All exams/Exam retake rules

Exam retake rules: how long to wait, how many attempts and what it costs

If you fail a certification or licensing exam, the wait before a retake ranges from none to a year, and some exams cap attempts or ask for extra training first. Here are the rules for 8 exam groups, each taken from the exam owner’s own page.

Read from each owner’s site on September 30, 2026 · A dash means the owner doesn’t publish that rule · Driving permit tests are on the permit retake page

ExamWait before a retakeAttemptsCost and otherSource
NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PNNCSBNPractice · Practice45 test-free days between examsUp to 8 times a year; some nursing regulatory bodies set stricter limits or longer waits—Owner page
NREMT EMT (cognitive exam)National Registry of EMTsPractice15 days from your last exam date6 chances; after 3 failures you must complete remedial education before the fourth attempt—Owner page
ServSafe Food Protection ManagerServSafe (National Restaurant Association)PracticeTwo attempts within 30 days; after failing the second, wait 60 days from your most recent attemptNo more than 4 attempts in 12 monthsYou buy a new exam answer sheet or online access code for each retest, and a Registered ServSafe Proctor must give itOwner page
CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+CompTIAPractice · Practice · PracticeNone between the first and second attempts; at least 14 calendar days before the third and any later attemptNo overall limit statedYou pay the full exam price every attempt; there are no free retakes or discountsOwner page
NHA CCMA and phlebotomy (CPT)National Healthcareer AssociationPractice · Practice30 days between each of the first three attemptsAfter a third non-passing attempt you must wait 12 monthsYou pay for each attemptOwner page
PTCB PTCE (pharmacy technician)PTCBPracticeNone for the second and third attempts; 6 months before the fourth. You must wait for your official score report before reapplyingUnlimited, but after four attempts you must show PTCB an approved preparation activity before more (for example a formal review course or six months of tutoring)You apply and pay for each attemptOwner page
ATI TEAS 7ATI (limits set by your school)PracticeATI requires no waiting period; your school may set oneATI sets no limit; your school sets the number of attempts and deadlines. Each completed, scored exam counts as an attempt, even if you do not submit the results—Owner page
HESI A2Elsevier (rules set by your school)Practice—Set by each nursing program; Elsevier's HESI A2 student guide states no retake rule—Owner page

What to do before a retake

  1. Check the owner’s wait and any cost in the table, and confirm on the linked page.
  2. Use the wait to review the domains where your score report shows you were weak.
  3. Practise until you score well above the pass mark twice in a row before you book: pick your exam on the practice exams page.

Exam retake FAQ

CompTIA has no wait between the first and second attempts, PTCB none for the second and third PTCE attempts, and ATI none for the TEAS. Others make you wait: NHA 30 days, NREMT 15 days, NCLEX 45 days, ServSafe 60 days after the second failed attempt. Nursing programs and schools can add their own waits for TEAS and HESI.

It depends on the exam. NCLEX allows up to 8 attempts a year, NREMT 6 chances for the EMT exam, ServSafe 4 in 12 months and NHA 3 before a 12-month wait. CompTIA states no overall limit, and PTCB has no cap but asks for an approved preparation activity after four attempts. For TEAS and HESI, your school sets the limit.

Yes for the exams above that state it: CompTIA charges the full price every attempt with no free retakes, ServSafe needs a new exam access code or answer sheet, and NHA and PTCB charge for each attempt. Check the owner's page for the current price.

ATI and Elsevier set no system-wide limit for the TEAS or the HESI A2. The nursing program you apply to decides how many times you can test, how long you wait and by what deadline. Check that program's admissions page before you book.

Each row comes from the exam owner's own page, read on September 30, 2026, and links to it. Retake policies change, so confirm on the owner's page before you register.