CA Surveying study guide
CA Surveying · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The California Civil – Engineering Surveying exam is one of the state-specific examinations the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists requires of civil engineers seeking California licensure. It tests the surveying knowledge that falls within a licensed civil engineer's authority under Business and Professions Code section 6731.1 - the surveying work civil engineers may perform without holding a separate land surveying license. The Board organizes the content around four areas: boundary and title surveying; engineering and construction surveying; geodetic and control surveying; and topographic, mapping, and data applications. Candidates are typically engineers who have already satisfied the national NCEES civil examination and the companion seismic principles examination and are completing the California-specific portion of the licensure path. The CA Surveying study guide has 4 sections and about 1,247 words.
01Boundary and Title Surveying: Retracement, Evidence, and Unwritten Rights
A boundary survey that creates a parcel and one that merely retraces it are legally different acts. The retracement surveyor recovers the original boundary; the surveyor does not "correct" the record.
330 words, about 2 min02Engineering and Construction Surveying: Curves, Staking, and Earthwork
Know both degree-of-curve definitions. Arc definition: R = 5729.578 / D (100-ft arc).
319 words, about 2 min03Geodetic and Control Surveying: Datums, Projections, and Adjustment
Horizontal positions sit on a datum (NAD83, with realizations and epochs); heights relate to the ellipsoid or the geoid. Ellipsoid height h, orthometric height H, and geoid separation N satisfy H = h - N (careful with sign conventions).
299 words, about 1 min04Topographic, Mapping, and Data Applications
A contour interval is the constant elevation difference between adjacent contour lines; index contours are emphasized every fifth line. Contours never cross (except an overhang), are perpendicular to maximum slope, and form a V pointing upstream where they cross a stream.
299 words, about 1 min