The North Carolina notary exam is unusual among U.S. state notary exams in one respect: no single statewide question count or time limit exists. What the law does fix clearly is the standard you must meet to pass. Understanding that distinction lets you study with the right target in mind.
How many questions are on the North Carolina notary exam?
North Carolina does not publish a fixed statewide question count. The written exam is delivered by Secretary-approved course providers, mainly community colleges, and each provider sets its own format details. G.S. 10B-8(a) requires every applicant to pass a Secretary-approved written examination but says nothing about a specific number of questions.
One documented example: Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) uses a closed-book, proctored online exam with a 30-minute time limit. Another approved provider may use a different length. Always confirm the format with the provider you enroll through.
This app’s timed practice mocks use 30 questions in 30 minutes so you build speed and accuracy under time pressure. That count is an unofficial practice format, not a state mandate.
What score do you need to pass?
You need at least 80% correct. That single figure is what G.S. 10B-8(a) requires: the Secretary-approved written examination must be passed by answering “at least eighty percent of the questions correctly.”
Unlike some states that convert raw answers to a scaled score, North Carolina’s statute is direct: 80% of however many questions your provider uses. In this app’s 30-question mock that means 24 correct out of 30.
There is no separate required score by topic area; the 80% bar applies to the exam as a whole.
What topics does the exam cover?
By statute (G.S. 10B-8(c)) the exam covers notarial laws, procedures and ethics from the Notary Public Act (G.S. Chapter 10B). The act breaks into five practical areas, which this app uses as its five study categories:
- Commissioning (6 of 30 questions in this app’s mock): qualifications to apply, the required course and exam, the five-year commission term, taking the oath of office before your county Register of Deeds, recommissioning, and changes of name or county.
- Performing notarial acts (9 of 30): the largest block. Your powers and limits, personal appearance, identifying signers, acknowledgments, oaths, affirmations, verifications and the fees you may charge.
- Certificates, signature and seal (7 of 30): notarial certificate wording, your handwritten official signature, and the official seal including what it must contain.
- Electronic and remote notarization (4 of 30): registering as an electronic notary with the Secretary, electronic signatures and seals, and remote electronic notarization under Article 2.
- Ethics, misconduct and penalties (4 of 30): prohibited acts, conflicts of interest, the sanctions the Secretary may impose (warning, restriction, suspension, or revocation), criminal penalties, and the validity of acts performed improperly.
All content is drawn from the enacted text of Chapter 10B, the same source the exam tests. The full statute is publicly available through the North Carolina Secretary of State.
How do you register for the NC notary exam?
You register by enrolling in a Secretary-approved course. The course and exam are bundled: you complete the required training (at least six hours) and sit the written exam through the same approved provider. Community colleges across the state offer the course online and in person.
Once you pass, you apply to the North Carolina Secretary of State with a $50 non-refundable application fee. After the Secretary approves your application, you must appear before your county Register of Deeds and take the oath of office within 45 days. Notarial acts performed before the oath are invalid. Your commission then runs for five years.
NC notary exam format at a glance
| Questions | No statewide count; set by your approved provider |
| Time limit | No statewide limit; GTCC online exam: 30 minutes |
| Format | Secretary-approved written exam; GTCC: closed-book, proctored |
| Pass mark | 80% correct, statutory (G.S. 10B-8(a)) |
| Who delivers it | Secretary-approved course providers, mainly community colleges |
| This app’s mock | 30 questions, 30 minutes, 80% bar (24 of 30) |
The 80% bar is demanding and applies regardless of how many questions your provider uses. Practicing against 30 questions with a strict time limit gives you a realistic sense of the pace and law knowledge the exam requires.
This app is an independent study aid built from the publicly available text of N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 10B. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State.