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Failed your driving test in Turkey? Your exam attempts in 2026

Updated 28 September 2026 · 6 min read

Failing a driving exam is not the end of the world, but every attempt costs you time and money. You have 4 attempts in total at the written e-exam. You have 4 attempts at the practical driving test, and if you use them all, you can apply through your driving school for 4 more attempts. This guide explains each step in plain English, with the Turkish terms you will hear at the school.

If you fail the written e-exam

The written exam (e-sınav) is taken on a computer at an e-exam centre. It has 50 questions, you have 45 minutes, and you need 70 points (35 correct answers) to pass. If you score less than that, here is what happens:

• If you fail the first exam, you can sit it 3 more times without going back to the course. So you have 4 attempts in total.
• You pay the 1,250 TL exam fee again for every new attempt.
• Your driving school gets your new exam date from the e-exam centre. Depending on free slots, you can usually sit it again within a few weeks.
• If you use all 4 attempts, your file is closed. To get a licence you must register with a driving school again and start the process from the beginning.

If you fail the practical driving test

• After you pass the written exam, you have 4 attempts at the practical driving test (direksiyon sınavı).
• After each failed test, you must take a paid make-up driving lesson (telafi dersi) of at least 2 hours at your school. You cannot sit a new test without it.
• You pay the 2,000 TL exam fee again for every new test.
• If you use all 4 attempts, you can apply to your school and pay to get 4 extra attempts. In this case you do not repeat the theory lessons, but you do take the compulsory driving lessons again from the start.

Important: There is a time limit for applying for the extra attempts. If you fail your fourth driving test, talk to your driving school straight away. Do not wait.

When is your file closed?

In Turkish this is called "the file burns" (dosya yanar). Your file is closed if:

• you use all 4 e-exam attempts without passing, or
• you use all 8 driving test attempts, including the extra ones, without passing.

If this happens, you register with a driving school again and pay the course and exam fees again. In some cases, such as a documented serious illness or the death of a close (first-degree) relative, an excuse (mazeret) may be accepted. Your driving school will guide you on this.

For a full breakdown of what the licence costs, including resits, see driving licence cost in Turkey 2026.

What to do after failing

1. Check which subject cost you points. The e-exam results screen shows your correct answers subject by subject. The exam has four subjects: Traffic and Environment (23 questions), First Aid (12), Vehicle Technology (Motor ve Araç Tekniği, 9) and Traffic Etiquette (Trafik Adabı, 6).
2. Focus on your weakest subject. Do not study everything again from the start. Put most of your time into the subject where you lost points.
3. Practise the question types you got wrong. Not making the same mistake twice is the fastest way to raise your score.
4. Take full mock exams. Answer 50 questions in 45 minutes. If you regularly score above 70, you are in a good position to try again. Try our full mock exam.

If you failed the practical test, use your make-up lessons well. Ask your instructor exactly which mistakes the examiner marked, and practise those manoeuvres. Our guide on how to pass the driving test in Turkey lists the mistakes that end the test straight away.

Tips for foreign candidates

• Take the exam in a language you read well. You can take the written e-exam in English, Arabic, Russian, German, French, Persian or Chinese. Tell your school when you register, or at least 3 working days before the exam. No interpreter is provided.
• Check the language for your resit. When your school books your new exam date, ask them to confirm the exam language again.
• Learn the key Turkish terms. Your school may use words like sınav hakkı (exam attempt), telafi dersi (make-up lesson) and dosya yanar (file closed). Knowing them makes conversations easier.
• Practise in the exam language. Our free practice test is in English, so you get used to the wording before the real exam.

FAQ

Sources: Driving test attempts (Ehliyyet.com.tr) (Turkish) · How many attempts at the driving test (SürücüKursları.com) (Turkish) · What happens if you fail the driving exam (Turkish). Fees and rules can change; confirm with official sources or your driving school.

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