California Surveyors Forums

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NCEES PROFESSIONAL SURVEYING PAKS STUDY

The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) is currently seeking professionals working in surveying to participate in a Professional Activities and Knowledge Study, or PAKS, for the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam. The results of this study will be used to update the test specifications for the exam.

Participants will complete an online survey about the professional activities and knowledge/skills required of a licensed surveyor with 4 to 6 years of experience, who practice in a manner that protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public. The survey can be completed in 35-45 minutes.

Instructions for Participation:

-- To access the online form, please click on the following URL or copy the URL to your Web browser:

https://www.prometricsurvey.com/se.ashx ... 7B318E164A

-- The following contact information is provided if you encounter any technical difficulties. Please be sure to identify NCEES Surveying PAKS as the survey to which you are responding. Email: pnjsurvey@prometric.com or Telephone: (609) 895-5234. Please leave a voice mail message. You will receive a response within 24 hours, Monday through Friday (except holidays).

Your completed survey should be submitted by March 24, 2011 (8:00 pm ET).

Thank you again for your time and contributing your expertise to the surveying profession.

For the amount of money they make there should be ample compensation to anyone who supplies data to them.

This is an opportunity for California Land Surveyors to make an impact at the national exam level. The are many states that do not define land surveying as broad as California does and this mandated national exam should reflect the practices across the entire nation, not predominately the east coast and southeastern portion of the country.

California license examinees represent an enormous portion of the overall national population sitting for exams each April and October. California examinees historically score on average lower than the national average on many of the national exams.

The results of this study helps to define the new test specifications for the national portion of the Land Surveying examination which shapes the overall content of the Principles and Practice of Surveying exam (PS). California examinees should have the ability to study test specifications that more closely represent true practice in this state.

Please take the time to respond to this survey as it will make an obvious difference in the future of the land surveying profession and the newly licensed professionals that will inherit California Land Surveying.

Chapters: please pass this message along to all the members and non-members in your area and encourage participation.

Ric Moore

4 to 6 years of surveying experience will Not prepare a person to be minimally qualified.

Peter Ehlert wrote:4 to 6 years of surveying experience will Not prepare a person to be minimally qualified.

Depends on the person.

I have met those with 20 years experience that was the equivalent 1 year of experience 20 times and those who can learn fast enough that if the proper learning experience is presented to them that 2 years is plenty.

Peter,

I believe NCEES is referring to 4 to 6 years of experience IN ADDITION to the required experience / education to acquire the LSIT.

The 4 years would be in addition to the 2 years required for LSIT in CA for a total of 6 years. And the 6 years of experience would be in addition to the 2-3 years of experience required for LSIT in most other states for a total of 8 years minimum.

California is far behind other states in the minimum requirements.

Ric

Echoing Ric's comments above, "This is an opportunity for California Land Surveyors to make an impact at the national exam level."

This is critical to having the national exams reflect our areas of practice, and thus enable licensure of candidates who reflect our actual practice...

The deadline is approaching, please provide comments if you have not already...

Rob

There are also a few states that include (or used to include) in the practice of surveying certain functions which are reserved to engineers here, such as site grading plans, open flow and gravity pipe systems, road alignment and grade.

I also saw a lot of material that is appropriate for a technical or paraprofessional level exam, such as the LSIT/FLS exam, like various types of calculations and such.

I took the survey. Then I was worried that I answered everything wrong. Then I was worried that maybe they will take my license back. Be careful.

Just take the quiz! You can take a few minutes and help out.
It is always worth the effort to speak up and express your opinions.

There is no way for them to know who said what, there is no identification process. Heck, do it twice!