I don't recall ever seeing any questions on the exam that were purely about administrative information, but someone taking the exam would have recently been through all those steps anyway. And I agree that they can always be looked up. So I'd be with you on that type of question being unnecessary, if there are any. Or maybe the SOS office is tired of fielding phone calls on that type of stuff? (We see plenty of that here, after all.) It's all on their website, as well as in the Handbook.
But when on the spot, face to face with a potential signer, we should at the very least know when something might be an issue to investigate before proceeding, even if we've forgotten all the details. I think that's the whole point. And as for the penalties (which irritate me a bit every time I have to renew), it does serve to reinforce to the state's notary population that there are very real, and some serious, consequences for not following the law.
One last thing to add... When I take the state-proctored exam, I leave with a feeling of accomplishment, never anything close to how I feel every year after taking the ridiculous XYZ certification exam. I hope no one is conflating the two...
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