NJ Municipal Clerk Practice Exam
New Jersey Municipal Clerk Practice Exam
120 Questions with Answers and Rationales
1. Under New Jersey law, the statute that establishes the office and general duties of the
municipal clerk is:
A. N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133
B. N.J.S.A. 10:4-6
C. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1
D. N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118
Answer: A. N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133 is the core statute defining the municipal clerk’s office, appointment, term, and
duties. (B) is OPMA, (C) is OPRA, (D) governs police departments.
2. The professional designation earned by a municipal clerk who completes the required
coursework, examination, and years of service is:
A. Certified Public Manager (CPM)
B. Registered Municipal Clerk (RMC)
C. Qualified Purchasing Agent (QPA)
D. Certified Municipal Finance Officer (CMFO)
Answer: B. RMC is the statutory certification for municipal clerks, administered through the Rutgers Center
for Government Services program in conjunction with the NJ Division of Local Government Services.
3. A municipal clerk’s term of office is generally:
A. 1 year
B. 2 years
C. 3 years
D. 5 years
Answer: C. N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133 sets a three-year term for the municipal clerk in most forms of government
(subject to variation under certain charter types).
4. Which of the following is NOT a typical statutory duty of the municipal clerk?
A. Custodian of the municipal seal
B. Secretary to the governing body
C. Chief law enforcement officer
D. Chief registrar of voters (in municipalities without a separate registrar)
Answer: C. Law enforcement falls to the police chief/department, not the clerk. The clerk is custodian of
records/seal, secretary to the governing body, and often the local registrar.
5. The municipal clerk’s role with respect to municipal ordinances includes:
A. Voting on their adoption
B. Certifying and maintaining the official ordinance book
C. Drafting the municipal budget
D. Prosecuting violations in municipal court
Answer: B. The clerk certifies, records, codifies, and maintains custody of adopted ordinances; the clerk does
,not vote (not a governing body member) or prosecute.
6. Continuing education requirements for RMCs are generally overseen by:
A. The NJ Secretary of State
B. The NJ Division of Local Government Services / Municipal Clerks’ Certification Board
C. The county board of elections
D. The Local Finance Board
Answer: B. The certification and continuing education program for RMCs is administered under the Division of
Local Government Services in coordination with the certification board and Rutgers.
7. If a municipal clerk position becomes vacant mid-term, the governing body typically:
A. Leaves the position vacant until the next election
B. Appoints a clerk to fill the unexpired term
C. Automatically extends the deputy clerk’s authority permanently
D. Requests the county clerk to appoint a replacement
Answer: B. The governing body appoints someone to fill an unexpired term, consistent with N.J.S.A. 40A:9-
133.
8. A Deputy Municipal Clerk’s authority is:
A. Identical to and independent of the municipal clerk at all times
B. To perform the clerk’s duties when the clerk is absent or unable to act, as authorized by the governing body
C. Limited strictly to answering phones
D. Only exercised after the clerk resigns
Answer: B. The deputy clerk is appointed to act in the clerk’s stead during absence/disability, per statute and
local resolution/ordinance.
9. The municipal clerk’s duty regarding contracts and bonds includes:
A. Negotiating contract terms
B. Custody of all executed contracts, bonds, and official records of the municipality
C. Approving change orders
D. Setting bid thresholds
Answer: B. Custodianship of official municipal records, including contracts and bonds, is a core clerk function;
negotiating and approving are administrative/governing body functions.
10. Which body has general authority over municipal clerk certification standards statewide?
A. The Division of Local Government Services (DLGS)
B. The NJ Department of Education
C. The county surrogate
D. The Division of Motor Vehicles
Answer: A. DLGS, within the Department of Community Affairs, has oversight of the municipal clerk
certification program.
11. The Open Public Meetings Act is codified at:
A. N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq.
B. N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133
, C. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
D. N.J.S.A. 18A:6-1
Answer: A. OPMA (the “Sunshine Law”) is found at N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 through 10:4-21.
12. Public notice of a regular meeting must generally be given at least:
A. 24 hours in advance
B. 48 hours in advance
C. 72 hours in advance
D. 7 days in advance
Answer: B. OPMA requires adequate notice, defined as at least 48 hours before a meeting, posted,
mailed/emailed, and filed with designated newspapers.
13. To satisfy “adequate notice” for the annual schedule of meetings, a public body must:
A. Notify only members of the governing body
B. Post, mail to requesting newspapers, and file the annual schedule at the start of each year, with any
changes given similar notice
C. Publish the schedule only once every four years
D. Notify the Governor’s office
Answer: B. OPMA requires an annual notice listing regular meeting dates, times, and locations,
posted/mailed/filed, with amendments given equivalent notice.
14. A public body may go into closed (executive) session:
A. Any time a member requests privacy
B. Only after adopting a resolution in public stating the general nature of the subject and, when possible, when
the matter will become public
C. Without any resolution, as long as minutes are kept
D. Only with a court order
Answer: B. N.J.S.A. 10:4-13 requires a resolution adopted in public session identifying the general nature of
the subject matter before closing a meeting.
15. Which topic is NOT a permissible reason for closed session under OPMA?
A. Pending or anticipated litigation
B. Personnel matters involving a specific employee
C. General discussion of the annual municipal budget totals
D. Contract negotiation strategy
Answer: C. General budget discussion is ordinary public business; the enumerated exceptions (litigation,
personnel, contract negotiations, security, etc.) are specific, not general fiscal discussion.
16. Minutes of public meetings must be:
A. Optional if the meeting was recorded
B. Kept and made promptly available to the public, reflecting all business transacted
C. Destroyed after one year
D. Kept confidential until the next election
Answer: B. OPMA requires minutes reflecting all business transacted, promptly available (though not
necessarily verbatim).
