California Notary Public Exam
Certificates and notarial acts: practice questions
Our California Notary bank has 13 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
When certifying a copy of a power of attorney, what must the notary write?
- A statement that the power of attorney is legally valid
- Only the notary's signature
- The agent's Social Security number
- Their name and the date the person appeared and the notary compared the copy with the original
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D. Their name and the date the person appeared and the notary compared the copy with the original — This follows Probate Code section 4307.
Question 2
What notice must appear at the top of a California acknowledgment and jurat certificate?
- A statement that the notary guarantees the document is legal
- A warning that the document has been reviewed by an attorney
- A boxed statement that the notary verifies only the identity of the signer, not the truthfulness or validity of the document
- The notary's home address and phone number in a box
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C. A boxed statement that the notary verifies only the identity of the signer, not the truthfulness or validity of the document — The boxed notice is required on California certificates.
Question 3
What is a jurat?
- A certificate stating the signer acknowledged an earlier signature
- A certificate stating the signer swore or affirmed to the truth of a document and signed it in the notary's presence
- A certificate stating a copy matches an original document
- A statement by a witness that a signer is who they claim to be
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B. A certificate stating the signer swore or affirmed to the truth of a document and signed it in the notary's presence — The notary must administer an oath or affirmation.
Question 4
Who decides which type of notarial certificate to use?
- The notary, based on whichever certificate seems most appropriate
- The signer or the document; the notary may not choose it for them
- The notary's employer, under company policy
- The county clerk who filed the notary's bond
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B. The signer or the document; the notary may not choose it for them — Choosing the act is the unauthorized practice of law.
Question 5
What is a signature by mark?
- Initials used instead of a full signature
- A mark made by a signer who can't write their name, witnessed by two people who also sign
- A signature made with a rubber stamp by an assistant
- A signature typed by a computer
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B. A mark made by a signer who can't write their name, witnessed by two people who also sign — One witness writes the signer's name next to the mark.