Certification exam retake rules: waiting periods and fees by vendor

Retake rules side by side

Every vendor below charges again for each attempt, but the waiting periods differ enough to change your study plan. The shortest gap is Microsoft's 24 hours after a first failure; the longest is Google Cloud's 365-day wait before a fourth attempt at an Associate or Professional exam.

These rules apply to standard exams. Beta exams, renewal assessments and Microsoft Office Specialist exams follow separate rules, covered further down.

Worked budget: the cost of needing two attempts

The safest assumption is that a retake costs exactly what the first attempt cost. Using the US prices published on the vendors' pages on October 30, 2026, two attempts double the exam line of your budget. Taxes such as VAT can be added on top, and AWS says it reviews exam prices at least once a year.

Missing your slot can cost as much as failing. AWS forfeits the fee if you cancel less than 24 hours before the appointment or do not show up, and lets you reschedule an appointment only twice. Google Cloud requires appointments to be rescheduled or cancelled at least 24 hours ahead, or the exam fee is forfeited.

How long a bad run can take

Waiting periods matter most if you are working to a deadline such as a job offer or an employer reimbursement window. At Google Cloud, a candidate who fails an Associate exam on day 0 can try again on day 14, a third time on day 74 (another 60 days), and a fourth time no earlier than day 439 (another 365 days). That fourth attempt is the last one allowed in the two-year period.

At Microsoft the same sequence is faster: attempts can fall on day 0, day 1, day 15, day 29 and day 43. After a fifth failure you must wait until 12 months after your first attempt. At AWS there is no cap, but each try is 14 days and one full fee apart.

The practical lesson: if you fail twice at Google Cloud, treat the 60-day gap as a full re-study period rather than a short pause, because a third failure locks you out for a year.

Ways to cut the cost of a second attempt

None of the four vendors we checked offers a general discount simply because you failed. Plan the money for a second attempt up front rather than counting on a deal.

• Microsoft Exam Replay: a package sold with Pearson VUE that includes one exam voucher and one retake of the same exam. Both must be taken within 12 months of purchase, the retake can only be scheduled after you fail, and online exams are allowed. Check the price on the purchase page before you buy, since Microsoft's offer page does not list it.
• Microsoft waiting-period waiver: only granted if internet connectivity or equipment failed during the exam and you have a Pearson VUE case number. No other reason qualifies.
• CompTIA indeterminate scores: if CompTIA classes a score as indeterminate, the candidate can retake at no cost. CompTIA otherwise offers no free retests.
• AWS 50% voucher: this applies to additional exams when you recertify or upgrade, and sits in the Benefits section of your AWS Certification Account. It is not a discount for retaking an exam you failed.

When you cannot retake at all

• AWS: after you pass, you cannot retake the same exam for two years.
• Microsoft: you cannot retake a passed exam unless the certification has expired. Microsoft Office Specialist exams are an exception and can be taken again after passing.
• CompTIA: once certified, you need CompTIA's prior consent to sit the same exam code again, and recertifying by exam usually means waiting for a new exam series.
• Google Cloud: you may not attempt an exam you are certified in unless you are inside the recertification window, which opens 180 days before expiry for Foundational and Associate certifications and 60 days before for Professional ones.
• Beta exams: AWS, Microsoft and CompTIA each allow a beta exam to be taken only once. To try again you wait for the live version.

Separate rules worth knowing

• Microsoft Office Specialist exams: 24 hours after the first failure, then 48 hours between later attempts, with no annual limit.
• Microsoft Certified Educator exams: 24 hours, then 7 days between later attempts, up to five in 12 months.
• Microsoft renewal assessments: no limit on retakes; you can retry immediately after the first failure and must wait 24 hours between attempts after the second.
• Microsoft Applied Skills labs: retake 72 hours after the last attempt, and a lab that ends abruptly still counts as an attempt.
• Google Cloud: the retake policy is the same whether you test online or at a test center and in any language.

Checklist before you book a retake

• Download or note your score report sections and list the two weakest domains before you close the browser.
• Count the waiting period from the date of your last attempt, and add your own study time on top. A 14-day minimum is not a recommendation.
• Check whether this is your third attempt at Google Cloud or CompTIA, where the waiting rules change.
• Confirm the price you will pay again, including tax, and whether an Exam Replay or similar package is still valid.
• If your previous attempt ended because of a technical failure, open a case with the delivery provider and keep the case number before you rebook.
• Book a slot at least 24 hours away from anything that might force a late cancellation.

What this guide does not cover

We planned to include PMI's CAPM exam, but PMI's website refused our automated requests on October 30, 2026, so we could not verify its current re-examination fee or attempt limits. If you are taking CAPM, check PMI's current CAPM handbook directly. Prices and policies on this page are as published on October 30, 2026 and can change.

Sources & verification

Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.

1. AWS Certification FAQs Accessed 30 Oct 2026
2. AWS Certification: Before testing policies Accessed 30 Oct 2026
3. Microsoft Learn: Exam and Applied Skills assessment lab retake policies Accessed 30 Oct 2026
4. Microsoft Learn: Offers (Exam Replay) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
5. Google Cloud Certification Help: Retake Policy Accessed 30 Oct 2026
6. Google Cloud Certification Help: Google Cloud Certification FAQs Accessed 30 Oct 2026
7. Google Cloud Certification Help: Online Proctored Exams Accessed 30 Oct 2026
8. Google Cloud: Associate Cloud Engineer Accessed 30 Oct 2026
9. Google Cloud: Professional Cloud Architect Accessed 30 Oct 2026
10. CompTIA Certification Retake Policy Accessed 30 Oct 2026
11. CompTIA Candidate Testing Policies Accessed 30 Oct 2026
12. Google Cloud Certification Help: exam delivery moving to Pearson (rescheduling and cancellation) Accessed 30 Oct 2026