New Jersey Municipal Clerk Practice Exam
120 Questions with Answers and Rationales
1. Under New Jersey law, the statute that establishes the office and general duties of the
municipal clerk is:
A. N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133
B. N.J.S.A. 10:4-6
C. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1
D. N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118
Answer: A. N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133 is the core statute defining the municipal clerk’s office, appointment, term, and
duties. (B) is OPMA, (C) is OPRA, (D) governs police departments.
2. The professional designation earned by a municipal clerk who completes the required
coursework, examination, and years of service is:
A. Certified Public Manager (CPM)
B. Registered Municipal Clerk (RMC)
C. Qualified Purchasing Agent (QPA)
D. Certified Municipal Finance Officer (CMFO)
Answer: B. RMC is the statutory certification for municipal clerks, administered through the Rutgers Center
for Government Services program in conjunction with the NJ Division of Local Government Services.
3. A municipal clerk’s term of office is generally:
A. 1 year
B. 2 years
C. 3 years
D. 5 years
Answer: C. N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133 sets a three-year term for the municipal clerk in most forms of government
(subject to variation under certain charter types).
4. Which of the following is NOT a typical statutory duty of the municipal clerk?
A. Custodian of the municipal seal
B. Secretary to the governing body
C. Chief law enforcement officer
D. Chief registrar of voters (in municipalities without a separate registrar)
Answer: C. Law enforcement falls to the police chief/department, not the clerk. The clerk is custodian of
records/seal, secretary to the governing body, and often the local registrar.
5. The municipal clerk’s role with respect to municipal ordinances includes:
A. Voting on their adoption
B. Certifying and maintaining the official ordinance book
C. Drafting the municipal budget
D. Prosecuting violations in municipal court
Answer: B. The clerk certifies, records, codifies, and maintains custody of adopted ordinances; the clerk does
,not vote (not a governing body member) or prosecute.
6. Continuing education requirements for RMCs are generally overseen by:
A. The NJ Secretary of State
B. The NJ Division of Local Government Services / Municipal Clerks’ Certification Board
C. The county board of elections
D. The Local Finance Board
Answer: B. The certification and continuing education program for RMCs is administered under the Division of
Local Government Services in coordination with the certification board and Rutgers.
7. If a municipal clerk position becomes vacant mid-term, the governing body typically:
A. Leaves the position vacant until the next election
B. Appoints a clerk to fill the unexpired term
C. Automatically extends the deputy clerk’s authority permanently
D. Requests the county clerk to appoint a replacement
Answer: B. The governing body appoints someone to fill an unexpired term, consistent with N.J.S.A. 40A:9-
133.
8. A Deputy Municipal Clerk’s authority is:
A. Identical to and independent of the municipal clerk at all times
B. To perform the clerk’s duties when the clerk is absent or unable to act, as authorized by the governing body
C. Limited strictly to answering phones
D. Only exercised after the clerk resigns
Answer: B. The deputy clerk is appointed to act in the clerk’s stead during absence/disability, per statute and
local resolution/ordinance.
9. The municipal clerk’s duty regarding contracts and bonds includes:
A. Negotiating contract terms
B. Custody of all executed contracts, bonds, and official records of the municipality
C. Approving change orders
D. Setting bid thresholds
Answer: B. Custodianship of official municipal records, including contracts and bonds, is a core clerk function;
negotiating and approving are administrative/governing body functions.
10. Which body has general authority over municipal clerk certification standards statewide?
A. The Division of Local Government Services (DLGS)
B. The NJ Department of Education
C. The county surrogate
D. The Division of Motor Vehicles
Answer: A. DLGS, within the Department of Community Affairs, has oversight of the municipal clerk
certification program.
11. The Open Public Meetings Act is codified at:
A. N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq.
B. N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133
, C. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
D. N.J.S.A. 18A:6-1
Answer: A. OPMA (the “Sunshine Law”) is found at N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 through 10:4-21.
12. Public notice of a regular meeting must generally be given at least:
A. 24 hours in advance
B. 48 hours in advance
C. 72 hours in advance
D. 7 days in advance
Answer: B. OPMA requires adequate notice, defined as at least 48 hours before a meeting, posted,
mailed/emailed, and filed with designated newspapers.
13. To satisfy “adequate notice” for the annual schedule of meetings, a public body must:
A. Notify only members of the governing body
B. Post, mail to requesting newspapers, and file the annual schedule at the start of each year, with any
changes given similar notice
C. Publish the schedule only once every four years
D. Notify the Governor’s office
Answer: B. OPMA requires an annual notice listing regular meeting dates, times, and locations,
posted/mailed/filed, with amendments given equivalent notice.
14. A public body may go into closed (executive) session:
A. Any time a member requests privacy
B. Only after adopting a resolution in public stating the general nature of the subject and, when possible, when
the matter will become public
C. Without any resolution, as long as minutes are kept
D. Only with a court order
Answer: B. N.J.S.A. 10:4-13 requires a resolution adopted in public session identifying the general nature of
the subject matter before closing a meeting.
15. Which topic is NOT a permissible reason for closed session under OPMA?
A. Pending or anticipated litigation
B. Personnel matters involving a specific employee
C. General discussion of the annual municipal budget totals
D. Contract negotiation strategy
Answer: C. General budget discussion is ordinary public business; the enumerated exceptions (litigation,
personnel, contract negotiations, security, etc.) are specific, not general fiscal discussion.
16. Minutes of public meetings must be:
A. Optional if the meeting was recorded
B. Kept and made promptly available to the public, reflecting all business transacted
C. Destroyed after one year
D. Kept confidential until the next election
Answer: B. OPMA requires minutes reflecting all business transacted, promptly available (though not
necessarily verbatim).
