I've been putting off getting my Maryland notary commission for like two years because I kept hearing the exam was trickier than expected. Finally bit the bullet last month and started studying, and honestly the whole process was less painful than I thought — but only because I found the right resources first.
The thing that tripped me up initially was all the specific Maryland statutes around notarial acts and acknowledgments. Stuff like the exact wording requirements and what you can/can't notarize for family members. I used an MD NOTARY practice test site to drill those scenarios repeatedly until they felt automatic. Also grabbed a study guide that broke down the different notarial acts (acknowledgments vs. jurats vs. copy certifications) with real examples — that cleared up a lot of confusion.
My exam tips for anyone starting out: don't just memorize definitions, understand the WHY behind each rule. The questions are scenario-based, not just vocabulary. I scored a 91% on my first attempt after about 8 hours of focused prep spread over two weeks. Happy to answer questions if anyone's prepping right now!