KS Land Surveyor cheat sheet

Kansas licenses land surveyors through the Kansas Board of Technical Professions (KSBTP); the board also regulates architects, engineers, geologists, and landscape architects under K.S.A. 74-7001 et seq.

Minimum licensure path: be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, complete a board-approved surveying curriculum (typically a bachelor's degree in surveying or a related field with required surveying credits) OR qualify through the board's alternate education/experience pathway, pass the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam, document progressive surveying experience (commonly four years, with board-approved substitutions for education), and pass the NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam.

KSBTP uses NCEES exams: FS is the first step and PS is the final step. Exam scores are transmitted to the board by NCEES; candidates register for exams through NCEES and schedule at Pearson VUE test centers.

The FS exam can be taken before satisfying the full experience requirement; the PS exam generally requires completion of the education and experience qualifications and board approval of the application before authorization to sit.

Kansas requires continuing professional competency (CPC) for renewal, commonly 30 professional development hours (PDH) per two-year renewal cycle, with a portion in health, safety, and welfare (HSW) topics; verify current hour and HSW requirements on the KSBTP website because rules can change.

Comity/reciprocity: a licensed surveyor from another jurisdiction may apply for licensure by comity; the board reviews education, exams (NCEES FS and PS or accepted equivalents), and experience, and may require supplemental Kansas-specific jurisprudence or surveying requirements.

Application materials typically include official transcripts, experience verification forms signed by a licensed surveyor, NCEES records, references, and fees; incomplete applications are not reviewed, and falsification is grounds for denial or discipline.

Kansas surveyor-in-training (SIT) or intern designation may be available after passing the FS exam; the title is not a license to practice independently, and practice without a license or firm certificate of authorization can result in penalties under state law.

Ethics and discipline: KSBTP enforces the Kansas technical professions statutes and regulations, including seal/signature rules, firm registration, and prohibitions on practicing outside one's competence; disciplinary actions can include fines, suspension, or revocation.

FS exam format: computer-based, approximately 110 multiple-choice questions in 6 hours (with a scheduled break), no penalty for guessing; NCEES publishes a detailed exam specifications document listing knowledge areas and approximate percentages.

Core FS knowledge areas include: mathematics (algebra, trigonometry, geometry, statistics, calculus basics); geodesy and coordinate systems (ellipsoid, geoid, datum, projections, state plane coordinates, UTM); and survey computations (traverse, area, volume, coordinate geometry).

Field surveying topics: leveling (differential, trigonometric, profiles), angle and distance measurement, total stations, GNSS/GPS positioning (RTK, static, error sources), and error theory (random/systematic, precision vs. accuracy, propagation, least squares basics).

Boundary surveying: legal principles (senior rights, monuments control, adverse possession, riparian boundaries), deed interpretation, plat and subdivision review, and the role of evidence and intent; the FS exam tests boundary law concepts rather than state-specific statutes.

Mapping and photogrammetry: map projections, scale, contour interpretation, aerial imagery, LiDAR basics, and GIS fundamentals (raster vs. vector, coordinate systems, metadata).

Construction and engineering surveying: horizontal and vertical curves (simple curves, spirals, parabolic vertical curves), earthwork volume (average end area, prismoidal formula), grades, and stakeout calculations.

Key formulas to know: traverse closure and adjustment (compass rule/Bowditch, transit rule), latitude = distance × cos(bearing), departure = distance × sin(bearing), area by coordinates (shoelace formula), and horizontal curve elements (R, Δ, T = R tan(Δ/2), L = RΔ in radians, LC = 2R sin(Δ/2)).

Vertical curve formula: elevation on a parabolic vertical curve = PVC elevation + g1 x + ((g2 − g1)/(2L)) x², where x is distance from PVC and L is curve length; high/low point occurs where dy/dx = 0.

Exam strategy: NCEES provides a reference handbook during the exam; candidates should know how to use it, manage time across 110 questions, and expect conceptual questions on ethics, liability, and professional practice in addition to computations.