Start Here · 3 min read
Exam Overview
Ohio requires every applicant for a notary public commission, other than an attorney, to complete an educational program and pass a test before applying to the Secretary of State (ORC 147.01 and 147.021). The Secretary of State does not give the test itself. Instead, it authorizes education and testing providers, such as bar associations and notary education organizations, and sets the standards and curriculum they must follow in its rules (OAC 111:6-1-02). Providers must keep several versions of the test in circulation, so no two candidates can count on seeing the same questions.
Exam Pattern
New non-attorney applicants complete a three-hour education program, offered in a classroom or online, and then take the provider's test. Approved providers describe the test as 30 multiple-choice questions, and a score of 80 percent (24 correct) is required to pass. Results are typically given as soon as the test is finished. The time limit and whether notes may be used are set by each provider; one widely used online program, for example, allows 50 minutes. Many questions describe a short situation at the notary's desk and ask what the notary must do, may do, or must refuse to do.
A candidate who fails may retest no sooner than 30 days after the last attempt and no later than six months. A candidate who fails a second time must begin again with a new application and fee (OAC 111:6-1-03). Passing produces a certificate of completion that you submit with your application to the Secretary of State.
What the Exam Covers
The Secretary of State's rule lists the topics every education program must teach and every test must measure. This guide's eight sections cover all of them:
| GuideSection | Required Curriculum Topics (OAC 111:6-1-02) |
|---|---|
| 1TheNotaryCommissionandLegal | Termsofacommission;updatingandrenewingacommission;geographicjurisdiction; |
| Framework | whatconstitutesacompliantnotarialact |
| 2Ethics ProhibitedActs andDiscipline , , | Prohibited acts; unauthorized immigration-consultant acts and unauthorized practice of |
| law;permittedfees;reportingadisqualifyingconviction;mandatoryreporting; | |
| revocationconditions;investigationanddiscipline | |
| 3IdentificationandCoreNotarialActs | Verifyingtheidentityoftheprincipal;oathsandaffirmations;acknowledgments;jurats; |
| manneroftakingdepositions;performingcompliantactswithexamples | |
| 4NotarialCertificatesandtheNotarySeal | Requirementsforthenotaryseal;compliantcertificatesforeachact |
| 5CommonDocuments | Applyingtherulestodeeds powersofattorney affidavits vehicletitles andbusiness , , , , |
| documents | |
| 6SpecialSignersandSituations | Signaturesbymark;documentssignedbyadesignatedalternativesigner |
| GuideSection | Required Curriculum Topics (OAC 111:6-1-02) |
|---|---|
| 7ElectronicandOnlineNotarization | Electronicnotarizations plustheonlinenotarizationrulestaughtintheseparateonline , |
| authorizationcourse | |
| 8 Journals and Record -Keeping | Maintaininganotarialjournal |
Scoring and Results
The test is scored as the percentage of questions answered correctly, and the whole test is either passed or failed; there is no separate passing score for each topic. Because the test is short, each question is worth more than three percentage points, and missing seven questions is enough to fail. Read every choice before answering, and watch for absolute words such as "always" and "never" and for the difference between what a notary must do and what the notary may do.
Attorneys admitted to practice in Ohio follow a different path: they complete the three-hour education program but are not required to pass the test, do not submit a criminal records check, and keep their commission for as long as they remain in good standing and meet the residency or practice requirement.
Exam at a Glance
| ExamAspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Authority | OhioRevisedCodeChapter147;OhioAdministrativeCodeChapter111:6-1;commissionsissuedby |
| theOhioSecretaryofState | |
| Whomusttest | New non-attorney applicants; attorneys complete the education only |
| Givenby | EducationandtestingprovidersauthorizedbytheSecretaryofState |
| Education | 3 hours (new applicants); 1 hour for a non-attorney renewal; 2 hours plus a separate test for online |
| notaryauthorization | |
| Testformat | 30 multiple-choice questions; time limit and notes policy set by the provider |
| Passingscore | 80percent(24of30) |
| Retakes | Afteratleast30daysandwithinsixmonths;asecondfailurerequiresanewapplicationandfee |
| Fees | $130totheproviderforeducationandtesting($75educationonlyforattorneys)plusa$15 |
| applicationfeetotheSecretaryofState;thecriminalrecordscheckispaidseparately | |
| Otherrequirements | Age18orolder;Ohioresident(oranOhioattorneypracticinghere);criminalrecordscheckno |
| morethansixmonthsold;applicationfiledelectronically;oathofofficetakeninperson | |
| Commission | Five years for non-attorneys; renewal may begin three months before expiration |
Finished reading?
Next, start the first chapter.