The Principles and Practice of Surveying exam is closed book. NCEES provides a reference manual during the exam. This is a link to the 126 page reference manual.
http://cdn3.ncees.co/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/PS-ref-v2.pdf
Any comments from recent exam takers on the usefulness of said manual?
Any comments on the ease of finding what you are looking for in said manual?
I have downloaded it but have barely scanned it. Will consider printing it out.
after a quick review, I doubt I would ever use anything after page 25.
Paul in PA
You probably won't have to use much from the GPS standards sections except the area around page 100.
Unless you're really familiar with the ALTA standards (I was not when I took the test last October) as well as accuracy standards for leveling and traversing, you will be using it after page 25.
Get comfortable with all the calculations for vertical and horizontal curves. Remember where the photogrammetry stuff is and anything else you don't use on a weekly basis.
Also, LOOK OVER FLOOD ZONE MAPPING STANDARDS. I hardly ever do flood related stuff at work and never thought it would be on the test (don't ask me why) so I was shocked when there were about 10 questions on the subject.
Mine wasn't nearly so math intensive as I had prepared for, but being comfortable with the formulas and concepts is something you have time to do before October so you're shorting yourself if you don't. I don't remember many specific questions anymore, but let me know if something comes to mind, and I can probably remember if it was on there or not.