diff --git a/tests/asset-categories.test.ts b/tests/asset-categories.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..744c6f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/asset-categories.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,306 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { Mock } from "vitest";
+import type { Session } from "next-auth";
+import {
+  createAssetCategory,
+  listAssetCategories,
+  validateCreateAssetCategoryInput,
+} from "@/lib/asset-categories";
+import { prisma } from "@/lib/prisma";
+
+// Note: this file has two layers of coverage, mirroring tests/vendors.test.ts:
+// - lib-level tests below exercise src/lib/asset-categories.ts directly
+//   (validation, valueGroup enum, list ordering).
+// - route-level tests (further down) exercise
+//   src/app/api/asset-categories/route.ts over HTTP, including the auth()
+//   gate — mirrors tests/vendors.test.ts's @/auth mocking pattern.
+vi.mock("@/auth", () => ({ auth: vi.fn() }));
+
+import { GET, POST } from "@/app/api/asset-categories/route";
+import { auth } from "@/auth";
+
+const mockedAuth = auth as unknown as Mock<() => Promise<Session | null>>;
+
+const testSession: Session = {
+  user: { id: "test-user-id" },
+  expires: new Date(Date.now() + 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString(),
+};
+
+function postRequest(body: unknown): Request {
+  return new Request("http://localhost/api/asset-categories", {
+    method: "POST",
+    headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
+    body: JSON.stringify(body),
+  });
+}
+
+beforeEach(async () => {
+  // Each test starts from an empty table so listing/order assertions are
+  // deterministic.
+  await prisma.assetCategory.deleteMany();
+  // Default to a logged-in session — the lib-level tests below don't go
+  // through the route at all (so this is a no-op for them), and the
+  // route-level tests exercise business logic, not auth gating (that's
+  // covered by the "auth gating" describe block further down).
+  mockedAuth.mockResolvedValue(testSession);
+});
+
+describe("validateCreateAssetCategoryInput", () => {
+  it("accepts a valid high_value category", () => {
+    const result = validateCreateAssetCategoryInput({
+      name: "Laptop",
+      valueGroup: "high_value",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (result.ok) {
+      expect(result.value).toMatchObject({ name: "Laptop", valueGroup: "high_value" });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("accepts a valid low_value category", () => {
+    const result = validateCreateAssetCategoryInput({
+      name: "Cáp HDMI",
+      valueGroup: "low_value",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (result.ok) {
+      expect(result.value).toMatchObject({ name: "Cáp HDMI", valueGroup: "low_value" });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("rejects an empty name", () => {
+    const result = validateCreateAssetCategoryInput({
+      name: "",
+      valueGroup: "high_value",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!result.ok) {
+      expect(result.error).toMatch(/name/i);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("rejects a missing name", () => {
+    const result = validateCreateAssetCategoryInput({
+      valueGroup: "high_value",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!result.ok) {
+      expect(result.error).toMatch(/name/i);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("rejects an invalid valueGroup", () => {
+    const result = validateCreateAssetCategoryInput({
+      name: "Laptop",
+      valueGroup: "medium_value",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!result.ok) {
+      expect(result.error).toMatch(/valueGroup/i);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("rejects a missing valueGroup", () => {
+    const result = validateCreateAssetCategoryInput({
+      name: "Laptop",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!result.ok) {
+      expect(result.error).toMatch(/valueGroup/i);
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe("createAssetCategory", () => {
+  it("creates a high_value category", async () => {
+    const result = validateCreateAssetCategoryInput({
+      name: "Laptop",
+      valueGroup: "high_value",
+    });
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (!result.ok) return;
+
+    const created = await createAssetCategory(result.value);
+
+    expect(created.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (!created.ok) return;
+    expect(created.value).toMatchObject({ name: "Laptop", value_group: "high_value" });
+    expect(typeof created.value.id).toBe("string");
+    expect(created.value.id.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(Number.isNaN(Date.parse(created.value.created_at))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("creates a low_value category", async () => {
+    const result = validateCreateAssetCategoryInput({
+      name: "Cáp HDMI",
+      valueGroup: "low_value",
+    });
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (!result.ok) return;
+
+    const created = await createAssetCategory(result.value);
+
+    expect(created.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (!created.ok) return;
+    expect(created.value).toMatchObject({ name: "Cáp HDMI", value_group: "low_value" });
+  });
+});
+
+describe("listAssetCategories", () => {
+  it("lists created categories, newest first", async () => {
+    const first = validateCreateAssetCategoryInput({ name: "Cáp HDMI", valueGroup: "low_value" });
+    expect(first.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (first.ok) await createAssetCategory(first.value);
+
+    // Ensure a distinct created_at ordering even on fast filesystems/clocks.
