Recent FS Exam experience

From what I heard, NCEES does not utilize any questions that are outside their provided reference guide. If you do find that some questions are outside their reference guide, report specific examples back to your board. That question could be thrown out as a result. Plus it would help for NCEES to update their reference material accordingly.

Pauly, post: 373779, member: 10858 wrote: I saw a few older threads about the FS exam and I wanted to share my recent experience with the exam. Just to make things clear, it is closed book, multiple choice and computer based. There is no partial credit for work. The study materials, as well as the reference formula packet, are outdated and not complete.

On the bright side I know of a few colleagues that have passed the exam so it isn't impossible, but it would be nice to have some updated study material. Engineers seem to have a lot of support from their communities, why not the same for us?

Could you please provide more detail as to what documents you believe are outdated and not complete? I know for a fact that the references and formulas provided within the actual exam as a searchable reference are evaluated and vetted on a regular basis by licensees and NCEES staff. If you are referring to the recent changes in the ALTA/NSPS Survey standards released in February, those changes became effective after the publication of the current exam administration and those revisions will be reflected in future administrations. Same with any recent FEMA revisions. If you have encountered something that was missed, by providing more detail it will help correct the issue.

J Tanner, post: 375288, member: 7358 wrote: From what I heard, NCEES does not utilize any questions that are outside their provided reference guide. If you do find that some questions are outside their reference guide, report specific examples back to your board. That question could be thrown out as a result. Plus it would help for NCEES to update their reference material accordingly.

Not exactly true. NCEES prepares questions in accordance with their established and published test plan specifications. Suggested references are compiled based on what would be applicable to the current test plan specifications and the questions.

The FS definitely has questions whose answers are not found in the reference booklet.

I didn't have much math on my FS. Maybe 7 questions had math involved.

I finished my first half fairly fast. I was waiting for the bomb second half with all math but I never picked up my calculator the 2nd half. Finished the 2nd half in like 45 min. It was just read a question and pick an answer. You knew it or you didn't type thing.

I thought I bombed it miserably. Even told the proctor "see you in a couple months!"

I ended up passing. The PS on the other hand I knew I passed when I took it. To me it was much easier.

Did you fo the FS practice exam on the NCEES website?

No one can readily admit that they actually expect the testing entity to supply all the answers for their test.

The information is available to those who have actually put in the hours of study and research expected of every candidate.

Search thru the past postings of this site and find that many if not most of the reference material has been quoted..........

0.02

Although my FS experience dates from 2011, just prior to the switch to electronic testing, I have helped several others prep for it since then, and I did not see much of a change in material when it went electronic. The provided reference materials did not change significantly, and the folks I have known who have taken it all said it was comparable to the practice materials provided by NCEES. All of those individuals passed their first time around.

I did take the PS exam in the first year that they switched to closed-book, and like Rich I had an easier time. In fact, I felt that it should have been a lot more difficult than it was. The reference material provided with the exam was more than enough, and for both morning and afternoon sessions my first run-through was done in half the allotted time, with only a handful of questions requiring additional scrutiny.

I should add that I took both exams prior to entering an accredited four-year geomatics program, relying upon experience instead of education. After being in school for three years, and having the benefit of nine years of surveying experience before starting school, I would say that the coursework will certainly help with the theoretical concepts covered by the FS, but the only surefire way to pass is to spend some serious time solving practice problems.

For three months prior to each exam, I set aside two hours each weeknight to hammer out problems from Van Syckle's Surveying Solved Problems and/or read through the Manual or Brown's books. Not much fun, but it paid off. I am not sure NCEES could provide any more "support" without giving away the exam questions.

Since posting this I picked up a reference manual from PPI which is updated and comparable to what Civil Engineers can purchase as review material. As for the formula sheet that is given for the exam, I believe that some of the formulas for COGO computations should be on there as well as basic math formulas for things like matrix operations for example.

I have heard that the FS exam in the past was an open book exam, have I heard wrong?

I think the FS has always been closed book. The PS exam used to be open book, I believe when I took it in 2013 that was the first closed-book year. However, there was a decent-size packet of reference materials supplied for the exam, and I did use it a couple of times.

I took the FS exam (which was call the LSIT at the time) in 1994 and it was a closed book test.

Updated study material for the FS would be found in any college Surveying course.

Why would NCEES need to repeat it?

Paul in PA

[The PS on the other hand I knew I passed when I took it. To me it was much easier.

Agree, the FS (was still paper and open book when I took it) was very hard but I passed the first time. The PS was a walk in the park. I finished it with 30+ mins to spare. If you have the education, studied and the recommended experience both NCEES tests are very straight forward.

The FS exam as administered by NCEES, AKA the LSIT exam has been closed book for as long as I can remember. I think I took mine in 2002.
Basic math formulas were provided. Many more than one ever needs but I recall only a few math problems that I had to calc out.

StLSurveyor, post: 390798, member: 7070 wrote: [The PS on the other hand I knew I passed when I took it. To me it was much easier.

Agree, the FS (was still paper and open book when I took it) was very hard but I passed the first time. The PS was a walk in the park. I finished it with 30+ mins to spare. If you have the education, studied and the recommended experience both NCEES tests are very straight forward.

correction FS was closed book.

I took my FS, PS, and TN state specific in October 2000. All were pencil and paper exams. I passed all of my exams with the exception of Missouri on the first attempt.

The FS was not too bad, I finished the morning session with about 30 minutes or so to spare. The afternoon portion was a breeze, and finished with about an hour and a half to spare. The test was on a Saturday, and was closed book with a formula sheet provided.

The PS was not too bad, and I finished up with a little time to spare on both the morning and afternoon sessions. This test was on Friday, and was open book.

The TN state specific test was 2 hours, open book, was pretty tough, and was a solid 2 hours. No extra time.

The AR state specific was a good, fair test, and took most of the two hours. It was open book.

The MS state specific was a good, fair test, and took most of the two hours. It was closed book.

The MO test was tough. I failed it the first time. I was not as prepared as I should have been. I had too much stuff going on outside of work and I did not prepare as thoroughly as I did for my other exams. I passed it the second time. It was open book both times. It took the entire time.

The KY test was a good fair test. It was open book, and took most of the 2 hours.

I studied pretty hard for all of these tests, several months prior to the test, I started going through reference materials for several hours each night, and more on the weekends.