Wiederholungsprüfung (retake exam)
Also known as: Retake exam · Re-examination · Nachprüfung
A Wiederholungsprüfung is a retake of the German theory or practical driving exam after a fail. The earliest retake is normally two weeks later. Most schools require additional practice lessons before a practical retake.
After failing a theory or practical exam, candidates face a blocking period — typically two weeks. Before the period ends, no retake can be booked. The exact length is set by the licensing authority (often the lower administrative authority in the district or city office).
Before a practical retake, most German driving schools require at least five additional practice lessons — sometimes more, depending on how deep the weaknesses revealed by the failed exam were. The extra hours are not legally mandatory, but they are pedagogically defensible and almost always recommended.
A pattern of repeated fails — three or more consecutive practical attempts, for example — can in some cases trigger a renewed fitness assessment or even an MPU referral, depending on the error pattern and the underlying reason. The licensing authority decides; the school does not, but a clean documentation trail (see Schülerakte) helps the case for “training issue, not fitness issue”.
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