You've seen these. "Technician A says this. Technician B says that. Who is correct?" Then you get four choices: A only, B only, Both A and B, or Neither A nor B.
They feel tricky, but they're really just two true-or-false questions stuck together. Once you treat them that way, they get a lot easier.
Judge each tech on their own
This is the whole trick. Read Technician A's statement by itself and decide: true or false? Then do the same for Technician B. Don't let one statement color how you read the other.
Only after you've judged both do you look at the answer choices. If A is true and B is false, it's A only. Both true, it's both. Both false, it's neither.
Here's one worked out
Technician A says parasitic draw is measured right after the vehicle is shut off. Technician B says pulling fuses one at a time while watching the meter shows which circuit has the draw.
A is wrong. Modules stay awake for a while after shutdown, so you have to wait for them to go to sleep first. B is right. When you pull a fuse and the draw drops, that's your circuit. So the answer is B only.
Both can be right
People tend to assume one tech has to be wrong. Not true. Both A and B is a real answer, and it comes up a lot.
Example: Tech A says high current with slow cranking can come from engine drag as well as the starter. Tech B says low current with slow cranking points to resistance in the cables or connections. They're both right, so the answer is both.
Watch for the sneaky words
- Always and never: a tech who says something always or never happens is wrong more often than not
- Only: "the only cause" is usually too strong, since most symptoms have more than one cause
- Half right: if any part of a statement is wrong, that tech is wrong
When you're stuck
If you're sure about one tech but not the other, you've already cut it to two choices. Say you know A is right. Then the answer is either A only or both. Now you just need to decide on B. That's a lot better than guessing from four.
Cheat sheet
- Treat it as two true-or-false questions
- Judge Tech A alone, then Tech B alone, then look at the choices
- Both and neither are real answers
- Always, never, and only are red flags
- Sure about one tech? You're already down to two choices
Common questions
Are Technician A/B questions on every ASE test?
They show up across the ASE tests, so it's worth getting comfortable with the format no matter which test you're taking.
Can both technicians be wrong?
Yes. Neither A nor B is a real answer, and you'll see it.
What's the fastest way to answer them?
Decide if Tech A is right or wrong, then Tech B, then match that to the choices. Don't read the choices first.
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