OpenExamsFREE PRACTICE — ANY EXAM

Colorado Land Surveyor — Requirements & Free Practice

US-CO · License preparation

711 free questions · Answer explanations · No signup required

Choose what to practice

Start with an exam below. Your examination requirements depend on your application pathway. View licensing requirements

Combined practice

Choose an exam or combined practice to begin.

Licenses, application pathways and examination requirements

Each license and applicant pathway has its own requirements and exemptions. Choosing practice questions does not determine your eligibility.

Inactive Land Surveyor License

Inactive license status; practice and holding out as a land surveyor are prohibited.

Licensing authority: Colorado State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors · Application information

Transfer to inactive license status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Current license
Hold a Colorado PLS license subject to postgraduate educational renewal requirements.
Notice
Provide written notice to the regulator to transfer to its inactive list.
Practice
Do not practice or hold out as a professional land surveyor while inactive.
Registration
Continue to satisfy normal registration requirements; postgraduate education requirements are suspended while inactive.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal while inactive
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Renewal
Meet normal registration and renewal requirements and fees; the Board CE page exempts inactive land surveyors from CE requirements.
Status
Remain inactive and refrain from practice or holding out as a land surveyor.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Land Surveyor-Intern

Board enrollment as a qualified land surveyor-intern upon acceptance and payment of the required fee.

Licensing authority: Colorado State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers, and Professional Land Surveyors · Application information

Enrollment by endorsement
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Enrollment elsewhere
Be enrolled in good standing in another jurisdiction requiring substantially equivalent current qualifications, or have met Colorado enrollment requirements at the time of initial enrollment there.
Verification
Complete the application, obtain Board approval, document technical competence, and transmit verification of enrollment.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Graduation and examination — approved four year surveying curriculum
Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Exam
Competence
Document technical competence.
Education
Graduate from a Board-approved surveying or surveying technology curriculum of at least four years.
Transcripts
Submit official transcripts verifying graduation or impending graduation.
Education, experience and examination — high school and experience
Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Exam
Education
Graduate from high school or its equivalent.
Experience
At least four years of progressive surveying experience; at most one year of educational credit may be substituted.
Verification
Submit experience evidence satisfactory to the Board and document technical competence.
Military family credential recognition
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Credential elsewhere
Provide satisfactory proof under penalty of perjury of an active credential in the same profession in another U.S. state or territory, in good standing.
Eligible applicant
A military spouse, gold star military spouse, military dependent, or spouse or dependent of another qualified servicemember; meet the statutory definitions, including applicable relocation to Colorado.
Exceptions
Recognition cannot violate an existing compact or reciprocity agreement, and the regulator may deny upon proof after notice and hearing that the credential is not in good standing.
Term and fee
The recognized single-state credential is valid for six years and may be renewed; the application fee is waived. Section 12-20-202(3)(e)(II.5) excludes ordinary portability under (3)(a)–(d), while this military-family pathway is separately authorized by (3)(f).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Graduation and examination — senior in approved four year surveying curriculum
Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Exam
Competence
Document technical competence.
Education
Have senior status in a Board-approved surveying or surveying technology curriculum of at least four years.
Transcripts
Submit official transcripts verifying graduation or impending graduation; admission to the exam at senior status is distinct from completion of enrollment.
Education, experience and examination — approved two year surveying curriculum
Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Exam
Education
Graduate from a Board-approved two-year surveying curriculum.
Experience
At least two years of progressive surveying experience.
Verification
Submit experience evidence satisfactory to the Board and document technical competence.

Professional Land Surveyor

License to practice professional land surveying.

