If you fail: retaking the exam and what to redo

A failure is not handled the same way from one exam to the next: the civics exam can be retaken immediately and as often as needed, the DELF A2 is retaken in full at the next monthly session, and the TCF IRN has no concept of failure at all — only a level that falls short of the one required.

Information verified on 12 August 2026, from service-public.gouv.fr F34501, the Manuel du candidat DELF A2, the Manuel du candidat TCF (version M, May 2025) and the Ministry of the Interior's site. This page is not legal advice.

What "failing" means, exam by exam

	Civics exam	DELF A2	TCF IRN
What counts as a failure	fewer than 32 correct answers out of 40	below 50/100 overall or below 5/25 in a single épreuve	⚠️ no threshold exists: the attestation states a level, and the préfecture requires global level A2
When you can retake	any time, with no waiting period	at the next monthly session (sessions in France except April and September)	⚠️ France Éducation international applies a minimum interval between two sittings — ask your centre for the rule in force, it changed with the May 2025 reform
What you retake	the whole paper	the whole exam — a failure cannot be salvaged épreuve by épreuve	the four papers, compulsory and indivisible
Number of attempts	unlimited	not capped, but paced by the sessions	per your centre's rule
Cost of another attempt	≈ €65–90 per attempt	≈ €115–160	≈ €135–210

⚠️ There is no national tariff: every approved centre sets its own price. The figures above are observed ranges, not official rates.

The TCF IRN: there is nothing to "fail", only a level to reach

This is the least understood point of the three. The TCF attestation carries neither "pass" nor "fail": it states a level, and "whether this counts as a pass or a failure depends exclusively on the level required by the body the attestation is intended for". For a first carte de séjour pluriannuelle, the préfecture requires global level A2.

If the attestation puts you below that, read it skill by skill before registering again:

• the comprehension papers give a score from 100 to 499: A1 from 101 to 199, A2 from 200 to 299;
• writing and speaking are marked out of 20: A2 = 2 to 5 points out of 20, B1 = 6 to 9;
• the global-level table is the line the préfecture reads.

That reading tells you exactly what to work on. And remember that the conversion from correct answers to a score is not published: no simulator, ours included, can announce a real TCF score in advance.

The DELF A2: the eliminatory rule is the trap

The DELF A2 is a diploma: you pass or you do not. You need 50 points out of 100 overall AND at least 5 points out of 25 in each of the four épreuves.

🔑 A mark below 5/25 in a single épreuve is eliminatory, even if the total is above 50. It is the most frustrating kind of failure, because it does not come from an insufficient overall level but from one skill left aside — most often speaking or writing.

Two consequences:

• You retake the whole exam, not just the paper you missed. Points earned elsewhere are not carried over.
• The rhythm is monthly in France, except in April and September. Add 6 to 8 weeks for results and 3 to 6 months for the paper diploma: a DELF failure pushes a file back by months, where a civics-exam failure costs a few days.

The civics exam: the only one where restarting is the right strategy

Attempts are unlimited, with no waiting period at all, and the pass certificate has no expiry date. Nothing is lost, nothing expires, and waiting gains you nothing.

The arithmetic helps you target the retake: 32/40, i.e. 8 mistakes allowed, with no minimum per theme. Look first at the two heaviest themes — principles and values of the Republic and rights and duties of life in France, 11 questions each, 22 out of 40 between them. And remember that a wrong answer and a blank answer are both worth 0: a question left empty is a point given away.

What to redo before paying again

1. Identify the skill, not "the level". A TCF attestation is read paper by paper; a DELF failure is read at the eliminatory mark; a civics failure is read theme by theme.
2. Do not pay again straight away. The TCF imposes an interval between sittings (confirm it with your centre) and the DELF is monthly: you have time — spend it on the skill that fell short.
3. Work the two papers almost nobody covers for free — they are also where the eliminatory mark most often falls: writing and speaking, marked by AI.
4. Sit a full timed paper again on our free practice exam before you re-register.
5. Check whether the other route suits you better: a fast test valid for 2 years, or a permanent diploma that takes longer — TCF IRN or DELF A2. Timings, sessions and prices are set out in where, when, how much.

Rules, retake conditions and prices change, and practice varies from centre to centre. Always check with your approved centre and your préfecture. More frequently asked questions, with their sources, are gathered in our FAQ.