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Key Facts: Malta Notary Warrant Exam Exam

March

Annual qualifying examination

Cap. 55, Art. 8(1)

2 written papers + oral

Examination format

Office of the Notary to Government

Max 3

Attempts allowed

Cap. 55, proviso to Art. 6(1)(f)

5 years

Validity of a pass

Cap. 55, Art. 8(6)

2 years

Traineeship with a notary of ten years' standing

Cap. 55, Art. 6(1)(d)

Malta's notarial warrant examination is held every March under Cap. 55: two written papers and an oral within two months, decided by a majority of the Board of Examiners, with a pass valid for five years and a limit of three attempts. Candidates need an LL.D. or prescribed master's qualification, a two-year logged traineeship with a notary of ten years' standing, and full conversance with Maltese and English. Our bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation of the Article 8(4) subjects.

Sample Malta Notary Warrant Exam Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Malta Notary Warrant Exam exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 66+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1How does Article 2(1) of the Notarial Profession and Notarial Archives Act (Cap. 55) define the office of notary?

A.Private advisers retained to protect the interests of the party who pays them

B.Judicial officers who decide disputes between the parties to a contract

C.Public officers who receive acts and wills and attribute public faith to them

D.Court officials who serve, and help execute, judicial acts and warrants

Explanation: Article 2(1) of Cap. 55 states that notaries are public officers charged to receive acts inter vivos and wills, to attribute public faith to them, to be responsible for their custody, and to give out copies and extracts. Article 2(2) to (5) add further powers, such as authenticating signatures, receiving acts of notoriety, acting as mediators and examining title under article 84C.

2Under Article 12(b) of Cap. 55, read with the Civil Code rule for counting degrees of relationship, in which situation may a notary NOT receive an act?

A.When one of the parties is the notary's nephew

B.When one of the parties is the notary's first cousin

C.When the price exceeds €1,000,000

D.When both parties live in the same town as the notary

Explanation: Article 12(b) bars a notary from receiving an act where any party is the notary's spouse or is related to the notary by consanguinity or affinity in the direct line in any degree, or in the collateral line up to the third degree inclusive. Counting collateral degrees under Article 795 of the Civil Code (up to the common ancestor and down again), a nephew is in the third degree, so the notary may not receive the act.

3A notary receives a deed of sale in which the purchaser is the notary's brother, in breach of Article 12(b) of Cap. 55. Under Article 40, what is the status of the deed?

A.It is null, and any interested person may sue within thirty years

B.It is annullable, at the suit of a party who proves material damage

C.It is valid, because the prohibition carries only a disciplinary fine

D.It is null only if the vendor objected before signing

Explanation: Article 40(2)(a) makes an act received in contravention of Article 12(b), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i) or (j) annullable rather than null. Under Article 40(4) and (5), only a party to the act who proves material damage may sue for annulment, within the peremptory term of five years. Such an act may be confirmed by an act of convalidation under Article 40(7).

4Which of the following defects makes a notarial act NULL (rather than annullable) under Article 40(1) of Cap. 55?

A.The notary failed to read the act to the appearers, without a valid exemption

B.An annexe mentioned in the act was not signed by the appearers

C.The notary omitted to declare his capacity as Notary Public of Malta after his signature

D.The act is undated

Explanation: Article 40(1)(c) makes an undated act null, together with acts received before the notary's appointment appeared in the Gazette, after cessation or suspension was published, in breach of Article 12(a), (c) or (d), or without complying with Articles 25(2) to (5), 27, 28(1)(k) and 34. Failure to read the act is a ground of annullability under Article 40(2)(d).

5Under Article 40(5) of Cap. 55, within what peremptory periods must actions for the declaration of nullity and for the annulment of a notarial act be brought?

A.Ten years for nullity and five years for annulment

B.Thirty years for nullity and ten years for annulment

C.Five years for both, from the date of the act

D.Two years for both, from discovery of the defect

Explanation: Article 40(5) sets peremptory terms of ten years for nullity actions and five years for annulment actions. They run from the date of publication of the act or, where the act is enrolled in the Public Registry or a Land Registry application concerns the property, from the earlier of the enrolment or the application.

