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

Step 1. Get serious

So you want to be a Professional Land Surveyor.

Step 1. Get serious.

It isn't easy becoming a Professional Land Surveyor. In fact, it's tough. As I've said before the requirements are complex. As with any complex endeavor, you don't ask your friends what they think about something and then act on that advice alone.

No, when you embark on a journey like this, you go first straight to the source. So who is "the source"? First, go to the website of the Board of Licensure for your state.

Each state has it's own rules and requirements. In some states you will be required to have a 4 year degree in an accredited school before you are eligible to take the first test. You should learn the requirements before you start filling out applications paying fees.

Don't ask (or even let) someone else do this basic research for you. If you want to be a professional, it's time to get serious and act like it. Do your own research with the Board for your state.

If you aren't quite sure what the rules mean or how to interpret particularly difficult passages, do not hesitate to ask someone. But, not just anyone. Call the Board office. They will (almost certainly) be glad to help. If the Board tells you something different from what someone else said, who should you believe? That's right, at the end of the day it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks. The Board decisions count.

Once you determine you are qualified to take the Fundamentals Exam (FS), allow plenty of time to submit all the necessary paperwork. This is not a weekend project. The forms are almost always confusing and the requirements complex. (I told you the process wouldn't be easy.)

Once your paperwork is submitted, you sit back and wait to hear from the Board whether or not they will let you take the exam, right? NO. Not just No, but Hell No.

Often (far too often in my humble opinion) the Board does not notify the exam taker they have a seat until very late. I've heard of people being told they could take the exam with less than one week notice. That is rare, but it happens. Much more commonly the board will notify you one month or so ahead.

One month is not sufficient time to prepare. I advise people they need to begin their studies at least 6 months ahead. There is a ton of material to cover and you can not do anything more than "cram" if you wait too late to begin studying.

If you are "cramming" for the exam rather than learning the material, you aren't serious. This isn't like some political science course in High School. The information on the test is information you need to know and understand for the rest of your professional career.

Get serious and learn the material.

I'll get into more detail on the exam(s) with future posts. For now, just always remember Step 1, Get Serious.

Larry P

Time to Begin

This is the first post of what I hope will become a very useful blog.

I (and some other knowledgeable friends) will post tips and resources for those persons who are preparing to take one of the Land Surveying Exams.

If you are deep into studying for one of the exams you probably already know this, but for those who might stumble upon this site, I'm going to take a moment to explain the basic process.

First, each state (and US Territory) has it's own Land Surveying licensing laws. If you want to become a Professional Land Surveyor you should first contact the surveying board in your state. (Here is a page with links to the websites of each of the boards.)

Some states require a 4 year degree in a field directly related to Land Surveying. If you do not hold such a degree you might wish to first find out whether you are eligible to apply to take the first exam.

That's right, I said first exam.

Here is how the basic process. License candidates (after meeting the application criteria) take a standard 8 hour exam. This exam is called the Fundamentals Exam.

Those who work hard and are able to pass the Fundamentals Exam can move forward in the process.

After passing the Fundamentals Exam (and meeting additional requirements) candidates take a second exam. This second exam (the Principles and Practice of Surveying ) is a multi-part exam. Part of this exam is a national standard exam and part is jurisdiction specific.

For a more detailed explanation of the entire process you see this page from NCEES. NCEES is the organization that writes and administers the standard exams. I'll be posting more information about those exams in future blog entries.

Finally, let me leave you with a thought. I work regularly with people wanting to become Professional Land Surveyors. Over the years I've heard lots of other people wish these candidates "good luck". I do not do that.

If you are trusting luck to help you through this process, you should quit right now. Don't do anything more. Luck has nothing to do with being successful. Hard work and perseverance are the keys to success. There is are no substitutes.

Now, if you are serious about this, get to work.

Larry P