Podcast
Government Exam Prep
Hosted by Ran Chen, EA, CFP® · ENGLISH
Government Exam Prep is a free, daily podcast by OpenExamPrep covering the most in-demand government, public service, and notary licensing exams — including state Notary Public exams (CA, TX, NY, FL, and 30+ more), Notary Signing Agent (NSA), FSOT (Foreign Service Officer Test), Firefighter I & II, Certified Fire Inspector, Hazmat Technician, FEMA NIMS/ICS, Certified Court Interpreter, IIMC Municipal Clerk (CMC/MMC), and more. Each 5-minute episode breaks down one exam topic with concrete examples, statute references, common exam traps, and memory tricks to help you pass on your first attempt. State notary content is tailored to each jurisdiction's specific laws, fees, and prohibited acts. No fluff, no filler — just the concepts you need to know, explained the way the exam tests them. This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation for everyone — from notary applicants to first responders to public servants. For free practice questions, AI-powered explanations, flashcards, and full study guides, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ Subscribe and listen daily — your commission is closer than you think.
23episodes
Episodes
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Arizona Notary Exam Prep 23, Acknowledgments — Most Common Notarial Act
Yesterday00:02:20Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - An acknowledgment verifies the signer's identity and their willing signature, not the moment of signing. - Unlike a jurat, a document can be signed before meeting with an Arizona notary for an acknowledgment. - Arizona notaries must confirm the signer personally appeared and acknowledged their signature, regardless of when it was signed. - The maximum fee for an acknowledgment in Arizona is $10 per notary signature, as set by the Secretary of State. - A common exam trap is confusing the requirements of an acknowledgment with those of a jurat, especially regarding the timing of the signature. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Arizona Notary Exam Prep 22, Lost or Stolen Journal/Seal — Reporting
2d ago00:02:41Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The mandatory 10-day deadline to report a lost or stolen seal or journal to the Arizona Secretary of State. - The specific $1,000 civil penalty for failing to report within the required timeframe. - The legal requirement to inform law enforcement in the case of theft, versus a simple loss. - Why you must immediately suspend all notarial acts upon discovering a missing seal. - The common exam trap of confusing the Secretary of State with the County Recorder for reporting a lost journal. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Arizona Notary Exam Prep 21, Journal Retention
3d ago00:02:06Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Upon commission termination, a notary's journal and seal must be delivered to the Arizona Secretary of State, not the County Recorder. - Delivery of the journal and records must be done via certified mail or another method that provides a receipt for proof. - A notary who neglects to deposit their records for three months after their commission ends may face a monetary penalty. - The requirement to report a lost or stolen journal to the Secretary of State has a strict 10-day deadline. - The civil penalty for failing to report a lost or stolen journal can be up to $1,000, a separate issue from surrendering the journal post-commission. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Arizona Notary Exam Prep 20, Thumbprint in Journal — Real Property Documents
4d ago00:02:12Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - When an Arizona notary must obtain a thumbprint in their journal for real property documents. - The specific types of documents, like deeds and powers of attorney, that trigger the thumbprint requirement. - The mandatory action a notary must take if a signer refuses to provide their thumbprint for a covered document. - How to handle situations where a signer is physically unable to provide a right thumbprint. - Common exam questions and traps related to Arizona's journal thumbprint law. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Arizona Notary Exam Prep 19, Required Journal Entry Fields
5d ago00:02:46Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The required fields for every Arizona notary journal entry as specified by A.R.S. § 41-319. - How to correctly describe a document and notarial act, avoiding vague descriptions that appear on the exam. - The specific details needed when recording a signer's government-issued identification. - Common exam traps, such as how to record a waived fee and the strict prohibition on accepting expired IDs. - A memorable shortcut (WHO, WHAT, WHEN, HOW, HOW MUCH) to recall all journal requirements during your test. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Arizona Notary Exam Prep 18, The Notary Journal — Mandatory Under A.R.S. §41-319
6d ago00:02:30Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Under A.R.S. § 41-319, Arizona notaries are required to record every notarial act for tangible records in a paper journal. - The journal must have consecutively numbered pages; loose-leaf or spiral-bound notebooks are not permitted. - Notaries may only maintain one paper journal at a time, unless a second journal is needed for confidential or non-public records. - Each journal entry must be completed at the time of the notarization and include the date, document type, signer's name, address, signature, ID details, and fee. - Failure to maintain a journal is a violation of Arizona law and can be grounds for commission suspension or revocation. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Arizona Notary Exam Prep 17, Ordering and Securing the Seal
1w ago00:02:33Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That you must purchase your own seal from a commercial vendor after receiving your commission certificate. - Vendors are required by law to verify your commission certificate before creating and providing your seal. - Your notary seal must always be stored in a locked, secure area under your exclusive control. - If your seal is lost or stolen, you must notify the Secretary of State in writing within ten days. - Only the commissioned notary is legally permitted to possess the official notary seal. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Arizona Notary Exam Prep 16, Seal Format Rules
1w ago00:02:38Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - An Arizona notary's official seal must be a rubber stamp using dark ink, such as black or dark blue; an embosser may be used as a supplement but not as a replacement. - The seal must be photographically reproducible, which is why an ink stamp is required and an embosser alone is insufficient. - A compliant seal must contain the words "Notary Public," the notary's name, county of commission, commission expiration date, and the Great Seal of Arizona. - The seal's shape can be rectangular (not to exceed 1.5 by 2.5 inches) or circular (not to exceed 1.5 inches in diameter). - The notary is legally required to maintain exclusive control of their seal at all times, and only one official seal may be possessed at a time. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Arizona Notary Exam Prep 15, The Official Seal — Required Elements
1w ago00:02:52Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The five mandatory elements that must appear on an Arizona notary seal as per A.R.S. § 41-321. - Why the Great Seal of the State of Arizona is strictly forbidden on a personal notary seal. - The specific physical requirements for the seal, including ink color, reproducibility, and acceptable shapes (rectangular or circular). - The key distinction between required information and optional details like the notary commission number. - How to spot common exam traps related to incorrect seal formats, missing information, and prohibited elements. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Arizona Notary Exam Prep 14, Renewal Process
1w ago00:02:03Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That the Arizona notary renewal process is identical to a new application, with no automatic renewal or grace period. - A renewal packet requires a new application, a $43 fee, and a new four-year, $5,000 surety bond. - As of July 2025, all renewing notaries must pass an open-book state exam with a score of 80% or higher. - Upon renewal, you receive a new four-year commission and must obtain a new notary seal with the updated expiration date. - A common exam trap involves the timing of using your new seal; you cannot use it before the official start date of your new commission. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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