NSPS Certified Survey Technician Level I study guide
NSPS Certified Survey Technician Level I · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Survey Technician Program (CST) is a comprehensive national certification program for survey technicians, sponsored by the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). It is built for technicians who want independent verification of their capabilities and value, and it is also used by employers and educators who want a recognizable benchmark when judging a technician's standing. The program offers four levels of certification across two primary tracks - field and office - so a candidate can pursue a path that matches the work they actually do rather than a single generic credential. Certification is by examination, and the exam must be monitored by an approved Proctor. Topics on this exam: Field Track and Office Track. The NSPS Certified Survey Technician Level I study guide has 2 sections and about 689 words.
01Field Track: Field Procedures, Equipment, and Measurement Fundamentals
The Field Track covers the working knowledge a survey technician applies in the field: instrument setup, measurement technique, field notes, and safe, defensible data collection. Expect questions on leveling, angle and distance measurement, instrument care and calibration, and the difference between random and systematic error. Instrument setup: tribrach leveling with the circular and plate (tubular) bubbles, optical plummet or laser plummet centering, and forced-centering on a tripod. Know that the plate bubble is more sensitive than the circular bubble and is used for fine leveling.
365 words, about 2 min02Office Track: Computations, Records, and Data Management
The Office Track covers what happens after field data returns: coordinate geometry, record keeping, map and plat reading, unit conversions, and quality control of computations. Expect questions on coordinate systems, bearings and azimuths, area and distance computations, and the documentation that makes a survey defensible. Coordinates and bearings: northing/easting conventions, converting between bearings and azimuths, and the quadrant rules. A bearing is a quadrant angle (N/S then E/W); an azimuth is measured clockwise from north, 0°–360°.
324 words, about 2 min