Can I Take Subject Four Before Retaking Subject Three If I Failed Subject Three?
3 Answers
You cannot take Subject Four before retaking Subject Three if you failed Subject Three. Below is relevant information about Subject Four: Main Exam Content: The primary content includes safe and civilized driving operation requirements, safe driving knowledge under adverse weather and complex road conditions, emergency handling methods for situations like tire blowouts, and post-accident handling knowledge. Retake Instructions: If you fail Subject Four, you do not need to retake previously passed subjects (Subject One, Subject Two, Subject Three). You can schedule a retake on your own, and no retake fee is required. There are no scheduling restrictions for the safe and civilized driving theory exam. However, the driving skill permit is valid for three years. If the applicant fails to complete the exams within the validity period, the passed subject scores will become void.
As a driving instructor who has trained many students, I must emphasize that the sequence of passing Subject 3 before Subject 4 is a strict rule. Last year, one student failed Subject 2 three times but passed Subject 3 on the first attempt. Even so, they had to wait until receiving the Subject 3 pass certificate before registering for Subject 4. The DMV system enforces this process—you can only schedule Subject 4 the day after completing Subject 3. Some students thought they could bypass this, only to make a wasted trip to the DMV. My advice: treat failing Subject 3 as a reminder to practice weak areas like parallel parking. Honestly, three days of drilling the Subject 4 question bank on apps like "Driving Test Pro" is sufficient. The key is clearing Subject 3 first.
I just got my driver's license last month, and I failed the third road test twice, so I know the feeling. Once, right after failing, I went to ask about the fourth written test, but the counter staff just waved me off, saying I had to reschedule the third road test first. Later, I noticed the electronic screen at the test center always displayed, 'Students who have passed the third road test, please proceed to the second floor for the fourth written test.' Honestly, taking the tests back-to-back is stressful; spacing them out actually helps. For example, after failing the third road test the second time, I practiced driving during the day and studied for the fourth written test at night. When I finally passed the third road test, I took the fourth written test just four days later. The order of the driving tests is well-designed—if you can't handle the practical skills in the third road test, acing the fourth written test quickly won't do you any good.
