GA Land Surveyor
Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Exam
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ExploreAbout this exam
The Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam is the entry-level examination in the U.S. professional surveyor (P.S.) licensure path. NCEES describes it as generally the first step toward becoming a licensed professional surveyor, designed for recent graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate surveying degree from an ABET-accredited program. It is delivered as a computer-based exam administered year-round in testing windows at NCEES-approved Pearson test centers, and a $225 exam fee is payable directly to NCEES. The exam contains 110 questions. The appointment time is 6 hours long and includes a nondisclosure agreement (2 minutes), a tutorial (8 minutes), the exam itself (5 hours and 20 minutes), and a scheduled break (25 minutes). Reasonable accommodations are available for examinees who meet certain eligibility criteria and sufficiently document their request. Registration and authorization requirements vary by state or territory: some boards, such as the District of Columbia for FS examinees, do not require an application or additional fee before registering with NCEES, while others, such as Guam, require an application and/or application fee and board approval first. Candidates register and schedule through their MyNCEES accounts and can browse available dates at other NCEES-approved test centers. Results are typically available within 7–10 business days, reported only as pass or fail; failing candidates receive a diagnostic report by major topic. Preparation should combine a review of surveying mathematics and measurement fundamentals with practice under timed, closed-book conditions, plus careful reading of the NCEES Examinee Guide, the calculator policy, and your board's registration requirements.
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About GA Land Surveyor preparation
What is the FS exam format?
It is a computer-based, multiple-choice exam with 110 questions, administered year-round in testing windows at NCEES-approved Pearson test centers. The appointment time is 6 hours, including a 2-minute nondisclosure agreement, an 8-minute tutorial, 5 hours and 20 minutes of exam time, and a 25-minute scheduled break.
How much does the FS exam cost?
A $225 exam fee is payable directly to NCEES. Your state or territory board may also charge its own application fee; for example, Guam requires an application and/or application fee before you register with NCEES, while the District of Columbia does not require FS examinees to submit an application or additional fee before registering.
How do I register and schedule?
Registration and scheduling happen through your MyNCEES account. Some boards require approval before you register, so check your board's requirements first. During registration you select an exam location and are shown available exam dates; if you dislike the choices, you can browse available dates at other NCEES-approved test centers.
When will I get my results, and how are they reported?
Results are typically available within 7–10 business days. NCEES emails you instructions to view them in your MyNCEES account, and results include a link to your licensing board for state-specific information. All results are reported as pass or fail; there is no numeric score.
What happens if I fail?
You receive a diagnostic report showing your performance for each of the major topics covered on the exam, which is useful for targeting a retake. Passers do not receive a diagnostic report. Check your board's rules on attempts: some boards, such as the District of Columbia, allow one attempt per testing window and no more than three attempts in a 12-month period.
Can I cancel or reschedule, and do I get a refund?
Cancellation, refund, rescheduling, and discipline-change rules are covered in the computer-based exams section of the NCEES Examinee Guide. Read that section before you register, since the terms differ from the older paper-based policies and depend on timing relative to your scheduled appointment.
How hard is the FS exam, and what trips candidates up?
It is a timed, 110-question exam covering the breadth of surveying fundamentals, so the main risks are running out of time and losing easy points on unit conversions, angular computations, and misread questions. Practicing under the real 5-hour-20-minute exam time, with only approved calculators, exposes those weaknesses before exam day.
What should I study first?
Start with the topics you can verify from the NCEES exam materials, then build a schedule around your weakest areas. Work through computations by hand and with your approved calculator, and confirm the current calculator policy and exam-day procedures in the NCEES Examinee Guide before finalizing your routine.
Are accommodations available?
Yes. Reasonable accommodations are available for examinees who meet certain eligibility criteria and sufficiently document their request. Because documentation takes time, submit your request well before your intended appointment rather than after you have scheduled.