Licensing authority: Colorado State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors · Application information

Education, experience and examination — approved four year surveying degree
Application
Submit a complete sworn application with education, detailed experience, criminal and license-disciplinary disclosures, fee, and Board-required verification. The Board guide directs applicants to transmit an NCEES record with verified education, experience and examination scores.
Education
Graduate from a Board-approved surveying curriculum of four or more years.
Education credit
The Board may substitute satisfactory completion of one academic year in an approved curriculum for one year of experience, up to three years.
Experience
Two years of progressive surveying experience under a PLS or exempt federal employee.
Future exam
The NCEES Public Land Surveying System examination is adopted beginning with the October 2027 examination administrations. That future requirement is not a leaf on September 22, 2026.
Intern enrollment
Have been enrolled as a land surveyor-intern in Colorado.
Preapplication exams
Current Rule 1.4(H)(1) requires passing all required examinations before making application. The Board licensing guide states: “You will receive approval to take this exam after you have met all of the other requirements for PLS and receive a registration letter from the Board.” Retain the guide instruction as an authorization and scheduling condition.
Sequencing
The Board rule requires passing FS before PS and COPLS; passage of NCEES examinations is valid indefinitely.
State score window
The COPLS passing score is valid for no more than three years from notification; if PS is not passed within that three-year period, retake COPLS and pay the reexamination fee.
Technical competence
Provide documentation of technical competence under C.R.S. § 12-120-312.
Education, experience and examination — approved two year surveying degree
Application
Submit a complete sworn application with education, detailed experience, criminal and license-disciplinary disclosures, fee, and Board-required verification. The Board guide directs applicants to transmit an NCEES record with verified education, experience and examination scores.
Education
Graduate from a Board-approved two-year surveying curriculum.
Education credit
The Board may substitute satisfactory completion of one academic year in an approved curriculum for one year of experience, up to three years.
Experience
Six years of progressive surveying experience, four under a PLS or exempt federal employee.
Future exam
The NCEES Public Land Surveying System examination is adopted beginning with the October 2027 examination administrations. That future requirement is not a leaf on September 22, 2026.
Intern enrollment
Have been enrolled as a land surveyor-intern in Colorado.
Preapplication exams
Current Rule 1.4(H)(1) requires passing all required examinations before making application. The Board licensing guide states: “You will receive approval to take this exam after you have met all of the other requirements for PLS and receive a registration letter from the Board.” Retain the guide instruction as an authorization and scheduling condition.
Sequencing
The Board rule requires passing FS before PS and COPLS; passage of NCEES examinations is valid indefinitely.
State score window
The COPLS passing score is valid for no more than three years from notification; if PS is not passed within that three-year period, retake COPLS and pay the reexamination fee.
Technical competence
Provide documentation of technical competence under C.R.S. § 12-120-312.
Reconsideration and restoration after discipline
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Discretion
On its own motion or upon application, the Board may reinstate or restore the license, terminate probation or reduce discipline; all further action and hearings rest in its sole discretion.
Order
Satisfy the individual Board order; the defining restoration provision does not prescribe an examination.
Prior discipline
The Board has imposed discipline under C.R.S. § 12-120-307.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Endorsement and examination
Application
Submit a complete sworn application with education, detailed experience, criminal and license-disciplinary disclosures, fee, and Board-required verification. The Board guide directs applicants to transmit an NCEES record with verified education, experience and examination scores.
National score validity
NCEES passing scores are valid indefinitely under Rule 1.4(H)(2)(c)(5).
Other license
Hold a license in good standing in another jurisdiction with substantially equivalent current qualifications, or have satisfied the Colorado requirements in existence at the time of initial licensure there.
Score evidence
The Board licensing guide requires verified FS and PS scores in an NCEES record, and verification of other licenses for endorsement applicants. Passing those currently offered examinations remains part of this route even when already completed.
Score validity
The COPLS passing score is valid for no more than three years from notification; if PS is not passed within that three-year period, retake COPLS and pay the reexamination fee.
State exam
