Hello all,
I am a few months out from my PS exam and I have hit a wall when it comes to study resources. I have been going through Wattles, Van Sickle 1001 Solved Problems, and the Surveyor Reference Manual.
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Am I headed in the right direction? What are the main things I should be focusing on? My PLS and I have been going over a few topics together after work but he took the test about 20 years ago, and has run out of ideas.
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Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Does your state board organization have a review course?
I was in the PLSC review (Professional Licensed Surveyors of Colorado) in the spring and it was a great brush up to get my mind in gear for the FS.?ÿ I was ready to tackle the PS but statutory road blocks prevented me from taking it and knocking it off too.
I had both of the books that you're listing, and just read lots, lurked here, asked lots of questions about the whole gauntlet of survey and when I passed my FS found that the knowledge was in there, and I'm sure yours is too.
You're going to feel like you're failing because you don't have the feeling of absolute mastery, but give yourself a chance and just work out the problems and enjoy the ride. YOU GOT THIS!!!
@jitterboogie thank you so much for the kind words. I do tend to stress myself out. I will check with the state board
I'm not sure how much the PS exam has changed in the nine years since I took it, but I found it far easier than the FS.
I also used Van Sickle, Surveyor Reference Manual, and Surveying Solved Problems and would say that those are probably the best sources for practice questions. If you're hitting those sources regularly and understanding the concepts behind the answers, you ought to be good to go.
Brown's books are helpful as well. I liked the ACSM/NSPS Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms.?ÿ
Don't forget the Manual of Surveying Instructions, there are definitely some PLSS-centric questions on there. At the time I took the PS I had almost no experience with PLSS so I needed to put extra time into that area.
Wattles is a fantastic resource, but I honestly think it's even a little above the level of the PS exam.
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The PS was mainly qualitative or scenario based I felt like whereas the FS was all math with some basic surveying items mixed it. Take the sections where they outlined the material tested on by NCEES for the PS exam - look up those areas with a finetoothed comb in the index of the Surveyor Reference Manual. Go to each and every listing, highlight those terms and the relevant info around them and TAB THEM!! Then, read through those sections briefly at least once or twice a day for a couple weeks before the test. This method helped me tremendously for my PS exam as it made my recall stronger where not everything had to be looked up (I am the type that second-guesses myself even if I am 99.9% certain). By doing so, I passed it and the FS on the first try and this method helped my strange second-guessing OCD nature to be at ease during the exam which increased my concentration for the tougher problems. Strategizing your time is key on all of these exams - if you don't know it move on & come back to it later on
Strategizing your time is key on all of these exams - if you don't know it move on & come back to it later on
That is a key piece of advice and one that many very smart people can't seem to implement.
I have been going through Wattles, Van Sickle 1001 Solved Problems, and the Surveyor Reference Manual.
1001 is obsolete and out of print. It is now sold in updated form as Surveying Solved Problems. Make the investment.
Brown's Boundary Control & Legal Principles is well worth the read. Get a used copy of the 2nd edition for very low cost. After you have read that you can decide whether you want to go for the latest edition.
The BLM manual - even if you are in a non-PLSS state. You are going to need to know about the PLSS.
Van Sickle's GPS for Land Surveying is valuable. You will need the latest edition of that.?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ
The Caltrans videos are still out there and still relevant, now on youtube.?ÿ
going through the PPI2Pass Practice test now. Might be a little advanced for the PS in all honesty
Continuing review of the PPI2Pass test and reading through Brown's
What State are you sitting for?
Continuing .. reading through Brown's
IMO, the early editions of Brown stuck to basic principles - the sort that you will encounter in the testing. Later editions expand on that with discussions of exceptions to the principles - fine for advanced study but more than the testing student needs.
@mikebrady563gmail-com This is the NCEES PS national exam, state-specific will be later for me