Looking for Study Materials for PLS exam

[fariddadashi]

Hey Guys,
I am going to take the test for Spring 2019 for the first time. I got my LSIT 10 years ago, so i need to refresh my memory before taking the test. I was wondering if any of you guys out there have study materials which you think i can borrow from you and pass the test? Since i can't afford buying study materials right know ( i am on tight budget due having kids and wife not working) . I live in southern California ( Orange County ) . I can be reached by Cell phone at 949-463-7780 or Email : fariddadashi@yahoo.com. I hope I get my PLS on my first attempt and become a part of Licensed Land Surveying family.

Thanks for reading my post.
Farid.

[Steve Martin]

To me, the Caltrans LSIT/LS exam prep video course is still excellent material even 28 years later.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/landsurveys/workbook.html

Download the workbook, watch the videos and work the sample problems, an excellent way to prepare.

[fariddadashi]

To me, the Caltrans LSIT/LS exam prep video course is still excellent material even 28 years later.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/landsurveys/workbook.html

Download the workbook, watch the videos and work the sample problems, an excellent way to prepare.

Thanks Martin

[falcon]

CLSA has a great study guide somewhere. I believe they are in the process of updating it but you should still be able to find it.

I second CalTrans videos and study workbook.

[fariddadashi]

CLSA has a great study guide somewhere. I believe they are in the process of updating it but you should still be able to find it.

I second CalTrans videos and study workbook.

Thanks for your input. Do you know where are those CLSA study materials?

[TheLostSurveyor]

in the CLSA store is where you will find the exam guide:
https://www.californiasurveyors.org/sec ... 1FC2812DA9

It's a good guide, fairly basic

[fariddadashi]

in the CLSA store is where you will find the exam guide:
https://www.californiasurveyors.org/sec ... 1FC2812DA9

It's a good guide, fairly basic

Excellent. Good source .
Thank you.

[TheLostSurveyor]

If you want the absolute best guide, in my opinion and for my money, you should check out John Butchers' guide at :

http://www.hp33ssurveyor.com/

the "LS Compendium" love this guide, has just about every spec of knowledge you need for the test in a very concise bundle with very little unnecessary wording.

sidenote: I dont really recommend his calculator programs though if you can get a hold of the D'zign programs.

[fariddadashi]

If you want the absolute best guide, in my opinion and for my money, you should check out John Butchers' guide at :

http://www.hp33ssurveyor.com/

the "LS Compendium" love this guide, has just about every spec of knowledge you need for the test in a very concise bundle with very little unnecessary wording.

sidenote: I dont really recommend his calculator programs though if you can get a hold of the D'zign programs.

Thank you!

[TheLostSurveyor]

happy to help. if you find any other good resources please feel free to share here

[Tom Herrin]

For books, check out the used textbook markets for older additions of books - they can be found for really cheap prices if you search. Highly reccomend tracking down a copy of the Brown Boundary control book if you do not have one. The older 4th or 5th editions can often be found on used text book websites (like alibris.com) for less than $10. There are not huge differences between these older editions of Brown and the current one. Another book that is good to have is the Wattles Legal Descritions book, used book sites can be helpful here too. I realize this is spending at least some money, but these are books you will want to have and use for your library long term.

Also recommend getting a PDF copy of the BLM 2009 manual, which is a free download on the BLM website:

https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files ... s_2009.pdf.

A thorough familiarty with the BLM manual and the Brown Boundary book can help you greatly in passing the test on the first go...

[fariddadashi]

For books, check out the used textbook markets for older additions of books - they can be found for really cheap prices if you search. Highly reccomend tracking down a copy of the Brown Boundary control book if you do not have one. The older 4th or 5th editions can often be found on used text book websites (like alibris.com) for less than $10. There are not huge differences between these older editions of Brown and the current one. Another book that is good to have is the Wattles Legal Descritions book, used book sites can be helpful here too. I realize this is spending at least some money, but these are books you will want to have and use for your library long term.

Also recommend getting a PDF copy of the BLM 2009 manual, which is a free download on the BLM website:

https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files ... s_2009.pdf.

A thorough familiarty with the BLM manual and the Brown Boundary book can help you greatly in passing the test on the first go...

Thank you Tom for your respond,
I own Brown Boundary control, Evidence and Procedures for Boundary location and Wattle books. (Yeyyy) I Also ordered the Solved Surveying Questions (Van Sickle, 4th Edition).
I am going thorough the Professional Land Surveyor Examination Reference List (as you can find it on the Board Website here: http://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/lsrefs.pdf).


I started on California Professional Land Surveyors' Act , and after i complete it i will move on to Boundary Control and Legal Principles and go on until i cover most of the references listed for exam.

Any Tips, or comments appreciate it from you guys who passed the PLS exam recently as you are more familiar with the test formats and questions.

[Steve Martin]

The Board's reference list sometimes reflects what is in their library and not necessarily the best reference for exam preparation.

I prefer GPS for Land Surveyors by Van Sickle over their listed GPS references.

Also, I recommend B. Austin Barry's Errors in Practical Measurement in Surveying, Engineering, and Technology for error analysis.

[fariddadashi]

The Board's reference list sometimes reflects what is in their library and not necessarily the best reference for exam preparation.

I prefer GPS for Land Surveyors by Van Sickle over their listed GPS references.

