| Fail |
| Not pass |
| Do badly |
| Get an F |
| Keep back |
| Earn an F |
| Fail an exam |
| Fail to pass |
| Fail, in school |
| Goof on an exam |
| Tank on an exam |
| Perform miserably |
| Fail (an exam, say) |
| Get an F in a class |
| Need to repeat, perhaps |
| Hold back a year in school |
| Require a re-test, perhaps |
| Fail to get a passing grade |
| One usually leads to a repeat |
| Fail to pass, as the sixth grade |