Virginia State Specific Exam
@Survey_joe Hey I have two books from the John Foster School that has a lot of the information in it from various sources so other books but it is condensed I can loan out to you if you would like. I am in the central VA area. I also have the Virginia Erosion Control Manual if you have not located one of those yet. I work in Richmond live in Caroline but have no problem loaning out anything for sure.
@<b style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(--bb-body-text-color);">OleManRiver Thanks!!! I have John Foster Books from the FS and PS classes. The FS book has alot of drainage equations on it. I wondered at the time a few years ago studying for the FS why all these drainage equations were on there. Now I know!
I really just wanted to know how much time I should spend learning all the drainage/hydrology/E&S or if I could just find the answer within my books.
@OleManRiver Thanks! I've got books from the FS and PS John Foster classes. The FS book has a bunch of drainage equations for my HP 35 that at the time I wondered the purpose, now I know! I really just want to know how much of the drainage/hydrology/E&S I need to learn. Could I get by with just all the books and hope I can get by the math on Test day.
I took the exam a few months ago and I got through it by looking through the manuals and trying to pick up on the main topics and main equations. But I never 'knew it' really but I did know how to find it which is what helped me get through the exam and those unfamiliar topics. You will need all of the reference material and it will take a suitcase to get it in there.
I have heard that a dolly is a good idea. Also how you mark or tab your material is important. If it’s not perfect it’s not permitted. Bound material vs a ring binder and the method in which you mark or tabulate the material.
I took a milk crate of reference material ! There were a few suggested references I did not bother with. I think one was on bridges. The farther from surveying and drainage the less I worried about having the reference. I did not feel they were peppering you with questions on some arcane statute. But it did cover stuff that was costal in nature.
Edit: Marking and tabbing your material does help. See the attached pictures of one of my references.
If I remember correctly they provided some data to go with the test so you were not wasting time just looking up data. It was more about how to apply and use it properly. I saw people carrying in twice as much material as me and some with just a copy of Brown's Boundary Control and Legal Principles.
I did not find the test any more or less difficult from MD or PA.
My biggest help was test taking strategy. I go through the test answering everything I know cold and hard. Then go through a 2nd time and work through problems that I'm not sure of. After a couple of minutes and you're not sure, move on, come back to it on the 3d pass. And yes, there were a few that I was like, wow , haven't had a C in awhile. LOL !!
Good Luck!
Thanks for all the reply's! Ill definitely start familiarizing myself with all of the non surveying info they will have. Question @GaryG do you now if those tabs would still be allowed? I was printing mine because I thought there could be no handwriting on the reference material?
I don't see why not. I would call and ask. But you have to index the document somehow, it's just too much info not to.
You have to use the specific tabs, which are basically a non-removable tab, but you can handwrite the little inserts that slide in them. You can't have any handwriting in the text body of your references, but you're allowed to highlight anything. Put some effort into your tab labels, as it might be the key to passing or failing. In addition to tabbing chapters, consider tabbing examples of drainage problems, charts, figures, specific rules, etc..
I have a whole bunch of pdf materials in my Google Drive that a co-worker shared with me after he passed the PS and the VA-specific exams. I'm happy to share everything I have with anyone who is interested.
