Taking the NCEES PLS exam next week

It has been almost 20 years since I participated in those exams, so take this advice with caution.

1. Get a NCEES approved calculator that you can program with a cogo package.?ÿ This will help you solve traverse, area, vertical and horizontal curve questions faster than doing those calcs longhand.

2. For the FS, know the definitions of riparian terms like accretion, reliction, avulsion, etc... Don't stop with the riparian terms, also know other definitions found in the Glossary of The Land Surveyor Reference Manual by Andrew L. Harbin. The copyright on my copy is 1985. You can also find these definitions in Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms, published by ACSM. The copyright on my copy is 2005.

3. For the FS, know the formulas for calculating the areas of rectangles, triangles, conical triangles, and fractions of a circle.

4. For the PS, your best study guide is the Manual of Instructions for Surveying the Public Lands of the United States (The Blue Book).

Good luck to you!

My advice is as follows:

The day before, do a light review of your study material to refresh, and then donƒ??t look at it again.

wear comfortable clothes with as few pockets as possible (no hoodie). Leaving the exam room involves a complete search to re-enter, and making this easy on the adjudicate speeds things up.?ÿ

upon completing the exam, write down every single question you were not sure on. In the event you donƒ??t pass the first time, this will be valuable to determine where your weaknesses are.

best of luck to you.?ÿ

Good luck!

I did both computer based exams about 4 years ago, not much advice for the National exam, but I do for the CA specific. Create one binder with the information you are not comfortable with, my main area was water boundaries. Take the time to organize the info in the binder, I saw guys walking into the exam with milk crates full of books, from Wattles to Brown and they were pulling out and flipping through book after book wasting time.

They are computer based exams, answer all the question you know without a doubt first, then move on to the harder ones or ones that will take more time. These types of test you really need to "point farm"?ÿ and get as many easy points as you can, remember, you don't have to ace the exam, just pass.

Good luck!

So I took and failed the test yesterday.?ÿ ?????ÿ I in no way studied enough of what I needed to for the National.?ÿ The test had a lot, I mean A LOT, of what I would call East Coast survey questions.?ÿ Nothing wrong with that as it's a National exam, but just not as familiar.?ÿ My test consisted of roughly 10-15 wetland and water based survey questions which I have little knowledge of and no experience with.?ÿ We just don't have that in Southern California much.?ÿ A huge mix of ALTA, FEMA, GPS, and legal questions was basically the rest.?ÿ I only had one question I needed a calculator on.?ÿ The NCEES practice exam was pretty much useless except becoming familiar with the question format.?ÿ My Survey Reference Manual was a better study tool.?ÿ ?ÿIt only took me 2 hours and I skipped the optional break, but I am also a fast test taker.?ÿ?ÿ

Besides having to pay another $300 to retake the exam, I now at least have a much better understanding of what to really focus on.?ÿ?ÿ

@lunarfaze?ÿ

Just because this test had a large number of questions on what you perceive to be one subject matter, don't get caught in the trap. NCEES gives an outline of question percentage by subject matter.?ÿ Get a thorough understanding of each subject matter and you should be fine.?ÿ It took me a couple of attempts to pass the FS portion of the exam myself.?ÿ Don't let one failure discourage you!

Since you only had one question requiring a calculator, I am curious as to which test you took, the FS or the PS?

Good luck on the next one.?ÿ

@lunarfaze Certainly no disrespect directed your way, but I would reconsider being a fast test taker and taking the time to read the questions fully including going back to review your answers prior to submitting the test.?ÿ I would bet that if you had taken that time, since you had quite a bit remaining, you would had gained more points and potentially been more successful in the end.?ÿ Its not a race to see who submits first and there is no benefit gained by doing so.

I personally don't believe its an east coast test, but it is certainly possible that your experience in Southern California may not had afforded you the opportunities yet to gain a well rounded experience including PLSS and non-PLSS related boundary situations.?ÿ Wetlands and water related situations could indeed be studied sufficiently to be ready for the PS exam content.

Search for work opportunities which help you towards a licensure goal and continue to learn.?ÿ Best of luck.

