What Happens If You Fail a Citizenship Test? Retake Rules by Country

Short answer: In most countries, failing a citizenship test is not the end of your application. You can usually take it again. In the UK you can retake the Life in the UK Test after 7 days. In the US you get a second chance within 60 to 90 days. In Canada you are usually given a second test. The exact rules, waiting times and fees depend on the country.

Retake rules by country

Always check the official rules for your country, because procedures and fees change.

Does failing affect my application?

In most systems, a failed test simply means you have not yet met that requirement. In the United States, however, the test is part of your application, so failing the re-examination can lead to a denial. You would then need to apply again and pay a new fee. That makes being well prepared for the US interview especially important.

Why people fail citizenship tests

• Studying only part of the material, especially skipping the history sections.
• Misreading questions, particularly ones with words like not, always or only.
• Running out of time through spending too long on a few difficult questions.
• Nerves, especially for oral tests such as the US civics test.
• Booking too early, when practice scores are only just above the pass mark.

How to pass on your next attempt

1. Write down what you remember about the questions you found hard, straight after the test.
2. Retake a baseline practice test to find your weakest topics.
3. Use weak-questions practice. Our practice tests have a mode that only shows questions you have got wrong before.
4. Take timed mock exams until you score at least 10 points above the pass mark three times in a row.
5. Read our multiple-choice strategies to avoid careless mistakes.

Remember: Many people who now hold citizenship did not pass first time. A failed attempt shows you exactly where to focus.

2026 update: Canada now allows three attempts

Under the instructions IRCC issued in March 2026, applicants get three attempts at the citizenship test (previously two written attempts). Only after failing the third attempt, or if an officer doubts your language ability, are you invited to a hearing where a citizenship officer asks the questions orally and may examine the other requirements as well. The online test is now the default, with 45 minutes allowed.

Waiting times and costs for a retake

Does a failed test stay on your record?

In the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Spain the test is a standalone certificate: a fail is simply not a pass, and nothing about it is attached to your later application once you hold the certificate. In the United States and Canada the test is part of the application itself, so the result is recorded on your file; a final failure in the US ends that application (you can file a new N-400), and in Canada a third failure leads to a hearing rather than an automatic refusal.