Also, I recommend B. Austin Barry's Errors in Practical Measurement in Surveying, Engineering, and Technology for error analysis.

Thank you Steve,
Good to know, I will keep that in my mind.

[dedkad]

One of the books I used quite a bit during the test but didn't see on the Board's study list is Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms.

[Edward M Reading]

One of the books I used quite a bit during the test but didn't see on the Board's study list is Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms.

Yes, good one. It is published by the ACSM.

[fariddadashi]

Thank you guys.

[falcon]

Any Tips, or comments appreciate it from you guys who passed the PLS exam recently as you are more familiar with the test formats and questions.

I passed in December. My $0.02:

- Try to get in a review course and find some study partners.
- Study Study Study. I studied for about 3 months, average of 6-8 hours a week. Towards the end actually sit down for the test time and do made up tests. For NCEES practice with the reference manual open on your computer. For CA have your books tabbed and practice with those.
- Find old problems actually used on past tests and practice those. Understand them totally, and the concepts behind the calculations.
- Program your calculator, and practice with it. You won't use it near as much as for the LSIT but if it saves you 5 minutes to use on another question, it is worth it.
- Make sure your family is on board. My home office was off limits while I was in there studying. If you want to pass you have to put in the time.
- Get the NCEES one out of the way first, than focus on the CA. This was more my personal preference, as I wanted to study specifically for each one.

Good Luck!

[TheLostSurveyor]

Any Tips, or comments appreciate it from you guys who passed the PLS exam recently as you are more familiar with the test formats and questions.

I passed in December. My $0.02:

- Try to get in a review course and find some study partners.
- Study Study Study. I studied for about 3 months, average of 6-8 hours a week. Towards the end actually sit down for the test time and do made up tests. For NCEES practice with the reference manual open on your computer. For CA have your books tabbed and practice with those.
- Find old problems actually used on past tests and practice those. Understand them totally, and the concepts behind the calculations.
- Program your calculator, and practice with it. You won't use it near as much as for the LSIT but if it saves you 5 minutes to use on another question, it is worth it.
- Make sure your family is on board. My home office was off limits while I was in there studying. If you want to pass you have to put in the time.
- Get the NCEES one out of the way first, than focus on the CA. This was more my personal preference, as I wanted to study specifically for each one.

Good Luck!

Besides the NCEES prep test, what other tests did you use? and what strategy did you use in your reading/studying? You are the first person that I have heard from that has passed the new test format so any additional information would be warmly welcomed

[falcon]

Besides the NCEES prep test, what other tests did you use? and what strategy did you use in your reading/studying?

The class I took was put on by the Channel Islands Chapter, and it was excellent. The materials included the entire 2005 test, as well as multiple questions released since then. It also had a bunch of older test questions from the 80's and 90's, all great study tools. BPELSG has released a bunch of old test questions, so you can find them online. I believe CLSA even hosts some on the main site.

My strategies were taken from our first class. I went through the test plan with some colored pencils. One color was for portions I KNEW back and forth, and felt confident about answering. Another color was for questions I had been exposed to, but not great at. The last was for stuff I had no idea on.

I prioritized my studying that way. I read up on the stuff I was not great on, and got more comfortable. Then I started studying up on the stuff I was lost on. I didn't master every topic and I know for a fact I got a few questions wrong on the test. So what, it's a game of numbers.

Towards the end as I did practice tests, I tabbed and marked my books and notebooks for whatever I had to look up. I also tabbed stuff during studying that I knew would be helpful to have a reference (like the sma, ls act, board rules, and misc laws. You know we have to file a record, but when and why? what section requires it?)

I tried to get a study buddy but failed. So I had to be absolutely disciplined in my study time. I had to make a schedule, (do what works for you) so I was on it every Tuesday and Thursday for 2-3 hours after work. Saturday was included but variable, sometimes only an hour, sometimes 6 (practice tests).

A big help for me was the AS degree I received a few years ago. I had been at least exposed to most of the materials on the test. When I graduated I was nowhere near mastery but it sure helped. I had already read through lots of the main texts, so much of my studies were review and more in depth study.

[Steve Martin]

CLSA scanned all my old copies of the LS exam sometime back (around the 40th anniversary of CLSA I think). The Board used to release them back in the 80s and earlier. Sometimes the grading plan was also available. I also had exams from the 60s and 70s that one of the older guys gave me at work.
They are posted on the CLSA web site under the members only section. Someone even gave them copies of exams going back to 1935!

The more recent ones are a great study resource. the format of the exam is different, but if you want to learn the material, work thru some of those old problems.

[TheLostSurveyor]

thank you falcon! that is very insightful. There aren't any classes available where I live ( way north) so I am trying to find something (weekend class, seminar?) worth my time to travel to. I have been going through materials voraciously but my brain is kinda like homer simpsons, the more new stuff I put in, the more old stuff gets pushed out :) I really like your idea with the colored pencil. It is often hard when pouring through the material to remember where the knowledge walls are and where one should apply more focus. After my last two attempts with the exam I have learned just how important good tabbing of material can be as well.
thank you too Steve! I have several older exams but I will also go look for more on the CLSA site

[Gary Schenk]

I drove from Orange County to San Diego for their review class. It is excellent and worth the horrendous driving.