Pass COPLS before making application under current Rule 1.4(H)(1). The implementing licensing guide states: “You will receive approval to take this exam after you have met all of the other requirements for PLS and receive a registration letter from the Board.” Retain that Board instruction as a condition on authorization and scheduling.
Technical competence
Provide documentation of technical competence.
Education, experience and examination — engineering degree
Application
Submit a complete sworn application with education, detailed experience, criminal and license-disciplinary disclosures, fee, and Board-required verification. The Board guide directs applicants to transmit an NCEES record with verified education, experience and examination scores.
Education
Graduate from a four-year engineering curriculum including Board-specified surveying coursework.
Education credit
The Board may substitute satisfactory completion of one academic year in an approved curriculum for one year of experience, up to three years.
Experience
Six years of progressive surveying experience, four under a PLS or exempt federal employee.
Future exam
The NCEES Public Land Surveying System examination is adopted beginning with the October 2027 examination administrations. That future requirement is not a leaf on September 22, 2026.
Intern enrollment
Have been enrolled as a land surveyor-intern in Colorado.
Preapplication exams
Current Rule 1.4(H)(1) requires passing all required examinations before making application. The Board licensing guide states: “You will receive approval to take this exam after you have met all of the other requirements for PLS and receive a registration letter from the Board.” Retain the guide instruction as an authorization and scheduling condition.
Sequencing
The Board rule requires passing FS before PS and COPLS; passage of NCEES examinations is valid indefinitely.
State score window
The COPLS passing score is valid for no more than three years from notification; if PS is not passed within that three-year period, retake COPLS and pay the reexamination fee.
Technical competence
Provide documentation of technical competence under C.R.S. § 12-120-312.
Military family credential recognition
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Credential elsewhere
Provide satisfactory proof under penalty of perjury of an active credential in the same profession in another U.S. state or territory, in good standing.
Eligible applicant
A military spouse, gold star military spouse, military dependent, or spouse or dependent of another qualified servicemember; meet the statutory definitions, including applicable relocation to Colorado.
Exceptions
Recognition cannot violate an existing compact or reciprocity agreement, and the regulator may deny upon proof after notice and hearing that the credential is not in good standing.
Term and fee
The recognized single-state credential is valid for six years and may be renewed; the application fee is waived. Section 12-20-202(3)(e)(II.5) excludes ordinary portability under (3)(a)–(d), while this military-family pathway is separately authorized by (3)(f).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Education, experience and examination — nonsurveying bachelor's degree
Application
Submit a complete sworn application with education, detailed experience, criminal and license-disciplinary disclosures, fee, and Board-required verification. The Board guide directs applicants to transmit an NCEES record with verified education, experience and examination scores.
Education
Obtain a bachelor's degree in a nonsurveying curriculum and complete Board-specified surveying and related coursework.
Education credit
The Board may substitute satisfactory completion of one academic year in an approved curriculum for one year of experience, up to three years.
Experience
Six years of progressive surveying experience, four under a PLS or exempt federal employee.
Future exam
The NCEES Public Land Surveying System examination is adopted beginning with the October 2027 examination administrations. That future requirement is not a leaf on September 22, 2026.
Intern enrollment
Have been enrolled as a land surveyor-intern in Colorado.
Preapplication exams
Current Rule 1.4(H)(1) requires passing all required examinations before making application. The Board licensing guide states: “You will receive approval to take this exam after you have met all of the other requirements for PLS and receive a registration letter from the Board.” Retain the guide instruction as an authorization and scheduling condition.
Sequencing
The Board rule requires passing FS before PS and COPLS; passage of NCEES examinations is valid indefinitely.
State score window
The COPLS passing score is valid for no more than three years from notification; if PS is not passed within that three-year period, retake COPLS and pay the reexamination fee.
Technical competence
Provide documentation of technical competence under C.R.S. § 12-120-312.
Reactivation from inactive status — more than six years
Colorado State-Specific Professional Land Surveyor Examination
Competence
Demonstrate continued competence or an active license elsewhere; submit a complete reactivation application and fee.
Education
Obtain thirty CE hours within the two years preceding application under Rule 1.4(I)(3)(b), subject to the rule and Board discretion.
Examination
Retake the Colorado state-specific surveying examination.
Future exam
The PLSS proof requirement for experience obtained in another jurisdiction begins with the October 2027 administration and is not effective on the evaluation date.
