Knowing the exact format of the Pennsylvania notary exam before you start studying removes a lot of uncertainty. This page pulls the structure directly from the governing statute and regulations so you can build a study plan around the real numbers.
How many questions are on the Pennsylvania notary exam?
The exam has 30 multiple-choice questions: 25 scored items and 5 unscored pretest items interspersed throughout. You will not be told which five are unscored, so treat every question as if it counts. Once you accept the non-disclosure agreement at the start of the session, you have 60 minutes.
The test is computer-based, delivered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of State.
What score do you need to pass?
Pennsylvania uses a scaled score of 75 as the passing standard, set by 4 Pa. Code § 167.15(d)(1). The state does not publish a raw number-correct equivalent. Because questions are weighted before scaling, a simple percentage (such as “75% correct”) is unofficial and unreliable.
Your result appears on screen immediately after you finish. A passing result is valid for 1 year from the test date.
Our practice mocks use an unofficial 80% target (24 of 30 questions), which is deliberately stricter than most estimates of the real bar. Clearing 80% consistently on practice leaves you a real margin on the live exam.
What topics does the exam cover?
The 25 scored questions are distributed across three official content domains, with roughly this weighting:
- Obtaining Notary Commission (about 4 items): eligibility requirements (age, residency or employment connection, citizenship status), the application process, the 3-hour basic education requirement, bond, oath, and term of commission.
- Performing Notarial Acts (about 18 items): the largest block by far. Covers the six statutory acts (acknowledgments, oaths and affirmations, witnessing or attesting signatures, certifying copies, and noting protests), identification of signers, certificates and short forms, electronic notarization of records, and remote online notarization.
- Notary Commission Management and Compliance (about 3 items): the official stamp, journal-keeping, fee limits, prohibited acts, and sanctions the Department of State may impose.
Both primary sources are testable: the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, also called RULONA) and the Pennsylvania Code (4 Pa. Code Part VIII Subpart C). The full text of both is freely available through the Pennsylvania Department of State.
How much does the exam cost, and how do retakes work?
Each attempt is $65, paid to the testing vendor. After the Department of State approves your application, you receive a 6-month testing window. Within that window:
- You may test as many times as needed, with no cap on attempts.
- You may not test more than once in any 24-hour period.
- Your first attempt may be taken from home or your office (online proctored). Any subsequent attempt must be at a Pearson VUE test center.
If the 6-month window closes before you pass, you must complete the 3-hour basic education course again (within the 6 months before re-applying), then submit a new application with a fresh application fee.
What is the format at a glance?
| Delivery | Computer-based, Pearson VUE (first attempt: online option) |
| Questions | 30 multiple choice (25 scored, 5 unscored pretest) |
| Time | 60 minutes |
| Pass standard | Scaled score of 75, per 4 Pa. Code § 167.15(d) |
| Fee | $65 per attempt |
| Retakes | Unlimited within 6 months, max once per 24 hours |
The format is straightforward. What matters is covering all three content domains before you sit, with the Performing Notarial Acts block getting the most attention because it accounts for 18 of the 25 scored questions.