Free NY notary practice exam

This is a free 10-question practice check for the New York State notary public examination — one question from each of the ten areas the real test covers. (The real examination is 40 multiple-choice questions, one hour, 70% to pass; the full timed 40-question exam mode is part of the paid course.) It covers the ten areas the examination draws on: the notary's powers and duties, acknowledgments, jurats and affidavits, oaths and affirmations, statutory fees, misconduct and prohibited acts, identification, certificates, recordkeeping, and New York-specific law.

Every question here was written by us from the primary sources the State examination itself is drawn from: New York Executive Law article 6, the Real Property Law, the Judiciary Law, and 19 NYCRR Part 182. Each answer carries the section it comes from, so you can check us. These are not questions from the official State examination, and Pass NY Notary is an independent preparation service — we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the New York Department of State.

Cost of this practice exam

Free. No account, no email required to start.

Length

10 questions, about 5–10 minutes. Your progress is saved on this device.

What you get at the end

A score, a percentage, a breakdown by topic, and the explanation and legal citation for every question.

The real exam

$15, paid by check, money order, MasterCard or Visa — no cash. Results arrive by mail as pass or fail. A passing result stays valid for two years.

What the New York notary examination actually involves

The examination is administered by the New York Department of State. Outside New York City it is offered on a walk-in basis at twelve locations; in New York City it is scheduled by email to exams@dos.ny.gov with the subject line “Schedule Notary Public Exam.” Bring current government-issued photo identification, two sharpened #2 pencils and the $15 fee. Cell phones, reference material, bags, food and visitors are not permitted in the examination room, and late arrivals are not admitted. The examination is offered in English, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Italian and Haitian-Creole — tell the proctor which you want when you report.

Attorneys admitted in New York, and certain Unified Court System court clerks, are exempt from the examination altogether. Everyone else takes it, then files the oath of office and the $60 application. See the current examination schedule and all thirteen locations, or read how to pass the New York notary exam.

The ten topics this diagnostic scores you on

• Powers and duties — what a notary may do, where, and for how long a commission runs.
• Acknowledgments — the signer's declaration that he executed the instrument, and when you are disqualified from taking one.
• Jurats and affidavits — the certificate that a document was sworn to before you, and how it differs from an acknowledgment.
• Oaths and affirmations — the lawful forms, and the fact that an affirmation binds exactly as an oath does.
• Fees — the amounts fixed by Executive Law §136, which is where most candidates lose marks.
• Misconduct and prohibited acts — unauthorised practice of law, foreign-language advertising, and personal liability for damages.
• Identification — satisfactory evidence of identity, and the tighter standard for remote notarization.
• Certificates — what Executive Law §137 requires beneath your signature, and whether a seal is required at all.
• Recordkeeping — the journal obligation under 19 NYCRR §182.9 and the ten-year retention period.
• New York law and rules — electronic notarization, corporate notaries, and the five-day change-of-address rule.

Questions about this practice exam