Inactive duration
Inactive for more than six years.
Reactivation from inactive status — more than two and no more than six years
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
File the reactivation application and pay the fee.
Competence
Demonstrate an active license in another jurisdiction or continued competence to practice surveying.
Education
Obtain thirty CE hours within the two years immediately preceding application, subject to Board discretion.
Future exam
Rule 1.4(I)(2)(b)(2) introduces proof of PLSS examination completion beginning with the October 2027 administration. It is not an examination requirement effective on the evaluation date.
Inactive duration
Inactive more than two and no more than six years.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reactivation from inactive status — two years or less
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
File the reactivation application and pay the fee.
Education
Complete one CE hour for each inactive month, acquired in the two years immediately before application under Rule 1.4(I)(3)(b).
Inactive duration
Inactive for two years or less.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement of expired license — more than six years
Colorado State-Specific Professional Land Surveyor Examination
Board discretion
The Board may require further examination or education when active practice or competence is not demonstrated; the additional unnamed examination slot is an applicant condition.
Competence
Demonstrate an active license elsewhere or continued competence; submit reference forms verifying experience during expiration, a complete reinstatement application and fee.
Education
Obtain thirty CE hours within the two years immediately preceding application.
Expiration
The PLS license has expired for more than six years.
Reinstatement from retired classification — less than two years
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a reinstatement application and renewal fee; no penalty fee may be assessed.
Education
Attest to completion of thirty additional CE hours acquired within the two years immediately preceding application under Rule 1.4(I)(1)(a)(2).
Retirement duration
The surveyor has been retired for less than two years.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement of expired license — two years or less
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a complete reinstatement application and fee, practice history and screening disclosures; supply any name-change documentation.
Education
Attest to completion of thirty additional CE hours acquired within the two years immediately preceding application under Rule 1.4(I)(1)(a)(2).
Expiration
The Colorado PLS license has been expired for two years or less.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Competency activities
Continuing education activities and optional professional certifications used for credit are applicant conditions, not currently offered examinations required for this licensing route.
Continuing education
The current Board CE page specifies at least 30 CE hours each two-year reporting period, with an initial examination-license exemption until the first renewal. The Board licensing guide states: "However, beginning w/ the Oct 2027 renewal, PLS will need to obtain CE to renew a license." Retain the guide's stated implementation timing alongside the current CE requirement.
Renewal
Renew by the Board deadline; the application directory specifies October 31 of odd-numbered years. Submit the prescribed renewal and fee.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Education, experience and examination — other four year surveying degree
Application
Submit a complete sworn application with education, detailed experience, criminal and license-disciplinary disclosures, fee, and Board-required verification. The Board guide directs applicants to transmit an NCEES record with verified education, experience and examination scores.
Education
Graduate from a non-Board-approved surveying curriculum of four or more years.
Education credit
The Board may substitute satisfactory completion of one academic year in an approved curriculum for one year of experience, up to three years.
Experience
Four years of progressive surveying experience, at least two under a PLS or exempt federal employee.
Future exam
The NCEES Public Land Surveying System examination is adopted beginning with the October 2027 examination administrations. That future requirement is not a leaf on September 22, 2026.
Intern enrollment
Have been enrolled as a land surveyor-intern in Colorado.
Preapplication exams
Current Rule 1.4(H)(1) requires passing all required examinations before making application. The Board licensing guide states: “You will receive approval to take this exam after you have met all of the other requirements for PLS and receive a registration letter from the Board.” Retain the guide instruction as an authorization and scheduling condition.
Sequencing
The Board rule requires passing FS before PS and COPLS; passage of NCEES examinations is valid indefinitely.
State score window
The COPLS passing score is valid for no more than three years from notification; if PS is not passed within that three-year period, retake COPLS and pay the reexamination fee.
Technical competence
Provide documentation of technical competence under C.R.S. § 12-120-312.

