Failed a Skills Pass assessment or interview — what happens next?

The re-sit policy — one free, then paid

Official materials describe the re-sit structure clearly: the first re-sit is free for a failed Phase 1 assessment. Subsequent re-sits are available at a published €100 per attempt. Official materials also state plainly that no refunds are issued for failed attempts — the original registration fee is not returned if you do not pass.

This means the cost of repeated failures compounds: each paid re-sit adds €100 to your total, and the original fee is already spent. Taking the assessments seriously from the first attempt — and using preparation time rather than relying on multiple tries — is the cheaper approach.

Failing within the 42-day Phase 1 window

The 42-day window runs continuously from registration. A failed assessment does not pause or extend the window. If you fail, you should:

1. Review the material you found most difficult — not start from scratch, but focus on the areas where the assessment revealed gaps.
2. Use your free re-sit promptly rather than waiting. The window is running, and each day spent not re-sitting is a day closer to the deadline.
3. Check how many days remain before booking the re-sit. If time is very short, consider whether the €50 14-day extension is worth purchasing — it buys more preparation time, and more time to re-sit if the first re-sit also fails.

If the Phase 1 window expires before you pass

If the 42-day window (plus any purchased extension) expires before Phase 1 is completed, the path forward typically involves re-registering — which means paying the registration and course fees again. Official materials do not describe a grace period or a no-cost extension beyond the published 14-day option. This is a costly and time-consuming outcome that careful time management prevents entirely.

If you fail Phase 2

Official materials state that failed attempts do not come with refunds, and describe the interview as the final stage before certification. Whether a Phase 2 failure triggers the same free-re-sit policy as Phase 1 assessments is not unambiguously stated in the materials we have reviewed — this is a specific question to ask Skills Pass directly before your interview if it matters to your planning.