The smog test criteria in California vary by county.
The toughest are in the San Francisco bay area, and the so called LA smog basin, and the weakest, are in the cow counties.
Where do YOU live? Update your profile ( CP ) on here please.
You could take the car to a "test only" facility and I think for about $38, most of them will run your car, and see if it passes, and for the money you paid give you a second chance to try again after you tweak it a bit somewhere else.
If it passed the SECOND time, they will issue the smog certificate.
And NOT charge you for the re test, as you already paid your $38
under the 2 tests for the price of one, deal.
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Unfortunately, once the smog test is performed, the tech, pushes a button and the results are INSTANTLY tramitted to Sacramento.
Incredibly, once a friend of mine who had a 1982 Mercedes 380SEC, had a car pass smog clean (these older Mercedes Benzes usually burn clean, they are notorious for that; my 1991 560 SEC has ALWAYS passed easily, to this very day from brand new,) but the
Smog technician accidently pushed he WRONG button, and my friend's car was mis-labeled as a Gross Polluter even though it wasn't/ 
My friend was an attorney, and he was hopping mad; You would be, too, if this happened, but short of filing a lawsuit against the BAR and the state, he had no choice but to spend another $700 he told me, to get the mess sorted out...not too long after that he got rid of the car and has never owned another Mercedes Benz.
If it passed the SECOND time, they will issue the smog certificate.
I know someone who re registered his 1988 Mercedes in an "Address of convenience" after if failed, and he told me now he doesn't have to smog it at all. This is Lake County, one of the cow counties. The information from me is hearsay and I can't prove it though.
Even more desparate people could maybe register the car out of state with a residential address and HOPE the Highway Patrol won't harrass you, but usually the CHP DOES hassle and harrass people over this, unfortunately.
Oregon and Nevada plated cars the most.
Check the Bureau of Automotive Repair website too. The BAR handles the tests and they have a referee program you can go to, I believe.
Start here.
http://www.autorepair.ca.gov/