If at first you don't succeed...
Failure is part of everyday life - you cannot be top of something every single time - but most of us learn from our experiences and use them to our advantage the next time around.
It doesn't take away the pain of not getting what you want first time though or the disappointment of failing.
I'm still very bitter about failing my motorbike test for the second time last week - I think I wuz robbed - but I have taken that particular knockback on the chin and booked in for my next one straight away. I will be taking the test until I finally hear the words: "I'm pleased to tell you......" instead of "I'm sorry to say...." One mistake was all it took for me to fail - one measely mistake on the cursed U-turn (bikers will know what I am talking about)
As you get older you tend to forget the nightmare that was taking exams, taking tests for this, tests for that, as you replace those exam challenges with earning a living and paying bills/and a mortgage/rent. I failed my driving test twice as well - but I had forgotten the disappointment I felt on those two occasions. It all came back to me with a bang last Friday.
Never give up. I just hope my credit card doesn't give up on me every time I have to pay the extortionate fees to take the test again!