Price, validity, rules
Failed CACES: what you keep and until when
Enter the date you passed one of the two parts: the tool gives the deadline to retake the other, and the end date of the future CACES.
Independent site, not linked to the French Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie), the INRS, testing bodies or training centres.
Sit the other part by
15 September 2027
in 324 days
| Part kept for | 12 months |
| If it was a full CACES: other category by | 15 September 2027 |
The passed part is kept with the same testing body. After this date, both theory and practical must be sat again.
Failing the CACES does not mean losing everything. The recommendations provide that a candidate who fails only one of the two parts of the test, theory or practical, keeps the benefit of the passed part for 12 months. Within that time, they can obtain the CACES by retaking only the failed part, after suitable training, provided they stay with the same certified testing body. After a failure, the body must give them a certificate stating the skills validated and not validated, and the content and length of the further training advised. If the second attempt succeeds, the CACES is dated on the day of that pass: its validity of 5 years, or 10 years under R482, runs from there. Once the 12-month window has passed, or after changing testing body, both parts must be retaken. In the theory test, failure often comes from the per-theme rule: you need 70 points and at least half of each theme.
Is my score enough for the theory test?
Overall
Pass mark reached
| Pass mark | 70 out of 100 |
| Margin | 2 points |
| Mistakes allowed overall | 30 |
You also need half the points in every theme: one theme below half fails the test, even at 90.
Questions, explanations and calculations by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
The possible cases
| Situation | What you keep | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Theory passed, practical failed | The theory, 12 months | Suitable training, then the practical test alone, same body |
| Practical passed, theory failed | The practical, 12 months | Revision, then the theory test alone, same body |
| Both parts failed | Nothing | Training, then both tests |
| 12-month window exceeded | Nothing | Both tests |
| Change of testing body | Nothing | Both tests |
Passing the theory test at the second attempt
The failure certificate lists the skills not validated; in the theory test, these are in practice the themes below half. Work on them first: a set by theme in questions and answers, then the mistakes review, then a full timed mock exam. Aim for at least 80 points with no theme below half before trying again.
How many mistakes can I still make?
Mistakes still allowed
18
| Limit | 30 mistakes out of 100 |
| Best possible score | 88 / 100 |
Not counting the half-marks-per-theme rule.
Adding another category
A related rule applies after a passed CACES: for 12 months, the theory remains valid to obtain another category of the same recommendation by sitting only the practical. That new category expires on the same date as the first CACES. The validity page works out these deadlines.