PA Land Surveyor study guide
PA Land Surveyor · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
In Pennsylvania, the credential that authorizes land surveying practice is the professional land surveyor license issued by the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists, which regulates surveying practice through licensure, registration, certification and discipline. The board also regulates surveyors-in-training, the pre-licensure step many candidates hold while completing experience requirements. The NCEES PS exam is the national principles-and-practice examination used in that licensure path, and NCEES also administers the FS exam, generally the first step toward a surveyor license. The FS exam is computer based, administered year-round in testing windows at NCEES-approved Pearson test centers, and includes 110 questions. The PA Land Surveyor study guide has 6 sections and about 1,873 words.
01Legal Principles and Boundary Surveying
The PS exam uses legal principles to test whether you can resolve boundaries defensibly, not just measure them. Questions hinge on property law, deed interpretation, the PLSS, easements, and unwritten rights.
356 words, about 2 min02Measurement and Data Collection
The PS exam tests field measurement quality: instrument use, error propagation, correction application, and GNSS. Expect tape corrections, leveling, total-station checks, and questions on when GNSS is appropriate.
311 words, about 2 min03Survey Computations and Adjustments
The PS exam checks whether you can close a traverse, adjust it correctly, compute coordinates and areas, and solve curves. Expect compass rule, area by coordinates, and horizontal/vertical curve formulas.
294 words, about 1 min04Geodesy, Control, and Mapping
The PS exam tests geodetic reference systems, state plane coordinates, control networks, and map products. Expect datum transformations, scale factors, geoid relationships, and topographic mapping.
320 words, about 2 min05Construction Surveying and Land Development
The PS exam tests stakeout, grades, earthwork, and subdivision layout. Expect cut/fill, slope staking, horizontal and vertical curves, and plan-reading questions.
294 words, about 1 min06Professional Practice, Ethics, and Business
The PS exam tests professional conduct, licensure, contracts, liability, and records. Expect questions on the NCEES Model Rules, sealing, conflict of interest, standard of care, and business practices.
298 words, about 1 min