6Under Article 40(6) and (7) of Cap. 55, what is the difference between an 'act of validation' and an 'act of convalidation'?

A.Validation cures an annullable act ab initio; convalidation cures a null act from its date

B.Both cure null acts, but only convalidation requires an order of the Court of Revision

C.Validation cures null acts from its date; convalidation confirms annullable acts ab initio

D.Validation is ordered by the Court of Revision; convalidation by the Notarial Council

Explanation: Article 40(6) allows an act that is null under Article 40(1) to be rendered valid by a subsequent act of validation, with effect from that act and without prejudice to third parties' acquired rights. Article 40(7) allows an act annullable under Article 40(2) to have its validity confirmed ab initio by an act of convalidation. Where a party will not appear, Article 40(9) lets another party apply to the Court of Revision.

7Under Article 25(3) of Cap. 55, when is the presence of two witnesses required on a notarial act, and what must the notary do for a public will?

A.Always for sales of immovables; for public wills, witnesses are never allowed

B.If an appearer asks or cannot sign; he must explain the testator's right to them

C.Only for acts above €100,000; for public wills, two witnesses are always needed

D.Only if ordered by the Court of Voluntary Jurisdiction on the notary's application

Explanation: Article 25(3) requires two witnesses only when an appearer requests them or cannot sign. For public wills and acts of delivery of secret wills, the notary must inform and explain to the testator the right to have two witnesses, and if the testator chooses none, the notary must declare this in the will or act of delivery.

8All appearers on a deed of sale say they know its contents and ask the notary not to read it out. Under Article 25(6) of Cap. 55, what formalities make the exemption valid?

A.An oral request suffices, noted by the notary in his register

B.Exemption is impossible; every act must be read out

C.The request must be authorised in advance by the Notarial Council

D.Handwritten entries by the notary and each appearer, with all sheets signed

Explanation: Article 25(6) allows the exemption where no witnesses are required and no interpreter or special procedure applies. The notary records the declarations at the foot of the act in his own handwriting and signs them, each appearer writes 'I confirm this exemption' and signs, and all appearers sign every sheet in the outer margin and every annexe. Non-compliance makes the act annullable under Article 40(2)(c).

9An appearer arrives at the deed without any identity document. Under Article 26 of Cap. 55, how may the notary be certain of his identity?

A.By accepting the appearer's sworn declaration of his name

B.By the testimony of two attestors

C.By comparing his signature with a previous deed

D.By telephoning the appearer's employer

Explanation: Article 26 requires the notary to be personally certain of the identity of appearers, attestors, witnesses and interpreters, ascertained by an official identity card, passport or similar document. Where an appearer cannot produce one, identity may be established on the testimony of two attestors, who may also be the witnesses on the act.

10Under Article 27 of Cap. 55, which person may NOT act as a witness on a notarial act?

A.A 30-year-old resident of Malta with no interest in the act

B.A foreign national born in Malta and aged 25

C.The spouse of one of the parties

D.A person aged 18 who resides in Gozo

Explanation: Article 27(1) requires a witness to be at least eighteen, born or residing in Malta, and without interest in the act. Article 27(2) disqualifies, among others, persons who are blind, deaf or dumb, relatives of the notary or of the parties within the Article 12(b) degrees, the spouse of the notary or of any party, and persons who cannot sign.

About the Malta Notary Warrant Exam Exam

The Malta Notarial Warrant Examination is the qualifying examination under Articles 6 to 8 of the Notarial Profession and Notarial Archives Act (Chapter 55). It is held in March each year by a Board of Examiners that includes the presiding member of the Court of Revision of Notarial Acts and the Chief Notary to Government, and consists of two written papers and an oral examination. Successful candidates are proposed to the President of Malta for appointment; 22 new notaries received warrants in July 2026. This page offers an independent English-language MCQ study adaptation, not an official translation or a simulation of the written or oral examination.