Retired Professional Land Surveyor

Retired classification for a previously licensed surveyor over sixty-five; practice is prohibited.

Licensing authority: Colorado State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors · Application information

Classification as retired
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Age
Be over sixty-five years of age.
Application
Apply to the Board and pay the fee to retain retired status.
Practice
Retired classification removes licensure and prohibits professional land surveying practice.
Prior license
Previously duly licensed to practice professional land surveying in Colorado.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Exam

Provider
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES); administered year-round in testing windows at NCEES-approved Pearson test centers
Format
Computer-based test, closed book with an electronic reference (NCEES FS Reference Handbook and the specified standards); includes alternative item types (AITs) in addition to traditional multiple-choice questions; uses both SI and U.S. Customary units
Exam questions
110 questions
Time limit
6-hour appointment: nondisclosure agreement (2 minutes), tutorial (8 minutes), exam (5 hours and 20 minutes), scheduled break (25 minutes)
Passing score
Results reported as pass or fail; failing examinees receive a diagnostic report by major topic
Exam fee
$225 exam fee payable directly to NCEES
Examination outline
  • 1. Surveying Processes and Methods (16–24 of 110 questions)
    • A. Instrumentation (e.g., GNSS/GPS, levels, total stations, robotic total stations, scanners, UAS)
    • B. GNSS/GPS surveys (e.g., static, kinematic, OPUS, real-time networks)
    • C. Control surveys (e.g., horizontal, vertical, network design, accuracy standards)
    • D. Cadastral (e.g., Public Land Survey System [PLSS], boundary, metes and bounds, land title)
    • E. Topographic surveys
    • F. Construction surveys (e.g., layout, as-built, quantity)
    • G. Land development (e.g., subdivision design/platting, land use, environmental, flood plains, wetlands)
    • H. Field record keeping and documentation (e.g., procedures, field books, raw data files)
  • 2. Mapping Processes and Methods (14–21 of 110 questions)
    • A. Basic mapping concepts (e.g., scaling, symbols, features, legend, contours, cartography)
    • B. Types of maps (e.g., plan and profile, cross section, plat, record of survey, ALTA, topographic, planimetric)
    • C. CAD (e.g., 2-D, 3-D, building information modeling [BIM])
    • D. GIS (e.g., feature collection, map projections, coordinate systems, metadata, database design and management, spatial data analysis, GIS applications)
    • E. Digital terrain model (e.g., machine control, triangulated irregular network [TIN], digital surface model, digital elevation model)
    • F. Photogrammetry and remote sensing (e.g., close range, conventional, softcopy, ground control, quality control, flight planning, project planning, UAS, drone, LiDAR, satellite, digital image analysis and processing)
  • 3. Boundary Law and Real Property Principles (19–29 of 110 questions)
    • A. Public records and descriptions (e.g., land descriptions, mineral rights, ownership rights, weighting evidence)
    • B. Common law principles (e.g., controlling elements, unwritten rights, adverse possession)
    • C. Easements (e.g., granted, implied/prescriptive)
    • D. Simultaneous and sequential conveyances
    • E. Metes and bounds
    • F. PLSS
    • G. Water law (e.g., riparian, littoral rights, water marks/levels)
    • H. Sources of law (e.g., federal/state/local, administrative, common, citations, legal research)
    • I. Encumbrances (e.g., restrictive covenants, mortgages, liens)
    • J. Real property law (e.g., deeds, chains of title)
  • 4. Surveying Principles (13–20 of 110 questions)
    • A. Basic surveying (e.g., horizontal surveys, vertical surveys, understanding of historical methods and instruments, route surveying, magnetic declination)
    • B. Geodesy (e.g., spherical trigonometry, geometric, physical, geodetic coordinates, orthometric corrections, convergence, geodetic reductions, gravity modeling, geoid modeling)
    • C. Applied geodesy (e.g., datums and datum conversions, latitude/longitude, coordinate transformations, state plane coordinate system [SPCS], map projections, control networks, reduction of observations, deflection of vertical, satellite coordinate systems)
  • 5. Survey Computations and Computer Applications (17–26 of 110 questions)
    • A. Coordinate geometry
    • B. Traverse closure and adjustments
    • C. Leveling (e.g., differential, trigonometric, reciprocal, precise)
    • D. Least squares adjustments
    • E. Area
    • F. Horizontal curves
    • G. Vertical curves
    • H. Volume (e.g., mass diagrams, earthwork)
    • I. Spreadsheets
    • J. Slopes and grades
  • 6. Business Concepts (11–17 of 110 questions)
    • A. Project planning (e.g., resource management, scheduling, cost estimation, tracking)
    • B. Safety (e.g., signage, basic first aid, safety equipment)
    • C. Liabilities (e.g., negligence, employee behavior, errors and omissions)
    • D. Contracts (e.g., basic elements, scope of work, specifications)
    • E. Supervision (e.g., survey team leadership, personnel management)
    • F. Project documentation and record management
    • G. Ethics
    • H. Communication (e.g., written communication, oral communication, alternate forms of communication, conflict resolution)
  • 7. Applied Mathematics and Statistics (10–15 of 110 questions)
    • A. College mathematics (e.g., trigonometry, analytical geometry and calculus, linear algebra and matrix theory)
    • B. Probability and statistics (e.g., mean, median, mode, hypothesis testing, normal distribution, linear regression)
    • C. Measurement science (e.g., error analysis, error propagation, positional tolerance, positional accuracy, random/systematic/blunder errors, unit conversions)
    • D. Quantitative reasoning (e.g., critical thinking, data analysis and validation, blunder detection, data quality, redundancy)
Examination sources