When I took the PS (National exam), I went in with a TI-30 calculator and a couple of books freshly reread cover-to-cover including Brown's Boundary Control and Ghilani & Wolf's Elementary Surveying. (Wattles too, but that's not as big a deal for the PS). I still believe programming a calculator is not as big a priority as some make it out to be, but up to you.?ÿ

The biggest thing for me was reading my textbooks. Not reading the way most people nowadays read (audiobooks during the commute, while watching youtube, getting the jist and in one ear/out the other), but actually understanding why land ownership is structured the way it is in our country. Brown wasn't coming up with anything revolutionary per se, but laying out what we all know is the right and proper way to survey. It amazed me just how intuitive surveying really was after 15 years of studying, doing it, taking classes, etc.?ÿ

I would not get distracted by your location. I got licensed in SoCal (from Chicago originally), and I think it's one of the best parts of the Country to build experience and prepare for exams. Understand riparian law, how land is conveyed, what came first, and you should have a grasp on what it takes to get that license. Bummer that you have to pay for that particular exam twice, it's a pricey one.?ÿ

Keep in mind, this was the national PS... programmed calculators are not allowed nor are they even required.?ÿ The CA State one will be a completely different beast.?ÿ?ÿ

@kevin-hines This is the PS.?ÿ I took the FS in 2006.?ÿ That was very easy (for me).?ÿ?ÿ

@ric-moore I've always been a quick test taker.?ÿ I do not feel like it's ever hindered my ability nor has it been the reason I have failed an exam.?ÿ It's just the way I am.?ÿ If this was a test where I had to calc things, run numbers, etc., it definitely would have been a longer process.?ÿ These were choose the answer types.?ÿ Kinda Know It or Don't questions.?ÿ (Mostly).?ÿ The ones I didn't know, I flagged and continued the test hoping I would come across something to help answer the questions.?ÿ?ÿ

To all - I've definitely no discouraged, more surprised.?ÿ I now know what to study more of and I can retake it in January to March.?ÿ I will be way more prepared.?ÿ I'll use this as a great learning experience.?ÿ From what I have been told, it's basically a 70% needed to pass and I really don't feel I was there on this exam.

Posted by: @drew-r

When I took the PS (National exam), I went in with a TI-30 calculator and a couple of books freshly reread cover-to-cover including Brown's Boundary Control and Ghilani & Wolf's Elementary Surveying. (Wattles too, but that's not as big a deal for the PS). I still believe programming a calculator is not as big a priority as some make it out to be, but up to you.?ÿ

The biggest thing for me was reading my textbooks. Not reading the way most people nowadays read (audiobooks during the commute, while watching youtube, getting the jist and in one ear/out the other), but actually understanding why land ownership is structured the way it is in our country. Brown wasn't coming up with anything revolutionary per se, but laying out what we all know is the right and proper way to survey. It amazed me just how intuitive surveying really was after 15 years of studying, doing it, taking classes, etc.?ÿ

I would not get distracted by your location. I got licensed in SoCal (from Chicago originally), and I think it's one of the best parts of the Country to build experience and prepare for exams. Understand riparian law, how land is conveyed, what came first, and you should have a grasp on what it takes to get that license. Bummer that you have to pay for that particular exam twice, it's a pricey one.?ÿ

I totally agree.?ÿ When I read, I highlight and have a composite notebook I write notes in all I go.?ÿ This really help be retain it.?ÿ

I just didn't "finish" reading up on what I needed.?ÿ LOL

@lunarfaze NCEES allows the 35s. It can be programmed with more than you will need for the national exams.

The Orange County chapter provides an exam prep course for the CA state exam. It is an extremely thorough course and helped me pass the National Exam in the Fall. Hoping to take the state specific exam in April.?ÿ

I also did not need my calculator for the National Exam which had surprised me.?ÿ

Good luck on your next attempt!

@kevin-hines?ÿ good luck on the exam sir. i had my daughter in my lap almost every night for about 6 months. she can probably spout stuff from Davis, Foot, & Kelley.?ÿ

@samlucy3874 Your well wishes are slightly misdirected, but thanks anyway.?ÿ It is @lunarfaze taking the PS exam... the last one I took was the Kansas State Specific exam. Now that is an exam where time management is crucial to one's success.