How many questions are on the New York notary exam?

The New York Department of State does not publish a question count or a passing score. Test takers widely report the exam runs about 40 questions with a 70% pass mark, but that figure is community-reported, not official. What DOS does confirm: it’s multiple choice, you get one hour, and results come back only as pass or fail.

The trap on the exam

People repeat “40 questions, 70%” as if it’s printed in the booklet. It isn’t. The exam is drawn from the License Law booklet, but DOS reports no numeric score and publishes no official count. Don’t expect a stated question total on exam day, and don’t study to hit a magic number. Learn the whole booklet.

A real example

You walk into the New York City site at 123 William Street, get your hour, and work through multiple-choice questions drawn from the booklet. When your result arrives by mail it says passed or failed, with no percentage and no count of how many you got right. That’s why knowing the material cold beats chasing a rumored 28-out-of-40.

Remember it as No official count exists. The 40 and 70% are test-taker lore, and the state only tells you pass or fail.

What the law says

DOS states the written exam is multiple choice, allows one hour, and reports results as passed or failed only, publishing neither a question count nor a passing percentage in its current official materials. The widely cited “40 questions, 70%” figure comes from test takers, not the Department of State.

Source: NY DOS Notary Public Written Examination Information and Schedule

Walker's Notary is an independent study course. We are not affiliated with the New York Department of State. This answer traces to the current License Law publication; always confirm against the official source before you rely on it.