Exam sponsor: Board of Examiners appointed by the Minister (Cap. 55, Art. 7), organised by the Office of the Notary to Government. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Two written papers, then an oral examination within two months, on the formalities of notarial acts, fiscal laws on immovable transfers, registration, examination of title, Court of Voluntary Jurisdiction applications, professional ethics and related substantive and procedural law (Cap. 55, Art. 8)

Time Limit

Held in March each year; paper durations are not published

Passing Score

Majority of the Board of Examiners' votes (Cap. 55, Art. 8(5)); a pass is valid for five years from the Board's report (Art. 8(6))

Exam / Certification Fees

not-published

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

~29% of this local bank

Formalities of Notarial Acts

Article 12 prohibitions, witnesses and attestors, identification, contents and language of acts, corrections, et caetera clauses, null versus annullable acts, validation and convalidation, custody, registers and Public Registry notes.

~15% of this local bank

Fiscal Laws on Immovable Transfers

Promise-of-sale notification and provisional duty, the 5% duty, spousal exemptions, causa mortis declarations, Article 5A final tax rates (8%, 5%, 10%, 2%, 12% of gain) and the notarial tariff.

~15% of this local bank

Conveyancing & Property Law

Form and term of promises of sale, earnest, latent defects and judicial sales, community of acquests, ground-rent redemption, easements, window distances and expenses of sale.

~15% of this local bank

Notarial Profession & Ethics

Qualifications and traineeship, the qualifying examination and Board of Examiners, three-attempt limit, incompatibilities, the €10,000 cash rule, notarial deposit accounts and the Court of Revision.

~14% of this local bank

Registration & Examination of Title

Article 84C and S.L. 55.06: deemed instruction by the transferee, 10-, 30- and 40-year search periods, search updates, title reports, standing to sue, and acquisitive prescription.

~12% of this local bank

Succession & Voluntary Jurisdiction

Court authority for minors' property, acceptance with benefit of inventory, wills unica charta, deposit of secret wills, dispositions in favour of the notary's relatives, and reserved portions.

Preparing for the Malta Notary Warrant Exam Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Majority of the Board of Examiners' votes (Cap. 55, Art. 8(5)); a pass is valid for five years from the Board's report (Art. 8(6))
Assessment: Two written papers, then an oral examination within two months, on the formalities of notarial acts, fiscal laws on immovable transfers, registration, examination of title, Court of Voluntary Jurisdiction applications, professional ethics and related substantive and procedural law (Cap. 55, Art. 8)
Time limit: Held in March each year; paper durations are not published
Exam / certification fees: not-published Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

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Malta Notary Warrant Exam: Suggested Study Strategy

1Learn which defects make an act null (Article 40(1)) and which make it annullable (Article 40(2)), and the ten- and five-year limits for the related actions.

2Know the S.L. 55.06 search periods: ten years for a title capable of transferring ownership, thirty years otherwise, and forty years in the Article 2144 cases.

3Practise the fiscal calculations: 5% duty, a provisional payment of 20% of the duty on the promise of sale, and the Article 5A final tax rates.

4Memorise the notary's deadlines: numbering within 24 hours, Public Registry notes within fifteen working days, registration within three months, and depositing secret wills with the court within four working days.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the legal basis of the notarial warrant examination?

Article 6(1)(f) of the Notarial Profession and Notarial Archives Act (Chapter 55) requires a pass in the qualifying examination held under Article 7. Article 8 fixes the March timing, the written papers and oral examination, the syllabus, the majority-vote pass rule and the five-year validity of a pass.

What are the traineeship requirements?

Under Article 6(1)(d), a candidate must complete a continuous traineeship of at least two years after obtaining the required degree, at the office of a notary who has practised in Malta for at least ten years. The traineeship must start no earlier than four years before the examination and be communicated to and logged by the Notarial Council.

How many attempts are allowed, and how do I apply?

The proviso to Article 6(1)(f) limits candidates to three attempts. The Office of the Notary to Government asks candidates to send a cover letter addressed to the Minister responsible for notarial matters, with the listed documents, to the Principal Government Notary by 31 January.

What does this practice question bank provide?

Independent practice by OpenExamPrep: an English-language MCQ study adaptation of Cap. 55 formalities, fiscal and registration law, examination of title, conveyancing, succession and notarial ethics. It is not an official translation and does not replicate the written papers or the oral examination.