Driver Training for Three Exam Failures

Driver's license applicants who fail the knowledge exam or road skills test three times must successfully complete the applicable knowledge or in-vehicle component of a driver education course before they can take the examination a fourth time

Failing the Knowledge Test

If you have failed the knowledge test three times and are age 18 or over, you must either:

Retake the classroom component of driver education (consisting of 36 fifty-minute classroom sessions)

Complete an 8-hour Driver's Manual course, either in a classroom or online. This 8-hour course is based on the Virginia driver's manual and is designed to better prepare individuals for the knowledge test. The online course must be completed through a DMV-licensed online driver training school.

When you have successfully completed either the classroom component of driver education or the classroom or online version of the Driver's Manual course and have provided DMV with your certificate of completion, you can retake the knowledge exam.

If you have failed the knowledge test three times and are under age 18, you must retake the classroom component of driver education. If you wish to take the Driver's Manual course in a classroom or online, you must provide proof of having completed the driver education classroom component before you are allowed to enroll in the Driver's Manual course.

Failing the Road Skills Test

If you have failed the road test three times, you must re-take the behind-the-wheel component of driver education. This component consists of 14 fifty-minute periods of in-car instruction (7 periods of driving and 7 periods of observation, including the final road skills examination)