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
+
+    const second = validateCreateAssetCategoryInput({ name: "Laptop", valueGroup: "high_value" });
+    expect(second.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (second.ok) await createAssetCategory(second.value);
+
+    const records = await listAssetCategories();
+
+    expect(records).toHaveLength(2);
+    // newest first
+    expect(records[0]).toMatchObject({ name: "Laptop" });
+    expect(records[1]).toMatchObject({ name: "Cáp HDMI" });
+  });
+
+  it("returns an empty list when there are no categories", async () => {
+    const records = await listAssetCategories();
+    expect(records).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("POST /api/asset-categories", () => {
+  it("creates a high_value category on valid input", async () => {
+    const res = await POST(postRequest({ name: "Laptop", valueGroup: "high_value" }));
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(201);
+    const body = await res.json();
+
+    expect(body).toMatchObject({ name: "Laptop", value_group: "high_value" });
+    expect(typeof body.id).toBe("string");
+    expect(body.id.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(Number.isNaN(Date.parse(body.created_at))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("creates a low_value category on valid input", async () => {
+    const res = await POST(postRequest({ name: "Cáp HDMI", valueGroup: "low_value" }));
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(201);
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body).toMatchObject({ name: "Cáp HDMI", value_group: "low_value" });
+  });
+
+  it("rejects an empty name", async () => {
+    const res = await POST(postRequest({ name: "", valueGroup: "high_value" }));
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(400);
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body.error).toMatch(/name/i);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects an invalid valueGroup", async () => {
+    const res = await POST(postRequest({ name: "Laptop", valueGroup: "medium_value" }));
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(400);
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body.error).toMatch(/valueGroup/i);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects a missing valueGroup", async () => {
+    const res = await POST(postRequest({ name: "Laptop" }));
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(400);
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body.error).toMatch(/valueGroup/i);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects an invalid JSON body", async () => {
+    const req = new Request("http://localhost/api/asset-categories", {
+      method: "POST",
+      headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
+      body: "not json",
+    });
+
+    const res = await POST(req);
+    expect(res.status).toBe(400);
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body.error).toMatch(/JSON/i);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects a non-object JSON body", async () => {
+    // Note: arrays are `typeof "object"` in JS, so they pass the route's
+    // object check (same behavior as /api/vendors) — use a JSON string
+    // primitive here to actually exercise the "not an object" branch.
+    const res = await POST(postRequest("not an object"));
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(400);
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body.error).toMatch(/JSON object/i);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("GET /api/asset-categories", () => {
+  it("lists created categories, newest first", async () => {
+    await POST(postRequest({ name: "Cáp HDMI", valueGroup: "low_value" }));
+    // Ensure a distinct created_at ordering even on fast filesystems/clocks.
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
+    await POST(postRequest({ name: "Laptop", valueGroup: "high_value" }));
+
+    const res = await GET();
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(Array.isArray(body)).toBe(true);
+    expect(body).toHaveLength(2);
+
+    // newest first
+    expect(body[0]).toMatchObject({ name: "Laptop" });
+    expect(body[1]).toMatchObject({ name: "Cáp HDMI" });
+  });
+
+  it("returns an empty list when there are no categories", async () => {
+    const res = await GET();
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("auth gating on /api/asset-categories", () => {
+  // Mirrors tests/vendors.test.ts's "auth gating" block — only checks
+  // session presence, per the flat permission model (no role/permission
+  // logic).
+  it("POST /api/asset-categories returns 401 without a session", async () => {
+    mockedAuth.mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+    const res = await POST(postRequest({ name: "Laptop", valueGroup: "high_value" }));
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body).toEqual({ error: "Unauthorized" });
+
+    // And it must not have created anything.
+    const remaining = await prisma.assetCategory.findMany();
+    expect(remaining).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("GET /api/asset-categories returns 401 without a session", async () => {
+    mockedAuth.mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+    const res = await GET();
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body).toEqual({ error: "Unauthorized" });
+  });
+});