What Happens If You Fail Your Driving Test 3 Times in Virginia?
Are you someone asking, “I failed my permit test 3 times, now what?”
Getting your driver’s license is tough, and not everyone passes the tests on their first try. Did you know that if you fail the learner’s permit test or your road test 3 times, you’ll need to take a 3-Fail course?
But don’t panic. Virginia DMV approved classes are available to help you get the education and instruction that you need to get your learner’s permit, and your driver’s license.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to get your learner’s permit and get your driver’s license after three failed tests.
If You Fail Your Driving Test
There are two parts to obtaining a Virginia driver’s license:
- Knowledge exam: This learner’s permit exam requires you to study the laws on driving and answer questions about them.
- Road Skills Test: You get this as part of a DMV approved Behind the Wheel Course. If you can’t already drive well enough to pass, you need to take private driving lessons.
Passing the Knowledge exam and the Behind the Wheel Road Skills Test are equally important.
If you’ve taken either of these tests and failed three times, you can’t go back to get re-tested before taking a Virginia DMV approved 3-Fail Re-examination course. The state of Virginia will not allow applicants to take their knowledge or road test a fourth time unless they can prove that they have taken a re-examination course.
Failing Your Knowledge Test 3 Times
If you’ve taken your knowledge test portion of the driver’s license exam three times and failed each time, it’s not the end of the road. However, you’ll need to take a special course before you try again.
Additionally, the requirements for re-taking your driver’s license test for those over or under the age of 18 are different.
Here’s how to take a re-examination course after failing your test three times.
18 or Older
If you’re 18 years old or older and you have failed the knowledge test three times, you have two options:
- Retake the classroom component of driver education. This consists of 30 hours of online instruction. At Colonial Driving School we have an online course that satisfies this requirement in a painless and convenient way.
- Complete an 8-hour Driver’s Manual course online in a classroom. This Virginia 8-hour driving course teaches you from the VA driver’s manual and helps to better prepare you for the knowledge test. Our interactive in-person class engages and instructs you in ways you never got in high school. Most of our students pass the test the first time after they take our in-person 8-hour Driver’s Manual course.
Once you complete either of the above courses and show the DMV your certificate of completion, you can retake the knowledge test.
Under 18
If you’re under 18 and have failed the VA knowledge test three times, you must take the 30 hour Driver’s Education Knowledge class. If you already took and passed the 30 hour version, then you are eligible to take the 8-hour Driver’s Manual course (DMC).
I Failed My Road Skills Permit Test Three Times in Virginia
Getting behind the wheel to take your road test can be scary. It’s not until you have the required knowledge and a good amount of experience that it becomes less intimidating.
If you’ve failed your road test multiple times, don’t get discouraged or disappointed.
What happens after failing the driving test 3 times in Virginia?
You’ll have to take a Virginia DMV approved In-Car 3-Fail Re-examination course before taking your road test a fourth time. Colonial Driving School offers a private one-on-one In-Car 3-Fail course that teaches you what you need to know to pass the road test, and satisfies your 3-Fail requirement.
DMV Approved Re-Examination Courses
To apply for your driver’s license after you have failed the test (knowledge or behind the wheel), you must take a re-examination course that is offered by a DMV approved facility. It’s your responsibility to make sure that the facility is authorized by the Virginia DMV to ensure that you’ll be able to re-test at DMV.
You don’t want to waste your time or money by taking courses that aren’t DMV approved. Colonial Driving School in Richmond, VA offers all the courses that you need.
At Colonial Driving School, we offer a DMV-approved 8-hour in-person driver’s manual course. Once you’ve taken our course, you’ll receive a certificate which enables you to retake the driver’s test as many times as it takes for you to pass it. Most of our students pass the first time after taking this class.
This course is in-person and classes are offered every other Saturday at 8:30am. The cost for the Driver Manual Course is $190, but if you pre-register online at least 2 days ahead, you can save $15, making the total cost $175.
You can contact us anytime to hear more about our school, services, and pricing information.