Which word completes the sentence: Before ______________ an acknowledgment, a notary must either have personal knowledge of the individual who makes it, or be satisfied of the individual's identity by thorough precaution (e.g., checking identification cards)?

• A. witnessing
• B. certifying
• C. recording
• D. signing

Answer: (B)

The main idea is understanding what a notary actually does in an acknowledgment. When someone signs a document and seeks an acknowledgment, the notary’s job is to verify the signer’s identity and that the signer appeared before the notary and acknowledged signing the instrument. The action the notary performs is to officially certify that acknowledgment. Therefore the appropriate verb is certify, making the phrase read: Before certifying an acknowledgment, a notary must either have personal knowledge of the individual who makes it, or be satisfied of the individual's identity by thorough precaution (e.g., checking identification cards).

Witnessing wouldn’t fit because that implies the notary is simply watching the signing, which is not the act of certifying an acknowledgment. Recording refers to keeping a journal entry, not the certification of the acknowledgment. Signing refers to the signer’s action, not the notary’s action. So certifying is the correct choice because it captures the notary’s role in attesting to the signer’s appearance and identity.