ASE Forge is a technology platform that develops master automotive technicians. It combines practice questions written for the A1 through A8 task areas, ASE-style timed simulations, per-subject score tracking that shows exactly which areas are costing you points, and a structured 6-month Master Technician Path that builds diagnostic depth month by month while you keep working in the bay. Everything is written by technicians who have taken these tests and turned wrenches for a living, not by a curriculum committee.
Most study material is a wall of memorization with no feedback. You read, you guess, you sit the test, and you find out in three weeks that you missed A6 by four questions with no idea which topics sank you. ASE Forge inverts that. You practice in study mode with instant explanations, then take ASE-style timed simulations, and your dashboard tells you which subjects are ready and which need another week before you spend money on a registration.
It is for the technician who is chasing certification and career movement: the apprentice or lube tech testing for their first A-series certificate, the line technician filling in the gaps toward Master, the diesel and fleet technician who needs structured diagnostic training rather than another parts-cannon video, and the shop foreman or manager who wants a whole crew developing on the same track. It fits you if you have failed a test and want to know exactly why, if you can study in 20-minute pieces between tickets, or if you want a documented development path to point at when you ask for a raise.
It is not an accredited school and it does not issue certifications. ASE® is a registered trademark of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. ASE Forge is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official practice-test provider of ASE. Certification is granted only by ASE. Shops buying seats in bulk get manager visibility into progress while each technician still owns their own account and score history.
ASE Forge Core is $29 per month or $249 per year and covers practice questions written for the A1 through A8 task areas, aligned to the published ASE Automobile task lists, with ASE-style timed simulations, explanations on every question, and score tracking by task area. The Master Technician Path is a 6-month structured program at $1,197 one-time, or $1,497 with lifetime flat rate performance tracking included, and covers strategy-based diagnostics, real-world failure modes, monthly assessments, and a final capstone diagnostic series. Live remote and in-person classes are offered on specific subjects. Shop seats start at $7 per seat per month or $65 per seat per year with a 5-seat minimum.
Pick the one test you are closest to passing. Create your ASE Forge account , run a timed simulation on that subject today, and read your score breakdown by topic. That single session tells you whether to register for the real test this month or drill two more weeks first. From there, work the weak topics in study mode and re-simulate until you are clearing the passing line consistently.
Ready for more than test prep? Look at the 6-month Master Technician Path and its cohort schedule. Comparing plans? See ASE Forge pricing . Buying for a crew? Start with shop seats . Already enrolled? Log in to your dashboard .
Does ASE Forge certify me? No. Certification is granted only by ASE through their own testing centers. ASE Forge is independent study material aligned to the published ASE Automobile task lists, and the Master Technician Path develops the diagnostic skill behind those task areas.
How much time does it take? Practice sessions work in 15 to 20 minute blocks, so most technicians study on breaks and after shifts. The Master Technician Path is built around a working schedule, one month of material at a time.
What if I already failed a test? That is the case this was built for. Simulations plus per-subject scoring show which topics failed you, so the retake is targeted instead of another blind attempt.
Looking for flat rate hour tracking and pay verification instead? That lives on FlatRate.Live .
FlatRate.Live is a flat rate hour tracking and pay verification tool for automotive technicians. You log each repair order with its job lines, hours, job type, and service advisor. The app totals your flagged hours for the current pay period, multiplies them by your rate, and shows what your check should look like before it arrives. Every RO stays searchable, so a pay question from three weeks ago is a lookup instead of an argument.
Most flat rate technicians work off memory and a stack of hard copies. Hours get missed on split jobs, warranty times get cut without notice, comebacks quietly eat gravy work, and by the time the check clears the paper trail is gone. FlatRate.Live gives you a running record you control, kept in your own account rather than in the shop's system.
It is built for the technician who gets paid by the flagged hour: dealership line technicians, independent shop technicians, diesel and fleet technicians, and lube or express staff moving toward flat rate pay. It fits you if you have ever finished a pay period unsure whether every hour you turned actually made it onto the check, if you want to see which advisors and job types actually pay you, or if you are tracking your efficiency to make a case for a raise or a move to a better shop.
It is not a shop management system and it is not for service managers writing tickets. There are no estimates, no parts ordering, and no customer records. It does one job: proving what you flagged and what you are owed. Shops that want to hand the tool to a whole crew can buy seats in bulk, and the technician still owns the data in their own account.
Repair order logging with job lines and hours, flagged versus in-progress status, job types for customer pay, warranty, gravy and internal work, advisor breakdowns, a pay period summary with estimated pay, daily and weekly hour trends, and a time clock for hourly or guarantee hours. Tracking is $9.99 per month or $79 per year, the first month is $1, and full access begins immediately after payment.
Start with the pay period you are in right now. Create your technician account for $1 for the first month, set your flat rate and pay period dates in your profile, then log the ROs you have already flagged this period. Within a few minutes you will see your period total, your hours per day, and your pay estimate. Keep logging as you close tickets, and check the numbers the day before payday rather than the day after.
Want to see the flow first? Read how flat rate tracking works or compare monthly and annual pricing . Already tracking? Log in to your dashboard .
Does it connect to my shop management system? No, and that is the point. You enter your own repair orders, so the record belongs to you and stays with you if you change shops. It takes under a minute per RO.
What if my shop already gives me a pay stub? A stub tells you what you were paid. It does not tell you what you flagged. Keeping your own log is what lets you compare the two and point at a specific RO number when something is short.
Is my data private? Your repair orders, hours, and pay figures are tied to your account only. Your shop does not get a login to your data, and we do not sell it.
Looking for ASE certification prep and Master Technician Paths instead? Those live on ASE Forge .