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Texas Specific Surveying Examination (TSSE) — Information & Free Practice

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Texas Specific Surveying Examination (TSSE)

Provider
Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
Format
In-person paper-and-pencil; multiple-choice and applied analytical question formats
Exam questions
Approximately 65
Time limit
4 hours
Examination outline
  • Domain 1 — Statutes and Rules
    • Surveying Acts and Board Rules (Texas) – all sections of Occupations Code 1071 and Board Rules .
    • Other Texas Statutes:
    • Natural Resource Code: Title 1 and Title 2 (as they pertain to land surveying)
    • Transportation Code: Title 1, Title 4, Title 5, and Title 6 (as they pertain to land surveying)
    • Local Government Code: Title 1, Title 2, Title 3, Title 6, Title 7, and Title 8 (as they pertain to land surveying)
    • Business and Commerce Code: Title 2
    • Civil Practice and Remedies Code: Title 2
    • Health and Safety Code: Title 8
    • Property Code: Title 1, Title 2, Title 3, Title 4, Title 6, Title 7, and Title 11
  • Domain 2 — Disposition of Public Domain
    • Public lands - history and disposition of the Texas public domain and current status of public lands
    • Legislative acts - Small Bill, vacancy statutes, deeds of acquittance, etc.
    • Types of grants – amount of acreage allowed to settlers, infrastructure companies (i.e., railroads, canal diggers, etc.), etc., depending on the sovereign in Texas history
    • Texas General Land Office – significant dates that affect the public domain
    • Common Law vs. Civil Law
    • Land Districts and District Surveyors
    • County Surveyors
    • State Surveyor Act
    • Licensed State Land Surveyors Act
    • Registered Surveyors Acts
    • Texas/Mexico border
  • Domain 3 — Riparian / Littoral Boundaries and Rights
    • Gradient boundary surveys
    • Navigable / non-navigable streams and rivers
    • Perennial /non-perennial stream
    • Original surveys along water boundaries
    • Coastal boundary
    • Mean Higher High Tide vs. Mean High Tide
    • Gulf of Mexico State Boundary
    • Ownership of land under lakes
    • Fluvial geomorphology as it affects riparian and littoral boundaries
    • Texas Open Beaches Act
    • Texas/Mexico border
    • Texas / Oklahoma border (Red River)
  • Domain 4 — Texas Specific Units of Measure
    • Spanish measurements
    • US Survey Foot
    • Texas Coordinate System
    • International Foot
    • Meter
    • Chains
  • Domain 5 — Case Law and Legal Principles
    • Landmark Boundary Cases in Texas
    • Legal descriptions - controlling elements in legal descriptions specific to Texas.
    • Date of survey vs date of recordation
    • Boundary Reconstruction
    • Railroad ROW (fee vs easement)
    • Simultaneous Conveyance
    • Sequential Conveyance
    • Junior/Senior Rights
    • Intent (expressed)
    • Follow Footsteps of the Original Surveyor
    • Dignity of calls
    • Best evidence
    • Original corners and marks
    • Lost Corners (methodology in Texas)
    • Witness Objects and Passing Calls
  • Domain 6 — Records Research
    • General Land Office Records – types of documents and records
    • Where records are stored
    • Spanish Archives
    • Scrap Files
    • Original and Correct Field Notes from the Land Grant Data Base and file jackets.
    • Roll Sketch Files
    • Sketch Files
Examination sources

Related license preparation

This examination may be required or accepted as an alternative, depending on the license and application pathway.