Solving Simultaneous Equations

One of the keys to success on the exam is preparation. Knowing and being able to get the most of calculator is among the most important things.

To help with that I plan to post a series of short instructional videos on the HP 35.

The first of those video's is about how to solve simultaneous equations.



The video was recorded by Reynold Davenport. Mr. Davenport is the author of many of the videos we sell at LSW. He spent years teaching surveying at Sandhills Community College in North Carolina. He (along with Benji DeBerry, PLS) wrote the programs we sell.

Keep working hard to pass the exam.

Larry P

The Principles of Surveying Exam

The Principles of Surveying Exam, aka the PS exam, is the 2nd exam on the road to becoming a Professional Land Surveyor.

To pass this exam the successful candidate will need to have learned and comprehended a very broad range of information. This exam builds on the things one should have learned in the first exam.

So anyone who can pass this exam will know everything they need to know to be a PLS, right? Wrong. Each state has it's own state specific exam. The national exam does not cover jurisdictional specifics. Instead the questions will be more broad based in nature.

Here is the NCEES list of exam topics with a % the subject area.

Knowledge		Approximate Percentage of the Examination
I. Standards and Specifications		15%
A. Federal statutes, laws, rules and regulations
B. U.S. Public Land Survey System
C. U.S. National Map Accuracy Standards
D. ALTA/ACSM Surveys
E. Geodetic control network and mapping accuracy standards
F. FEMA
II. Legal Principles		25%
A. Common/case law boundary principles
B. Sequential and simultaneous conveyances
C. U.S. Public Land Survey System
D. Controlling elements in legal descriptions
E. Riparian and littoral rights
F. Property title issues (e.g., encumbrances, interpretation, deficiencies)
G. Sovereign land rights (e.g., navigable waters, eminent domain)
H. Prescriptive rights/adverse possession
I. Easement rights
J. Parol evidence
Knowledge	Approximate Percentage of the Examination
III. Professional Survey Practices	30%
A. Research	8%
1. Public/private record sources
2. Project planning (e.g., photogrammetric, geodetic, boundary)
3. Control datums and easement rights
4. Control network accuracy standards
B. Field Procedures	8%
1. Instrument operations and usage
2. Monumentation (e.g., identification, classification, perpetuation)
3. Survey control (e.g., boundary, topographic, photogrammetric)
4. GPS operations
5. Construction staking
C. Calculations and Compilations	7%
1. Mapping methods and/or projections
2. Graphical terrain representations
3. Geoid, ellipsoid, and orthometric heights
4. State Plane Coordinate Systems
5. GPS data reduction and analysis
6. Control network calculations, analysis and adjustments
7. Determination of bearings/azimuths
8. Area/volume calculations
Knowledge	Approximate Percentage of the Examination
9. Horizontal and vertical alignment calculations
10. Construction staking calculations (e.g., plan interpretation)
D. Documentation	7%
1. Survey maps/plats
2. Survey reports
3. Descriptions
IV. Business/Professional Practices	15%
A. Project planning (e.g., parameters, costs)
B. Contracts
C. Risk management (e.g., liability, safety procedures, insurance)
D. Ethics
E. Communications (oral, written, graphical)
F. Quality assurance procedures
V. Types of Surveys	15%
A. ALTA/ACSM surveys
B. Control and geodetic surveys
C. Construction surveys (e.g., construction calculations and staking)
D. Boundary surveys
E. Route and right-of-way surveys
F. Topographic surveys by field methods
G. Topographic surveys by photogrammetry

It may take some time, but I will be taking a closer look at these various areas in future posts.

Larry P

The Fundamentals Exam (First Exam)

The Fundamentals of Surveying Exam (FS) is the first exam for those wanting to become a Professional Surveyor. It is not designed to be a comprehensive test of all the skills necessary to become a successful surveyor. (This despite the extensive list of topics covered.)

This exam is designed to test the your knowledge of the most basic items only. The Principles of Surveying Exam (Second Exam) will build upon the information you were supposed to have learned in order to pass the Fundamentals Exam.

So, what is covered on the FS exam. Turns out the content is not a deep dark secret kept hidden away in a cave near Clemson SC. NCEES publishes an outline that tells you what to expect and in what amounts.

This time I'm going to post the entire list of subjects. In later posts I plan to go into each of the 15 different subject areas and get into more specific detail.

For now, just know that these are the subject areas.


More to come, stay tuned.

Larry P

The Magic Bullet

I get calls (lots of calls) from people wanting advice on how to become a surveyor. That is part of why I started this blog. I want to help you be successful. I want you to pass the exams. (I want you to join us on the CEU Cruise someday but that is another story.)

Many of the calls I get are from people wanting exactly the same thing. Everyone wants a Magic Bullet. They all want to know what one book they can buy, what one course they can take, what one thing they can do that will guarantee success on the exams.

I have sad news folks. There is no magic bullet. There is no one course, one book, one anything that will guarantee success. Oh sure I've seen companies who make outlandish claims for the success of their students. (BullS**t).

As you may have read in earlier posts on this blog, there is no substitute for plain old hard work and dedication. You can not get by with less than that full effort.

The breadth of material covered on the exams is so wide that it is not possible to write one book or design one course that covers everything. There is a reason it takes years to properly prepare. There are no magic bullets.

