NCEES FS EXAM - TEXAS

I am preparing to take the exam in April and noticed the amount of people passing the exam drasticly droped after the October 2010 exam, I believe April 2011 20 people passed, October 2011 21 people passed.

Did the test change? Are the previous study materials out not adequate for the "current" test?

What are/did you use to study for the exam?

Thanks

Has the number of exam takers dropped?

Has the number of first time exam takers dropped?

Has the number of first time exam takers with a degree dropped?

First time exam takers with a degree have a very high passing rate.

Exam takers with a degree that failed to pass the first time have a lower passing rate.

Exam takers without a degree have a much lower passing rate at any time.

Lastly with the drop in the econmy and fewer surveying jobs on the horizon, maybe some of those qualified to take the exam have switched fields. Some may come back a few years from now, but not all.

Paul in PA

I took (and passsed) the exam in October. The morrning and afternoon were not that much different.  I recommend you study the current Land Surveyors Reference Manual.  Also GIS seemed to be a big topic.  The test was not that bad.

I took and passed the exam in April 2011 and am sitting for th PS and PLS this April. The only advice I have for you is to study like it's your life on the line, thats what I did and completed both morning and afternoon exams hours early which left plenty of time for review. Pound trig, PLSS (I know in Texas you all are a bit different but it is the National exam), know vertical curve's, read Wattles, ACSM Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms, I read the 09 BLM manual which helped me, as someone else mentioned, have an inderstanding of GIS and more so than anything, have a good calculator and understand how to use it. I hope some of this helps and Good Luck!

I appreciate all of the reponses and welcome more ideas of what to study.

The first thing to understand is the FS test is the same all across the US.  Whether you take it in Texas or somewhere else matters not.

NCEES puts the test together.  Their website has a list of the content.

As for resources to study, that will greatly depend on your background and knowledge level.  I put together a 1 hour webinar with some advice for exam takers.

You will have to provide a name and email address if you wish to watch the webinar but I promise not to share that information with anyone else.

If you find a resource you believe will help you, please consider ordering from us.  Will help you any way I can.

Larry P

Charles,

I took and successfully passed the FS exam in Oct. 2011. I can't say for certain if the NCEES changed the exam or not, because I never took the exam previously. However, I do have a suggestion for you regarding study material. I purchased the Power to Pass FS package that contained the Surveyor Reference Manual, Survey Problems Solved and a Sample FS Exam. Of these three, throw the sample exam in the trash. A month before I took the exam I ordered the sample FS exam directly from the NCEES, that would be the one I recommend using. PPI's sample FS exam seemed much more of a practical oriented exam, whereas the NCEES's sample FS exam was more abstract in the the questions. There seemed to be more theoretical type of math problems. That month before I took the exam I am glad that I looked into the NCEES's sample exam because it changed the way I studied the last month before. The NCEES's sample exam is much more typical of what you will see on the exam. Master that one, and you should pass the actual one with no problems.

I found that Curtis Brown's book, Boundary Control and Legal Principles, was very very helpful for the boundary questions. Read it through 2 or 3 times.

The Surveyor Reference Manual was helpful for overall general survey reading in areas I was weak. For example, how to pull chain the old school way.

Surveying Problems Solved was very helpful to learn and challenge what you think you know. Spend time in the different sections of that book to see where you need to focus more study in other books. Once you can answer the questions in each section successfully, you probably have a good handle on those areas of study.

There is more out there, but these would be the 3 I spent the most time in.

I went to the library a lot and found a quiet study room, put ear plugs in, and read and practice the math problems over and over again.

Good luck! It can be done!

I too took the exam in Texas October 2011 and passed. It is tough but not impossible. My suggestion is to get the practice test from ncees and take it before you start studying. Try to time yourself just like it is done on the real test day. Then go back and look at the areas where you missed the most problems. This will help you know where you need to spend the most time in. The Solved Surveying Problems book was the most helpful to me. I worked all of the problems in it at least twice. Study up on GIS and photogametry, the program I earned my surveying degree in did not do a very good job covering those subjects and there were several questions on those topics. Know your calculator backwards and forwards. Triple check all of your programs to make sure they work correctly. It seems like mastering the calculator is half the battle in passing the test. Now a word of advice from one surveyor to another. Dont kill your self over this test or let it ruin your life. I spent the last 2 months before the test working 10 hour days and studying at least 5 hours every night. I studied until I was getting migraines almost daily and my wife started calling me a stranger. It was rough but I passed and dont have to take it again; however that was the only real benefit I have seen from all of it. I dont know your situation but having that piece of paper in my hand barely even earned me a "congratulations" from my boss. I was not given any kind of promotion or raise, im an SIT and still dont break 30K a year before taxes. But hey its just good to have a job. Bottom line is study and you can do it, but dont let your life depend on it because whether you pass it or not there is still a chance you wont be any better off then before.

Hang in there Chuck.

It isn't supposed to be easy.  Never has been.

SJ