that the job doesn't need. The EEOC's guidance on employment tests says a test that screens out a protected group must be "job-related and consistent with business necessity." And if you buy a test, the EEOC says you're still the one responsible for making sure it's valid, not the vendor.
What that looks like in a shop:
- Test only what the job needs. A lube tech doesn't need a diagnostic test.
- Score with a written key and a set scale, not a gut feeling.
- Offer a reasonable accommodation if a candidate with a disability asks for one. The ADA bars tests that screen out people with disabilities unless the test is tied to the job.
- Keep the scores with the application. If anyone ever asks why you hired who you hired, you'll have it in writing.
Pay is its own question. If a candidate does real work for your shop during a "working interview," check with an employment lawyer about whether you have to pay them. It depends on what they do and on your state.
Which test fits the job?
Match the test to the level you're hiring. One test for everybody ends up too hard for a lube tech and too easy for a master tech.
| Job | Must-have check | Hands-on test | Weigh most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lube or quick-service tech | Driver's license, safe lifting | Oil change, tire rotation and torque, multi-point inspection | Work habits and fit |
| General service tech | ASE in brakes or suspension (if you require it) | Brake inspection and a simple planted fault | Clean work and speed |
| Diagnostic or master tech | Current ASE certifications, EPA 609 for A/C | Electrical or drivability fault with a scope or meter | The diagnostic talk-through |
Whatever the level, keep it to one visit and tell candidates ahead of time what they'll be doing. Good techs appreciate knowing.
How IdealTraits helps
IdealTraits is an all-in-one hiring platform with AI that helps businesses hire for fit, not just experience. For a repair shop or a dealership service department, it handles everything that happens before the bay test. You post the job to 100+ job boards. AI resume matching gives each applicant a fit score. Applicants take a validated personality assessment and record a one-way video interview on their own time. Then you book bay time only for the techs who pass.
IdealTraits doesn't sell a mechanic skills test. Use your bay for that. IdealTraits covers the part a skills test can't: a resume shows what someone has done; IdealTraits shows how they are likely to work. Its assessments were independently validated by Central Michigan University.
"We switched from Hireology because IdealTraits does it all for us: efficient job placement, seamless candidate tracking and sorting, precise assessments, 1-way video interviewing and texting to complete the entire process."
Justin Edgar, Wally Edgar Chevrolet (car dealership)18,000+ businesses have used IdealTraits to hire. See how it works for dealerships and service departments, or book a demo with one of your own tech openings.
Common questions
How long should a mechanic skills test take?
About 90 minutes to two hours at the shop, plus the online fit check before the visit.
What should I ask in a mechanic interview?
Ask every candidate the same questions. A few good ones: "Walk me through the last tough diagnosis you made," "Tell me about a comeback and what you changed after it," and "Why did you leave your last shop?"
Is ASE certification required to work as a mechanic?
No. ASE is a voluntary certification that employers may require or prefer. But some states, such as Michigan, require their own mechanic certification for paid repair work, and EPA Section 609 certification is required for anyone who services vehicle A/C systems for pay.
How much should I pay an automotive technician to keep them?
Pay at or above the going rate in your area, then give techs a reason to stay: a clear raise path tied to certifications and a pay plan they understand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics at $50,620 in May 2025, and the top 10% earn more than $81,790. BLS notes that some shops pay techs by the hour and others by the amount of work they complete. Whichever you use, spell it out in the job ad and in the interview. When you ask why a candidate left their last shop (Step 2), the answer often tells you what they need from your pay plan.