I didn't study at all ...
for my urine test and I passed!
> I also went through 1001 solved fundemental problems (Jan Van Sickle - second edition)
1001 was really useful for me, but the latest edition isn't called by that title any more. Look for Surveying Solved Problems for the FS and PS Exams instead.
A strategy that worked for me was to take the George Cole Sample Exam to identify areas I was weak on.
By the time a person is writing the Fundamentals test I think that your personal library should include:
- A good general Surveying textbook. Wolf and Ghilani's Elementary Surveying is such a book. It isn't necessary to have the very latest edition. 90% of the book is available on google books for free. Surveyor Reference Manual is another.
- Brown's Boundary Control and Legal Principles, almost any edition will do.
- Manual of Survey Instructions, if you are in a PLSS state, together with the Restoration of Lost and Obliterated Corners pamphlet.
- Black's Law Dictionary
Eat a good, but light meal the night before. Eat some fruit or other healthy breakfast. You don't want any bacon or sausage or anything else that will move your mind from the 8 hour test to your intestines. Have a few chewable pepto pills just in-case.
At lunch, if you can, find a place that serves beer and have a fresh pint. It will ease your nerves and relax you enough that you won't be stressing about the answers you might or might not have missed during the break. More than 1 is not advised because that means bathroom breaks. Again, greasy or irritable foods aren't recommended, but don't go have a roast turkey breast or anything either.
Brush up on your circular curve formulas. They're in the front of the test booklet, but unless you know that I and (delta) are the same thing, you might get thrown for a loop. On your equations pages in the front, write out your anagram for Sin Cos and Tan formulas (Oh Hell Another Hour Of Algebra or more risque anagrams), because your handwriting will be easier to reference than the chart that has sin(A) = b / c.
Review basic Input / Output and If / Then programming statements so that the computer programming questions (as fundamental as they are) don't confound you. Most of the folks I know who are on FS #3 or #4 can't fathom these questions, and still haven't bothered to try to understand the principles of programming logic (which may explain why they've not passed it yet).
Circle the answer in the booklet that you dot on the scantron. Every 20 or so questions, review the dots with the circles to check for accidental dots or double dots or missed questions. Mark questions you're guessing on with a small tic next to the number on the scantron. If you finish early, go back and give them a second whack. Make sure to erase the tics, though, when the X minutes remaining announcements get too small for comfort.
Good luck!
Same advice as most everyone else... you'll do fine.
Good Luck!
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you...
Well said Mark, thank you...I was to compressed for time at the moment I responded to this thread, I should have taken more time for my response.
Adam
That's new to me since I thought you could take at least a calculator also right?
At any rate, a simple E, M, or H will do the same thing.
When I took it, I took scales and triangles and all sorts of stuff with me but I do realize the calculator portion has been changed.
Read the answers, then read the questions.
Here is a good and free gis dictionary!
http://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/Publications/Tech_Reports/92/92-13.PDF
If prepared and you don't choke up or hurry beyond your comfort level you will do fine. I did everything wrong when I took my LSIT exam except for knowing the material by continued study over time and having the benefit of working with people with the same experience and study habits and leadership that encouraged questions. Went through a divorce after my wife ran off with a preacher taking our 3 month old son.
Just got back from visiting that son in San Diego and a friend and I left the next day for the exam, had not opened a book for several months. My buddy was the nervous type and kept trying to cram and review to the point where it was getting to me. We went down to the bar for a relaxing drink which turned into two then more. Closed the bar and staggered to bed and on time staggered on to the test center, still drunk, with the world looking somewhat hazy. Sometime during the morning session my pencil took flight and landed a couple of chairs ahead of me, after some study, down on my knees I crawled up and retrieved that rascally pencil and using the same mode of travel I returned to my test. Was one of the first done and headed to the rig to take a nap but on the way while I turned in my exam with my scratch papers, the look on the proctors face showed the disapproval and opinion I did not belong there in that condition, I agreed. Passed with a good score, my friend did not. I passed only because of my long time study, not cramming, so if I could do it under the conditions I placed myself into and you know your stuff, you will do fine.
jud
You'll have something like 2.8 minutes you can spend on ea. quest (assuming no p!ss breaks). DO NOT dick around rating quests - either you know how to solve it on first read, or you skip it. As time allows, go back to the ones you skipped. When shi!t (time) hits the fan, 'charley' out (choice c), or whatever a,b,c,d letter floats your boat. Time management is key to the fundamental tests (FE or FS). Usually you can eliminate 2 of the answers right off the bat if you loosely understand the quest. All else aside, I hope you know how to do basic COGO calcs (quickly) w/ out a glorified data collector. Good luck!
02 The FS exam appears to 'reward' examinees who have had exposure to the broad field (as opposed to expertise in a few special areas) of surveying. As a result, make sure you study books like Wolf, et al. If you'd like a list of recommended references, please contact me.
03 Learn to prepare an 'outline' of everything you read. Not only will you retain the information better, you'll also have some notes to use for last minute studying.
04 Be particularly careful with regard to who you talk with the day of the exam (lunch time, also). No one needs to hear an opinion that runs contra to their understanding without having time to confirm it. Also, I recommend listening to a WalkMan like device while waiting in line to blockout background comments/noise.
This has been GREAT advice! Thank you very much everyone!
05 If you are taking an 'open book' exam, do not bring any books to the exam that you have not studied from. And, make sure you have reviewed the content of each book you bring.
06 The solution to many questions is dependent on the definition of a word or words. Purchase a good Surveying Terms dictionary!!!
I was wondering if you took the exam and what your thoughts were. I am going in october and was looking for some study advice. I have been using the reference manual and the newest sample examination from ppi mostly. i also have an older NCEES sample questions book.. what did you use or do you recomend?