# Why is my child’s sign-in refused?

**In short**: When sign-in is refused, a red message appears above the form: incorrect password, account not yet activated, too many attempts or school not found. After five wrong passwords, TestFLE imposes a wait that starts at 30 seconds.

**Who this is for**: Students whose sign-in fails, and the families who help them.

**What you need first**:
- The exact message shown in red, to copy down or read carefully.
- The school’s web address, the username (or the school reference, or the email address) and the password.

## The steps

1. Read the red message, above the form.
2. Look for this message in the list “What each message says”, further down.
3. Follow what is written next to it.
4. If the message is “Incorrect identifier or password.”, click the eye in the “Password” field to reread what you typed.
5. Correct the identifier or the password, then click “Sign in”.
6. After five failed attempts, do not keep trying: wait until the waiting time is over.

![Sign-in screen with the red message Incorrect identifier or password](https://www.testfle.com/medias/aide/en/familles-eleves/connexion-refusee-identifiants-780.webp?v=52b14f866f)

## What each message says

- **The password or the identifier is wrong** (“Incorrect identifier or password.”). Check both. This message also appears if the account has never been activated: in that case, try “First connection” (see below).
- **The school has reset the password** (“Please create a new password with First connection.”). Choose a new password with “First connection”: [What should I do if my child has forgotten their password?](https://www.testfle.com/en/help/families-students/forgotten-password) explains how.
- **There have been too many failed attempts** (“Too many failed login attempts. Please try again later.”). Wait, without typing anything: the length of the wait is detailed below.
- **The address does not point to any known school** (“Institution ‘school name read from the address’ not found.”). Check the web address given by the school.
- **The school is deactivated** (“Institution ‘school name read from the address’ is inactive.”). Contact the school: it cannot accept sign-ins for the moment.
- **A field is empty** (“This field is required”). Fill it in.
- **Sign-in succeeded, but the profile does not load** (“Signed in, but your profile could not be loaded. Please try again.”). Click “Sign in” again.

---

## Understanding the refusals

### How long does the wait last after failed attempts?

TestFLE counts the failures in a row for the same identifier, that is, what is typed in the first field, at the same school. At the fifth error, sign-in closes for 30 seconds. Each new error after the wait doubles the next waiting time:

- 5 failures in a row: 30 seconds;
- 6 failures: 1 minute;
- 7 failures: 2 minutes;
- 8 failures: 4 minutes;
- 9 failures: 8 minutes;
- 10 failures or more: 15 minutes, the maximum.

The wait is counted from the last failure. It ends on its own: the school has nothing to do. Failures more than an hour old are forgotten, and a successful sign-in resets the counter to zero.

During the wait, even the right password is refused, with the message “Too many failed login attempts. Please try again later.” These attempts do not lengthen the wait. The screen does not say how much time is left: wait for the time given above, then type calmly.

### Why does an account that was never activated read “Incorrect identifier or password.”?

An account created by the school, but never activated, does not yet have a password chosen by the student. The sign-in screen refuses it with the same message as a wrong password: it does not say that the account needs to be activated. If your child has never done “First connection”, start there. [How do I sign in for the first time?](https://www.testfle.com/en/help/families-students/first-connection) describes the steps.

The same message appears for an account the school has removed. If “First connection” is refused too, it is up to the school to check the account.

### Why is the first connection refused?

A single message covers all identity errors: unknown address, wrong reference, account already activated (“This information does not match an account awaiting activation. Check each field and try again.”). The other refusals say exactly what the problem is:

- the username is missing (“Please choose a username.”);
- the username contains the @ sign (“The username must not contain ‘@’.”);
- the username is already taken (“This username already exists in this institution.”);
- the two passwords differ (“Passwords do not match.”);
- the password is too short (“Password must be at least 8 characters long.”).

The first connection has its own brake. The same counter of failures in a row applies to each email address, with the same 30-second wait that doubles. The message is then “Too many failed login attempts. Please try again later.”

### What happens if the account is deactivated?

A student whose account is deactivated can sign in and look at their results and their history. The Home screen shows a red banner (“Your account is deactivated, please talk to your teacher.” then “You can still look at your results and your history.”), and the activities are greyed out. It is not a sign-in refusal: see [When can my child take the test?](https://www.testfle.com/en/help/families-students/when-to-take-the-test).

### Who should I contact?

The school, that is, the student’s teacher or the school office, for everything to do with the account: reset, email address or reference not found, account removed, school deactivated. TestFLE sends no emails: no answer will come that way.

## Related articles

- [How do I sign in to TestFLE day to day?](https://www.testfle.com/en/help/families-students/sign-in): To sign in, a student opens their school’s web address, types their username, their school reference or their email address, then their password, and clicks “Sign in”. They arrive on the Home screen, with the menu that gives access to the test, the results and the profile.
- [How do I sign in for the first time?](https://www.testfle.com/en/help/families-students/first-connection): A student activates their account themselves, with “First connection” on their school’s sign-in screen. They enter the email address and the school reference given by the school, then choose their username and a password of at least 8 characters.
- [What should I do if my child has forgotten their password?](https://www.testfle.com/en/help/families-students/forgotten-password): A student cannot reset their password on their own: TestFLE sends no emails. Their teacher or the school office resets it, then the student chooses a new password with “First connection”.
- [When can my child take the test?](https://www.testfle.com/en/help/families-students/when-to-take-the-test): The teacher decides when your child takes the placement test, and the “My test” card on the Home page announces it. As long as the test is not open, the “Start test” menu entry stays greyed out.

---
Written by the TestFLE team. Updated 12 November 2026.
https://www.testfle.com/en/help/families-students/sign-in-refused