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Notary Public Exam — Core Principles

Journal (MA): practice questions

Our Notary Public bank has 10 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.

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Question 1 · Massachusetts

The ID number on a signer's document is a Social Security number. What does the notary write in the journal instead?

  1. Only the last four digits of the number
  2. The full number
  3. The words "Social Security number" or "SSN"
  4. Nothing at all
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C. The words "Social Security number" or "SSN" — M.G.L. c. 222, § 22(c)(v)(1).

Question 2 · Massachusetts

How long must a Massachusetts notary keep the journal and records after the commission expires, is resigned, or is revoked?

  1. 3 years
  2. 5 years
  3. 10 years
  4. 7 years
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D. 7 years — M.G.L. c. 222, § 24.

Question 3 · Massachusetts

A Massachusetts notary declines to complete a requested notarial act. What must the notary record?

  1. Nothing, since no act occurred
  2. Only the principal's name
  3. Only the date and time of the request
  4. The reason for not completing it
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D. The reason for not completing it — M.G.L. c. 222, § 22(e).

Question 4 · Massachusetts

If a Massachusetts notary keeps a paper journal, what form must it take?

  1. Loose-leaf pages kept in a locked binder
  2. Any notebook, if each page is initialed
  3. A permanent, bound register with numbered pages
  4. Index cards filed in date order in a locked cabinet
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C. A permanent, bound register with numbered pages — M.G.L. c. 222, § 22(a).

Question 5 · Massachusetts

A Massachusetts notary leaves a job. What happens to the notary's journal?

  1. It stays with the employer
  2. It must not be surrendered to the employer
  3. It goes to the Secretary of the Commonwealth
  4. It is given to the next notary hired
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B. It must not be surrendered to the employer — M.G.L. c. 222, § 22(i).

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