California Notary Exam: Passing Score, Study Plan, Retakes

The exam has 45 multiple choice questions and a one-hour time limit. Forty questions count toward your score. The other 5 are unscored pilot questions.

The Secretary of State says a score of 70 or more is needed to pass. The exam vendor reports this as a scaled score on a 0 to 100 scale. A scaled score is not the same as a percent of correct answers, so do not count on exactly 28 of 40 being enough. Aim higher than the line.

There is no separate minimum score for each area. A weak area can be made up elsewhere, but only if the strong areas are the big ones.

The scored questions are split into five areas:

• Misconduct and Fees: 15 questions
• Notarial Acts and Documentation: 12 questions
• Administrative Procedures: 5 questions
• Identification and Subscribing Witness Notarizations: 4 questions
• Immigration and Foreign Language: 4 questions

The first two areas hold 27 of the 40 scored questions, about two thirds. That is the main reason to study them first and to keep returning to them.

The Handbook says the approved courses include all the material you are expected to know for the exam, and the Secretary of State recommends reviewing the Handbook before the test. Use the current edition. An older printout may have different rules, since the law changes (for example, the current Handbook covers the Online Notarization Act, which took effect on January 1, 2024).

Many questions turn on one number or one word. Wrong choices often use a nearby number. A few from the Handbook that are easy to mix up:

• The commission lasts four years.
• The official bond is $15,000.
• The oath and bond must be filed with the county clerk within 30 calendar days of the commission start date, and this cannot be extended.
• An address change must be reported to the Secretary of State within 30 days. Willful failure is an infraction with a fine of up to $500.
• The maximum fee for an acknowledgment is $15 for each signature. Administering an oath to one person, or a jurat, is $15.
• Willfully stating a false material fact in an acknowledgment certificate can bring a civil penalty of up to $10,000.
• A right thumbprint goes in the journal for deeds and other real property documents and for powers of attorney. If the right thumb is not available, the left thumb or any available finger is used.

Write each number on one sheet with what it belongs to (days, dollars, years). Many misses come from knowing the rule but picking the wrong number.

This site has about 120 practice questions for this exam, split into 10 chapters inside the five official areas. The chapter splits are this site's estimates, not official numbers. Here is one example plan for someone studying in short breaks. It is an example, not a promise of how long you will need.

1. Days 1 to 4: Misconduct, Penalties, and Disqualifying Interest, then Notary Fees. About 10 questions a day. Add every dollar amount you miss to your number sheet.
2. Days 5 to 8: Acknowledgments and Jurats, then The Notary Journal. Learn the difference between the two acts: for an acknowledgment the signer need not sign in front of you; for a jurat the signer signs in front of you and takes an oath or affirmation.
3. Days 9 to 11: Satisfactory Evidence of Identity and Subscribing Witness. Know when one credible witness is enough (one you personally know) and when two are needed (two you do not know).
4. Day 12: Commission, Bond, and Oath; Seal and Address Changes; Immigration and Foreign Language Advertising.
5. After that: Take the 40-question Mock Exam in one sitting with a 60-minute timer. Review every miss against the Handbook, then repeat in a few days.

At 10 questions a day you go through all the chapters once in about 12 days. Go round a second time on the Beginner and Intermediate levels before you rely on the Mock Exam score.

The Secretary of State lists these items for the exam site:

• A current photo ID, such as a California driver license or ID card
• A completed current Notary Public Application form
• A 2 inch by 2 inch color passport photo of yourself
• The Proof of Completion certificate from your approved 6-hour course (or 3-hour refresher course)
• Your registration confirmation letter
• The $40 exam and application processing fee, or $20 if you took the exam before and failed

Pay by check or money order made out to the Secretary of State. Cash is not accepted at the exam site. Allow plenty of travel time. With 45 questions in 60 minutes you have a little over one minute per question, so do not stay long on one hard question.

CPS HR Consulting mails results about 15 business days after the exam. Results are not given over the phone.

If you fail, you get a fail notice with a re-take voucher. You may take the exam again, but not more than once in the same calendar month, and the retake fee is $20. Watch your course certificate: a Proof of Completion certificate is valid for two years. If you have not passed before it expires, you must take the 6-hour course again.

If you pass, your application goes to the Secretary of State. Then:

1. Get fingerprinted through Live Scan within one year of the exam date, or you must retest.
2. Wait for the commission packet. It is mailed after your application is approved and your background check is clear.
3. File your oath and $15,000 bond with the county clerk in the county of your principal place of business within 30 calendar days of the commission start date. The Secretary of State recommends filing in person to be sure it is on time.

If you already hold a commission and are renewing, the Handbook suggests taking the exam at least six months before your commission expires to avoid a gap.

1. Download the current Notary Public Handbook from the Secretary of State and check the edition date on the cover.
2. Start a number sheet with the amounts and deadlines above.
3. Do one 10-question set from Misconduct, Penalties, and Disqualifying Interest, the largest chapter here, and add every miss to the sheet.
4. If you have not booked the exam yet, check that your course certificate will still be valid on your exam date, and register with CPS HR Consulting as the Secretary of State directs.