After 32 years in aviation my observation is...YES.
Many years ago failed on my CFI initial. Oral was 5 hours, went fine. Manuevers fine, takeoffs landings done, just one last landing. Examiner wanted "soft field, no flaps, with short approach, on the numbers". Well we all know no such thing exists. So I did my best to set it up and as I expected by 500 AGL it clearly wasn't going to work out so I did a go around. Failed for "lack of instructional knowledge on landings". I asked what that meant. He told me "instructional knowledge" was being able to do any landing without doing a go around. Man, my CFI was ****ed. Called the FSDO, and they agreed with us. But, the FAA having not been present, well I was outta luck.
Soooo, do the obligatory 3 hours, rent the plane. Fly it to the other airport, do ONE landing, pay him another $600, and got a nice new white ticket this time. Ironic, he later died in a plane crash himself.