THE COURSE AND TESTS

Failed the CFSC test? Retakes and what happens next

Last reviewed July 15, 2026

Failing the CFSC test costs you a retest fee and some pride - nothing more. You retake only the part you failed (written or practical), there’s no record that follows you, and the RCMP never sees your attempt count. Retest scheduling and fees are set by your provider and your province’s Chief Firearms Officer, so the exact mechanics vary by where you sat the course.

Here’s what happens after a fail, and how to make the second attempt the last one.

First: what “failing” means

Both parts of the CFSC test need 80%:

• Written: 50 multiple-choice questions - 11 wrong is a fail.
• Practical: continuous scoring on safe-handling demonstrations - serious faults (muzzle sweep, finger in the trigger guard, skipping PROVE steps) cost heavy marks.

Passing one part and failing the other is common, and the passed part stays passed - you only redo the failed one.

The retest process

There’s no single national rule; the pattern across providers looks like this:

1. Your instructor tells you the local policy on the spot - most providers handle retests routinely and will book you before you leave.
2. Timing ranges from “come back this week” to “join the test session of our next course date,” typically days to a few weeks.
3. Cost is a retest fee, smaller than the course fee. Some providers include one free retest in their course price - one of the five questions worth asking before booking.
4. Attempt limits exist in some provinces: after multiple failed retests, the CFO may require you to sit the full course again. Ask your provider rather than assuming.

If you took the course while travelling, ask whether a provider closer to home can administer your retest - CFO policies on transferring between providers differ by province.

Why people actually fail (and the fix for each)

Written fails are usually one of three things:

• The law module. Storage and transport conditions are the least intuitive material for beginners and the most heavily tested. Reread that chapter of the handbook - or our plain-language versions of the storage rules and transport rules - before the rewrite.
• Reading too fast. Several questions hinge on words like always, never, and only. Slow down; you have time.
• English or French as a later language. If test-language reading speed was the problem, tell your provider - accommodation options vary and instructors have seen it before.

Practical fails are habits, not knowledge:

• Muzzle discipline and trigger-finger placement fail more candidates than any factual gap. The fix is slow, narrated repetition - literally saying the PROVE steps aloud as you perform them is accepted, encouraged, and keeps you from skipping steps under nerves.
• Ask for practice time. Providers usually let retest candidates handle the firearms before the re-examination; small-class providers are best for this.

Between now and the retest

• Get the retest booked immediately - the material is freshest in the first week.
• Reread only your weak module, not the whole handbook.
• Run free practice questions to confirm the gap is closed (prep only - there’s no online certificate).
• Sleep before the retest. Most second attempts pass.

One fail changes nothing about your path: pass the retest, collect the course report, and it’s permanently valid for your licence application. If your original provider’s retest schedule doesn’t work, find another course provider near you and ask whether they take external retest candidates.