My group have a doubt regarding use of fate on some of the Role abilities.

The hierophant, the seeker and the sage have abilities that grant automatic success on certain tests. The question at hand is if these roles would be able to spend a fate to turn a failed test into a success.

I am the DM on this game and my interpretation of the rule is that they can’t. The rule states that you can spend a fate to have an automatic success on a test, that implies that you are actually doing a test at that moment. If the player rolled the dice and failed this test is concluded, he can either accept the result of the test or use a fate to reroll this test. During the reroll would be acceptable that he spent another fate to use his role ability since this is another roll on that previous test, as long as he do not roll and choose to use the ability instead.

To corroborate with my point of view I reference the Chirurgeon role, which allows you to change the result of a failed test by spending a fate point. Thus demonstrating that if the game developers wanted failed rolls to be turned into success they would clearly state it.

My players defend that the automatic success would allow them to change the result of a successful or failed test by simply using a fate, because otherwise those abilities would become too weak.

For the sake of this argument we are talking about tests that would not allow the player a second chance to try again.

What you guys think about this? Which interpretation you consider correct.