ASE A8 · what it costs
ASE A8 cost: $96 for one attempt
One A8 attempt costs $96 when it is the only test in the order: the $62 test fee plus the $34 registration fee, as of October 2026. Below: what changes that total, and the budget if A8 is part of the California smog-license route.
- $96one test, one order
- $62test fee
- $34registration, per order
- $316A6 + A8, then L1
A8 fees, with sources
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test fee | $62 per test | ASE: test fees and registration (2026) | |
| Registration fee | $34 per order, however many tests the order holds | ASE: test fees and registration (2026) | |
| One test, one order | $96 for one test alone in an order ($62 + $34); each extra test in the same order adds $62 | ASE: test fees and registration (2026) | |
| Recertification fee | $62 per recertification test; test fees are capped at $186 an order, so $220 at most with registration | ASE: test fees and registration (2026) | |
| ASE Renewal App | $52 a year covers all your A1–A9 certifications; 8 correct answers in an area add 1 yearone question per certification every 30 days; an expired credential is reactivated for at least 18 months | ASE: Renewal App · ASE Certification: Need to Know (Jan 2026) · ASE: test fees and registration (2026) | |
| Time to take the test | 90 days from purchase to schedule and take the test; no changes within 3 days of the appointmentuntaken, unexpired tests canceled within 90 days of purchase are refunded | ASE: test fees and registration (2026) | |
| Retake wait | 30 full days before you can buy and schedule the same test again | ASE: FAQs | |
| Official ASE practice test | ASE sells an official practice test of 25 questions, 60 days to finish itASE shows no price on the page | ASE: official practice tests |
What one order costs
The registration fee is charged once per order, however many tests the order holds; each test then adds its own fee. In numbers: $96 for one test alone in an order ($62 + $34); each extra test in the same order adds $62.
You then have 90 days to schedule and sit the test, with no changes in the last 3 days before the appointment. Cancel in time and you get your money back: untaken, unexpired tests canceled within 90 days of purchase are refunded.
Trap: a retake is a new order
After a fail you wait 30 days, then buy the test again: the $62 test fee, plus the $34 registration fee unless you add the retake to an order with other tests.
The smog-license budget
If you are taking A8 to qualify for a California Smog Check license, you need A6 and the advanced L1 test as well. L1 comes with a registration rule: Pass A8 first. It can’t share an order with A8, so the route takes at least two orders, each with its own registration fee. As of October 2026 the ASE side comes to $316 in two orders: A6 + A8 ($62 + $62 + $34 registration), then L1 once A8 is passed ($124 + $34 registration). L1 also costs more than an A test ($124) and asks for 3 years of experience instead of 2 years.
The state charges its own fee on top: $20 application fee (non-refundable), $20 renewal every 2 years. Whichever way you qualify, you also sit the state’s exam (how the license works). A6 has its own page on the same route: A6 cost.
Keeping A8: recertification
A8 lasts 5 years. To renew it you have two paid routes:
- The recertification test: $62 plus the $34 registration fee for one test; an order of several recertification tests costs $220 at most. It is 25 questions in 45 min.
- The Renewal App: $52 a year covers all your A1–A9 certifications; 8 correct answers in an area add 1 year.
The app fee is the same however many A1–A9 certifications you hold: over a five-year cycle it comes to $260, while one recertification order, however many tests it holds, stops at $220. Recertification options.
More on A8
- ASE A8 Format, the five content areas, fees and every A8 page on this site
- ASE A8 practice test Questions from all five A8 content areas, every option explained
- ASE A8 exam facts Questions, time, scoring, retakes, recertification and experience, with sources
- ASE A8 smog license California’s A6 + A8 + L1 route to a Smog Check license, fees and renewal
- ASE A8 study guide A scan-data-first study plan built on the 2026 A8 task list
A8 cost: quick answers
How much is the ASE A8 test?
$96 for one test alone in an order ($62 + $34); each extra test in the same order adds $62, as of October 2026.
How much does an A8 retake cost?
The same as a first attempt: the $62 test fee, plus the $34 registration fee unless the order holds other tests. You can buy it 30 days after the failed attempt.
How much does it cost to recertify A8?
The recertification test fee is $62 plus registration, or the Renewal App at $52/yr for all your A-series certifications.