PS Exam

The book I used most was Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms revised by ACSM. If I wasn't sure exactly sure what a word or term meant I looked it up. It answered a ton of questions and about the only book I had to use. I passed the first time, I had to take the state hydrology more then once but kind of planned it that way.

Blacks law dictionary is a must!!!

> The book I used most was Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms revised by ACSM. If I wasn't sure exactly sure what a word or term meant I looked it up. It answered a ton of questions and about the only book I had to use. I passed the first time, I had to take the state hydrology more then once but kind of planned it that way.

Blacks Law Dictionary was the biggest help for me too.

I took about ten books in with me.

I think I used two; a basic survey text (I believe it was Moffitt & Bouchard) to look up a photogrammetry equation and a 50 page GIS dictionary that I found online, printed, and bound to look up a couple of terms. That was about it, otherwise I thought the exam was pretty easy.

I took a rolling suitcase full of material. Got some strange looks but it made me a comfortable test taker.

Blacks Law
ACSM Definition of Survey Terms
Surveying Moffit/Bossler
Evidence and Boundary Procedures (signed by Robillard because I am a survey geek)
Land Development Handbook
Land Surveyor Reference Manual
BLM Manual
Handbook of Construction Management
Introduction to Technical Mathematics
Land Survey Review Manual
Intro to Hydraulics and Hydrology
Practical Hydrology
Land Surveyor's Formulas
Typical Land Surveyors's Exam Questions

State Specific Materials:
GA Land Surveying History and Law
Fairicloth's Notes
Etc.

Big bottle of water
small bottle of Advil
Banana
2 HP 48s when legal
Then 2 HP 33s after that
Highlighters
Extra pencils
a Scale

> Evidence and Boundary Procedures (signed by Robillard because I am a survey geek)

Nice, I have a copy of Compass Land Surveying signed and stamped (WV License No. 1) by Sipe

Thanks for the feedback everybody!

I'm feeling really confident and I think I'll definitely have a rolling suitcase. The way it seems the problems are so very often similar I'm hoping on some of the most difficult math questions I can benefit from comparisons to practice questions.

I took The following:
Surveying Theory and Practice (7th Edition)
Elementary Surveying: An Introduction to Geomatics (9th Edition)
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (Chang, 2nd Edition)
Arkansas Surveyor's Reference Manual
And a binder of some self bound materials covering ALTA standards, National Mapping Standards, and a whole bunch of material for my State Specific portion.

I used the first two books about equally, depending on which one I thought gave a better explanation of whatever issue I was running into.

I took a rolling suitcase full of material as well.

ACSM Definition of Survey Terms (Used a few times to check myself)
Elementary Surveying 9th wolf/brinker (Used twice)
Evidence and procedures for Boundary Location Didn't Use
Boundary Control and Legal Principals Didn't Use
BLM Manual Used three or four times to check procedures
Typical Land Surveyors's Exam Questions Didn't Use
Wattles - Legal Descriptions Didn't Use
Elements of Photogrammetry Didn't Use
Blacks Law Didn't Use
NGS Publications Used Once

Things I should have thrown in but forgot. (Since I passed the first time I guess I didn't need them.

FEMA LOMA data
National Map accuracy stuff
ALTA regulations.

Even if you have all the references in the world, if you don't know the material, or where to find it QUICKLY, so won't have enough time to complete the exam. Don't overdo it on the references and Tab the Hell out of the ones you do take.

From my 12/13/2010 post

I took it in 1989.

I went into the exam with 5-6 books, an HP-41 and a TI-?? (it wasn't programmable).

I had a notebook with formulas & misc info, Blacks Law, the Manual, a route book, Evidence & Procedures, and one other other I don't remember.... all tabbed...

The proctor came around checking everyones calculators, materials, etc. and when he reached me, he made me put away the TI because it wasn't on the approved list. The 41 was allowed.

There were some guys who came to the exam with boxes of books, one guy even had 3-4 crates of books stacked on a handtruck....yes a handtruck.... (Snoop?);-)

One guy had 5-6 calculators....

I passed...

Best of luck to you!

> Even if you have all the references in the world, if you don't know the material, or where to find it QUICKLY, so won't have enough time to complete the exam. Don't overdo it on the references and Tab the Hell out of the ones you do take.

I had a file box of stuff but I don't recall using any of it. There just wasn't time. You might be able to confirm a reference or an equation but you better know just where it is and have it tabbed.

I took:

BLM manual
Evidence and procedures
BLM glossary
Land Surveyor Reference Manual
ACSM Definitions
Wattles
Elementary Surveying
Some GIS 101 book from a co-worker

Make sure you have and I can't STRESS ENOUGH;-):

FEMA EC certificate
ALTA Standards

I used the above 2 and the ACSM Definitions and Evidence. No others were needed with the test I took. I think if you had "Black's" it would replace many of the books above. I didn't have it and had to rifle through Evidence a few times to find certain items.

I passed the first time.

I had that too. On the entire test there where only two terms not in ACSM that I used Blacks Law do have both. The ACSM book is alot smaller and you can find stuff alot quicker. ohh and i borrowed a xanax from someone which made it alot more comfortable.

Nothing like the LSIT at all as far as math, I think I used my Calc less then 5 times on the National part.

Here is a good and free gis dictionary!

http://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/Publications/Tech_Reports/92/92-13.PDF

If anyone else is compiling a list of printables for a binder this is what I have so far. Please add if you think of anything.

Kentucky Statutes and Regulations
FEMA Elevation Certificate Instructions
FIRM Key to Map Panel
FEMA LOMA/LOMR-F
An old USGS sacrificed for the cause
National Map Accuracy Standards
ALTA ASCM Standards
GIS Definitions

Anybody from Kentucky have any insight into specific areas of the Statutes and Regulations to focus additional reading.

Thanks again.

I used, in order of frequency:
1. In a 3 ring binder (misc materials):
FS formulas
ALTA standards
FEMA stuff
Mapping standards
excerpts from NOAA manual State Plane Coord System of 1983
Business formulas
2. ACSM surveying definitions
3.'73 BLM manual
4. Boundary Control & Legal Principles - Brown, Robillard, Wilson
5. Surveying: Theory & Practice - Mikhail & Anderson
6. GPS Theory & Practice - Hofmann-Wellenhof, Lichteneggar, Collins
7. Some Photogrammetry book - used once, didnt really need
8. Principles & Practice of Surveying Sample Exam (paperback)
Had Clark on Surveying & Boundaries in the car.

Calculators were Casio fx 115ES w/ TI 36x as wingman.

I just passed the exam last year and the only thing I would add would be to make sure you have a GIS and GPS glossary.

These are not covered well in the ASCM dictionary and they will probably throw an esoteric gps or GIS term at you!

I want to thank you for the GIS link. There were a lot of terms on some practice tests that I have been studying with that I wasn't finding in any of my textbooks, but the GIS dictionary had all of them, so thanks, I just printed it off and will bind it today for the test. I'm taking GA(the national, state specific, and hydrology) next week, nervous....