Registered Surveyor study plan

Define the hierarchy of boundary evidence (natural monuments, artificial monuments, courses and distances, area, coordinates) and write a one-page ranking sheet from memory with a citation note for each level.

Work through at least 12 retracement scenarios involving ambiguous or conflicting calls, and for each one state which call controls and why, in two to three sentences.

Explain the distinction between original survey, resurvey, and retracement, and identify the legal effect of each on existing property rights.

Summarize the doctrines of adverse possession, prescription, acquiescence, practical location, and estoppel, and note how each can move a boundary away from its record position.

Trace how a boundary determination flows into the public record: from field evidence to plat, to deed description, to recording, to the cadastral parcel index.

Compare metes-and-bounds, lot-and-block, and PLSS descriptions, and draft one valid example of each for a hypothetical parcel.

Identify the common failure modes in recorded descriptions (ambiguous adjoiner calls, gaps and overlaps, missing basis of bearing) and describe the surveyor's correction options for each.

Explain the role of the record of survey or corner record in documenting a boundary resolution, and list what must appear on it.

Perform horizontal and vertical curve computations, including tangent, length, and stationing for a simple curve, without reference notes.

Convert between angular and linear measures of precision and compute the expected misclosure of a traverse given instrument and procedure.

Apply the standard error propagation formulas to a sum, a product, and a trigonometric function, and compute the resulting uncertainty for a worked example of each.

Classify blunders, systematic errors, and random errors, and give two field procedures that suppress each type.

Compute geodetic coordinates from a baseline using both the direct and inverse geodetic problems, and verify one result against a known reference pair.

Convert between geographic, geocentric, and local topocentric coordinates, and state the assumptions in each transformation.

Explain the geoid, ellipsoid, and datum concepts and describe what changes when a survey is transformed between two horizontal datums.

Compute a state plane or map projection coordinate from latitude/longitude and identify the scale factor and convergence at that point.

Classify map projections by developable surface and distortion property, and match at least six named projections to their appropriate use cases.

Compute the point scale factor and grid convergence for a given projection at two latitudes, and explain why the difference matters for a boundary survey.

Explain how a projection's distortion affects distance, direction, and area in a cadastral context, and describe the correction from ground to grid.

Describe the elements of map design (scale, generalization, symbolization, legend) and identify which choices would mislead a map reader.

Specify the field procedure and calibration checks for a total station and a digital level, and list the acceptance tolerances you would apply.

Describe GNSS observation methods (static, rapid static, RTK, network RTK) and state the conditions under which each is appropriate for boundary work.

Explain the principles of stereophotogrammetry and structure-from-motion, and identify the accuracy limits relevant to topographic mapping.

Interpret basic remote sensing products (multispectral imagery, LiDAR point clouds, DEMs) and state one survey application and one limitation for each.

Design a simple spatial data model for a parcel layer, specifying geometry type, attributes, topology rules, and metadata fields.

Evaluate coordinate system and datum choices for a GIS dataset and describe the consequences of an incorrect assignment on area and length calculations.

Apply a professional code of ethics to at least four realistic dilemmas (undisclosed conflict of interest, pressure to alter a plat, discovery of a prior error, use of unlicensed staff) and state the correct course of action.

Describe the surveyor's duties regarding records, client communication, and scope of services, and identify the point at which a scope change requires written authorization.

Complete two full-length timed practice exams under exam conditions and record the score by domain.

Re-derive the ten formulas you most often miss, from memory, and confirm each against a reference.

Revisit every missed question and write the underlying principle in one sentence rather than the answer itself.

Build a one-page formula and doctrine sheet you can review in the final days before the exam.