NotaryExamPro vs NNA: California Notary Exam Prep Compared (2026)

We make NotaryExamPro, so read this with that in mind. Every competitor price and feature below comes from that company's own website, checked on October 6, 2026, and the links are at the bottom so you can check them yourself. Prices change, so confirm before you buy. These two products do different jobs. The NNA's $199 California training is a state-approved 6-hour course, and California requires every new notary to finish an approved 6-hour course before the exam. NotaryExamPro is not an approved course. It is exam practice you use on top of a course. So the real choice is the NNA on its own, or a lower-cost approved course plus NotaryExamPro. • Pick the NNA if you want a live, in-person seminar with the state exam given the same day, and one company handling your course, exam seat and supplies. • Pick a cheaper course plus NotaryExamPro if you mostly want a lot of timed practice and a money-back guarantee. Approved online courses start around $50 to $80 (see our California notary prep guide), so the pair usually costs $100 to $130 in total.

Prices and features as listed on each site on October 6, 2026.

The National Notary Association is the best-known name in the field, and its California training is a solid choice if the format suits you. • It is a state-approved 6-hour course, so it covers the education requirement on its own. • The live seminar runs in one day with the exam at the end, at locations around the state. Instructors are commissioned notaries, and the NNA says seminars also offer Live Scan fingerprinting and application photos (it doesn't say whether those fees are included). • You can switch between the live seminar and the online course at no extra cost. • If you want one place for everything, it sells supply packages with your bond, seal, journal, thumbprinter and, on the higher tiers, errors and omissions insurance. The trade-offs: $199 is more than double the price of several approved online courses, the supply packages are extra, and the NNA's California exam guarantee is a free retake of its own class, not a refund.

NotaryExamPro is built for one job: getting you through the 45-question state exam. • Timed practice exams in the real exam's 45-question, 1-hour format, with fresh questions each time, so you can't pass by memorizing answers. • 19 chapters built from the California Notary Public Handbook and the Government Code, with audio for every chapter if you'd rather listen. • An AI tutor that answers questions and cites the code section, and explanations on every practice question. • A money-back pass guarantee: finish every chapter, score 80% or higher on at least 3 practice exams, and if you still fail the state exam, ask within 60 days for a full refund. • $49 one time with lifetime access, and you can take a free California notary practice exam before paying. The trade-offs: it does not count toward the required 6-hour course, there's no live instructor, it doesn't sell supplies, and it's a much smaller and newer company than the NNA.

• You learn best in a classroom and want the exam done the same day: the NNA live seminar. • You want one company for course, exam seat and supplies, and price isn't the main concern: the NNA with a supply package. • You want the lowest total cost with plenty of practice: a low-cost approved online course plus NotaryExamPro. • You already took a course (from the NNA or anyone else) and want more practice before test day, or you failed once and are retaking: NotaryExamPro on its own, since your course certificate is good for 2 years. Not sure where you stand? Take the free practice exam first. If you're already scoring well above passing, a course plus the free practice questions may be all you need.

Whichever prep you choose, the state side of becoming a California notary is the same: • An approved 6-hour course is required for every new notary (3 hours for a renewal, but only while your current commission is still active). Your Proof of Completion is good for 2 years. • The exam is 45 multiple choice questions in 1 hour, closed book. 40 are scored and 5 are unscored test questions. • You need a scaled score of 70. CPS HR Consulting, which runs the exam, says a scaled score is not a percentage, so be wary of anyone quoting an exact number of questions you can miss. • The exam and application fee is $40, and a retake is $20. You can test at most once per calendar month. • After you pass, you get fingerprinted by Live Scan, then buy a $15,000 bond and file your oath with your county. More detail: how to become a notary in California and how many questions are on the California notary exam.

Checked October 6, 2026. • NNA California 6-hour training, $199: nationalnotary.org/california/become-a-notary/required-training • NNA California training formats: nationalnotary.org/california/training • NNA exam guarantee: nationalnotary.org/support/returns-and-refunds/exam-guarantee • NNA California supply packages: nationalnotary.org/california/become-a-notary/package • CA exam format and scoring: CPS HR Consulting • CA exam fees: Secretary of State • CA education requirement: Secretary of State • NotaryExamPro guarantee terms: Terms