---
title: Is the exam really open book?
description: "Yes — in a specific way. The Reference Manual is **built into the exam interface as a searchable PDF**, open beside the questions for the full 60 minutes. A physical copy is explicitly banned at testing sites, and so are…"
url: "https://aznotaryclass.com/help/is-the-exam-really-open-book/"
updated: "2026-10-05"
category: The Exam
---

# Is the exam really open book?

Yes — in a specific way. The Reference Manual is **built into the exam interface as a searchable PDF**, open beside the questions for the full 60 minutes. A physical copy is explicitly banned at testing sites, and so are outside notes, phones, and second screens. The practical consequence: the exam rewards knowing the manual’s *structure* — where sections and statutes live — over memorizing sentences. Test-takers report the built-in search bar is the key tool (the browser’s Ctrl+F habit may not work). Our Lesson 25 teaches the search strategy directly.