Larry P

The new NCEES Calculator Policy has been posted

Each year in mid November, NCEES posts a new calculator policy.

The 2010 Calculator Policy is now available on their web site.

Nearly as I can tell, the new policy is nearly identical to the 2009 policy.

This is good news for those persons who have been studying for awhile.

Larry P

Step 3. Choosing the right Calculator for me?

First, some basics.

NCEES (the people who write the exam) announces a new calculator policy in early November of each year. They are very strict about their rules so don't even think about getting around them. Recently a Puerto Rican court awarded significant damages to NCEES in an exam theft case.


From the current calculator policy:

Examples of acceptable Casio fx-115 models include but are not limited to:
	fx-115 MS fx-115 MS Plus fx-115 MS SR fx-115 ES

The HP 33s and HP 35s models are the only acceptable HP calculators.

Examples of acceptable TI-30X and TI-36X models include but are not limited to:
	TI-30Xa TI-30Xa SOLAR TI-30Xa SE TI-30XS Multiview TI-30X IIB TI-30X IIS TI-36X II TI-36X SOLAR

So which calculator do I really need for the exam?

If you really know the material, any of the models listed will suffice. Many Professional Surveyors argue that any calculator that does basic trig functions is all you need.

So why the big deal over which calculator is best for me?

While it is true that the basic capabilities of each of these calculators is the same, there are some important differences. I know nothing of the Casio models listed. But a quick Google check indicates that these models are not programmable. I have a TI-30XA on my desk. I've used that thing I bet going on 15 years or more. It does fine for quick basic calculations. But it too is not programmable.

That leaves the HP 33S and HP 35S. They are programmable.

If I don't really need anything other than basic functions, why is my calculator being programmable such a big deal?

It is true that most everything you'll need to do on the exam can be handled by basic functions. The problem is using those basic functions to solve the more complex questions (like something as simple as a bearing bearing intersection) takes time.

Time is the most precious commodity you have on exam day. Anything that can save you time can make the difference between success and failure. Having a calculator with some programs (and equations) buys you time.

Does this mean every student should have one of the HP Calculators for study and exam taking?

Few rules have truly universal application. If you know your trusty Casio or TI like the back of your hand, you might wish to stick with it. If you can work trig functions and perform polar to rectangular conversions in your sleep with one of the allowed models, stick with it.

If you will be starting fresh with a calculator, I highly suggest you get one of the HP models. You might as well learn a model that will give you the most flexibility and advantage.

Land Surveyors Workshops is one resource for programs for the HP 33S plus HP35S Programs and calculators.

LSW also has video materials that can help the neophyte learn the calculator.

Surveying Mathematics with the HP 35S

Math Practice Exams with the HP 35S

Surveying Calculations with the HP 33S.

Surveying Mathematics with the HP 33S


So which HP is better, the 33s or the 35s?

Better is a very subjective term. Each model has it's own strengths and weaknesses.

The 33s is slightly less expensive when you can find one. (LSW stopped selling the 33S because we had very real difficulty getting them.)

The 35s comes with a hard case and much better keys.

Frankly, neither of these calculators is likely to become the old friend you'll have and use for the next couple of decades. They pretty much fill one function. Used properly, they can help you pass the exam.

Larry P

Step 2. Know Thy Self

You've gotten past Step 1 - Get Serious. (If you haven't gotten past Step 1 quit now and wait until you can get past it.)

Now, you need to be honest with yourself.

• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Are you willing to do whatever is necessary to pass the exam(s)?

You'll grow tired of hearing me say this, but the path to success is paved with work and study. Lots of both.

Plenty of people do lots of both without success. That doesn't mean they aren't intelligent. It probably does mean they simply didn't invest their efforts in the proper areas.

Proper areas? Yep, proper areas.

The scope of the material covered by these exams means you can not know everything you need to know. None of us do. Even those persons who have worked it the profession a lifetime can only aspire to come close to knowing everything they need to know.

The exams are not designed to measure whether you know everything. You don't.

They are designed to determine whether you hold the minimum necessary knowledge.

The very best place for you to begin your work and study is by figuring out what you know.

You can't figure how to get to where you want to be until you determine where you are.

Try these steps.

1. Decide which calculator you will use for the exam. (Remember the calculator you choose must be on the approved list. They will not let you into the exam room with a calculator that is not on that list.) I will go into more detail on the advantages and disadvantages of the various calculators in future posts.
   
2. Use that calculator and nothing else when you are studying.
3. If you are taking the Fundamentals Exam, get a copy of the materials that will be supplied to exam takers. (Fundamentals)
4. Purchase an example exam. They are relatively inexpensive. (Fundamentals of Land Surveying Sample Exam, Sample Questions and Answers or Principles and Practice of Land Surveying, Sample Questions and Answers.)
5. DO NOT open the Sample Exam book and begin using it to study. This is a common mistake. These books aren't bad study material. Their best value to you is not as study material. Their best value is as a diagnostic tool.
6. Simulate the exam. Use the Example Exams as a real exam. Go to a quiet place with no interruptions. Turn off your cell phone. Take only the materials you will have in the real thing. Allow the same amount of time per question as in the real thing.
7. When done, grade your performance.
   

The results of your sample exam should give you a good idea of your areas of strength and areas where you need help.

Once you know that, you can focus your work and study in the areas that will give you the best chance of success.

Larry P