Online Virtual LS Fundamentals Class

The Caltrans videos are on youtube. The suits and ties are a little dated but the information is (mostly) still valid.

I looked into nlcprep.com I did not go through with that course but they did call me and emailed with me free of charge and where very helpful in letting me ask the questions and were very thorough in letting me tell them my background and what i knew i new and what i didn’t. I had been away from private sector for years so i was looking for a refresher course. I believe the guy is Walt Robbilards nephew or some relation. I don’t know where you are located. But the Virginia Association of Surveyors puts on a course every year called the John Foster School. Its 4 days. It’s geared more to preparing you for the exam itself not so much all the material you should know but does go through numerous things like hz vt curves and showing tips to cut down on time. I think download the 13$ prep sample test from ncees. Give it to him. Also download from ncees the pdf that breaks down the different categories. Grade him on that sample test and make up problems similar and get him to working through different problems every way you can ask it and he would be fine. Hz curves vt curves volumes adjustment compass rule bearing dist latitude departure stuff inverse closure. Safety business ethics . Etc. Mentoring mondays is also a great resource he can go through and they work through problems and discuss approaches. I listened to a lot of those while cutting and bailing hay.

I'll second the Caltrans videos...probably the most well-laid out and relevant resource if you're looking for actual videos and lectures.

I highly recommend having them get Jan Van Sickle's Surveying Solved Problems, and working through it at the same time they are watching the videos.

But the Virginia Association of Surveyors puts on a course every year called the John Foster School. Its 4 days. It’s geared more to preparing you for the exam itself not so much all the material you should know but does go through numerous things like hz vt curves and showing tips to cut down on time.

This is a good point - does your state surveyors' association put on any training courses or seminars? We always have one during our annual conference. Though I did not take it myself, several of my coworkers did, and had very good things to say about it.

I second Jan Van. Great book. I had my old 2nd edition fundamentals of surveying problems and the work book that came with also an old 1993 ncees booklet of sample problems. I worked through several different practice exams. And different states like Colorado and others all had some different sample test. I just went through them all every night doing so many. Whatever i missed or could not get through quickly I would work that type problem over and over again. Use the almighty google and find some esri or college gis basic power points on GIS remote sensing. Photogrammetry problems NGS site on datums some old archived videos of Dave Doyle one on datums one on vertical datums. Tell him if he listens to those there’s a few possibilities of questions. Know ground to grid formula. Be able to solve any aspect from any given two parts to hz vt curves. Know how to get an angle from bearings. I would say if you can inverse and traverse by bearings distance curves and lines and he understands how that works in different situations he can blow through exam. Freshen up on matrix inverse and problems. Boundary legal terms. I used the old alta acsm book from mid 90’s definitions. Its a old blue paper back. I am sure something more recent is available. But I studied at stop lights on that. Sticky notes on dash. Do not try and cram. Take a hour or two every night or maybe a bit more on weekends and study a little over time. Know the calculator requirements on ncees site. I had to buy one and it took me a week to find the pi key. Lol. Dms decimal degrees. Level notes level notes. I just pull level files now and delete different parts throughout the run. Elevation here hi there bs here fs there. Give it to my crew chief and ask a specific question. Like for turning point x whats the bs reading. Or elevation or fs reading etc. units units units. A question may have feet for given data but answer is supposed to be meters. So read questions a lot of information to distract from what they actually want. Stadia questions. Geezers its all coming back now. Lol. Message me i can send all sorts of training guides. Sample problems etc. if he can solve for all parts of hz vt curve in less than a couple minutes he just made up several minutes in extra time for tougher problems. Its all muscle memory once he or she sorry has that down.

Thanks. Yes we are in Virginia and he has taken the VAS course. He's looking for more. He came up with the School of PE site on his own. As said in the original post, just not getting the warm fuzzy feeling with that place. I may send him back to VAS next spring for the class again.

If you are in VA. Message me. I will give you my personal contact information. And give it to your person. I am more than willing to help him all i can. Like i said. I have things that go back to the 90’s. The math hasn’t changed so its all about working those math and surveying problems over and over and over again. I am more than willing and happy to help get ready. I would say if i started surveying recently with the way data collectors do everything for us now days without a college course it would seem daunting. But i was lucky enough to do everything they mostly test on long hand on a hp 32s II and hp 41. So for me was brushing up on the formulas and learning where the correct key strokes were on the hp35 . When i went through john foster i knew I was ready and took the exam the next available slot which was two weeks. I wish i had known about the john foster sooner as it has the perfect outline to prepare for the FS exam.

I know personal info is sacred. If you would like to check me out email the wife at NGS corbin Training center. Erika L. I can also provide you through a in box message my Boss who can vouch for me.. I have no problem helping anyone no pay needed maybe a beer at the next VAS seminar is all. I can help with a lot except spelling and Grammar which is on the test. LOL... I took it last spring. And can help him use the John Foster Books to get him on a positive tract. I was just at the fall seminar last weekend as well..