Colorado State-Specific Professional Land Surveyor Examination

Provider
Iso-Quality Testing (IQT)
Format
Closed-book computer examination at proctored test sites
Exam questions
40–45 scored multiple-choice one-best-answer items, with up to ten additional unscored pre-test items
Time limit
90 minutes
Passing score
Pass/fail; passing cut score determined by the Board
Examination outline
  • KNOWLEDGE OF RECORD SOURCES (APPROXIMATELY 20% OF EXAM)
    • State Monument Records System
    • Municipal Records System
    • County Surveyor Records
    • County Assessor Records
    • County Clerk & Recorder Records
    • Abstract/Title Company Records
  • KNOWLEDGE OF BOUNDARY PRINCIPLES (APPROXIMATELY 5% OF EXAM)
    • Riparian Rights
    • Easements and Rights of Way
    • Records and Research
    • Mining Claims
    • Legal Principles
  • KNOWLEDGE OF STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS (APPROXIMATELY 70% OF EXAM)
    • Monument Markings
    • Minimum Land Survey Plat Requirements
    • Improvement Location Certificates
    • Improvement Survey Plats
    • Land Survey Plats
    • Land Division
    • Monumentation Requirements
    • Filing of Monument Records
    • Statute Violations and Associated Penalties
    • Use of Seals
    • Public Land Survey System
    • Quiet Title Actions
    • Colorado Common Interest Ownership
  • KNOWLEDGE OF BOARD RULES OF PRACTICE (APPROXIMATELY 5% OF EXAM)
    • Consumer Protection
    • Areas of Competence
    • Professional Statements
    • Professional Conduct
    • Independent Judgment
Examination sources

Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) Exam

Provider
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES); administered year-round via computer-based testing at approved Pearson test centers
Format
Computer-based, closed book with an electronic reference (NCEES PS Reference Handbook and the specified standards); U.S. Customary units; questions require a variety of approaches and methodologies, including design, analysis, and application
Exam questions
100 questions
Time limit
7 hours, including a tutorial and an optional scheduled break
Passing score
Results reported as pass or fail; failing examinees receive a diagnostic report by major topic
Exam fee
$375 exam fee payable directly to NCEES
Examination outline
  • 1. Legal Principles (18–27 of 100 questions)
    • A. Principles of Evidence — 1. How to search for data and for physical evidence to evaluate data; 2. How to evaluate data; 3. Parol evidence; 4. Prescriptive rights; 5. Adverse possession; 6. Acquiescence; 7. Controlling elements; 8. Easement rights
    • B. Common Law Boundary Principles — 1. Historical and current common law principles; 2. Riparian and littoral rights; 3. Sovereign rights, including both navigable waters and eminent domain; 4. Sovereign land grants
    • C. Sequential and Simultaneous Conveyance Concepts — 1. Types of conveyances; 2. Junior/senior rights; 3. Record and physical evidence
    • D. Legal Descriptions for Real Property Transactions — 1. Preparation and interpretation of legal descriptions; 2. Controlling elements and how they impact the description; 3. Unwritten rights and how they impact the description; 4. Encumbrances and how they impact the description; 5. Easements and how they impact the description
    • E. Evidence for the Perpetuation of the U.S. PLSS
  • 2. Professional Survey Practices (22–33 of 100 questions)
    • A. Public/Private Record Sources — 1. Resources for private and public records; 2. Local public records indexing and filing system; 3. Local survey office records
    • B. Documentation, Supervision, and Clear Communication of Field Procedures — 1. Field surveying techniques; 2. Field surveying practices; 3. Data collection protocols
    • C. GPS/GNSS including satellite constellations, static GPS, RTK, PPP, and virtual networks
    • D. Surveying Principles and Computations — 1. Technical computations; 2. Applicable software
    • E. Monumentation Standards — 1. Applicable monumentation criteria; 2. Monument types
    • F. Land Development Solutions — 1. Regulatory land development criteria; 2. Construction criteria; 3. Land development implementation procedures
    • G. Survey Maps/Plats/Reports — 1. Technical communications by schematic, platting, and mapping processes and procedures; 2. Communication options
    • H. GIS — 1. GIS spatial databases and metadata; 2. Datums and projections related to GIS
  • 3. Standards and Specifications (8–12 of 100 questions)
    • A. BLM Manual of Surveying Instructions
    • B. ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standards — 1. Current ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standards; 2. State statutes regarding boundary surveys in conjunction with ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys
    • C. FEMA Requirements — 1. FEMA specifications and instructions; 2. Horizontal and vertical datums related to FEMA flood zones; 3. Current FEMA elevation certificate; 4. FEMA Flood Insurance Study
  • 4. Business Practices (13–19 of 100 questions)
    • A. General Business Practices and Procedures — 1. Project planning and project management; 2. Deliverables; 3. Costs, budgets, and contracts; 4. Types of surveys; 5. Site features and conditions; 6. Scope of services; 7. Appropriate equipment and instruments
    • B. Risk Management Procedures — 1. Safety procedures; 2. QA/QC methods; 3. Risk management in contracts; 4. Insurance needs and requirements; 5. Potential liabilities
    • C. Professional Conduct
    • D. Communication with Clients, Staff, Related Professions, and the Public — 1. Different forms of communications; 2. Appropriate type of communication to convey concepts; 3. Related professions and their impact on client needs and deliverables
  • 5. Areas of Practice (24–36 of 100 questions)
    • A. ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys — 1. Legal documents, such as deeds, easements, and agreements; 2. Zoning information as applied to ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys; 3. Title insurance commitment letters and policies; 4. Underground features as applied to ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys
    • B. Control Networks and Geodetic Network Surveys — 1. Datums and reference frames relative to control networks; 2. Differences between local datums and geodetic datums; 3. Equipment appropriate for control surveys; 4. The Federal Geographic Data Committee Geospatial Positioning Accuracy Standards; 5. The National Geospatial Programs (NGP) Standards and Specifications—Digital Data Standards
    • C. Construction Surveys — 1. Construction plan reading; 2. Construction calculations including slopes, grades, and plan details; 3. Construction techniques and activities; 4. Horizontal and vertical positioning relative to a plan or datum
    • D. Boundary Surveys — 1. Physical boundary evidence; 2. Boundary reconciliations; 3. Historical measurement accuracy, equipment, and techniques; 4. Legal principles related to boundary surveys
    • E. Route Surveys for Alignments and Utilities — 1. Route alignment stationing practices; 2. Reading and interpreting roadway and utility plans
    • F. Topographic — 1. Topographic/planimetric mapping and control standards; 2. Interpretation, reconciliation, and adjustment of topographic survey data; 3. QA/QC procedures as applied to topographic surveys; 4. Ground, hydrographic, and remote sensing equipment; 5. The U.S. National Map Accuracy Standards as applied to topographic surveys; 6. Tools and techniques required to perform hydrographic, bathymetric, and remote sensing surveys; 7. Nomenclature related to utilities
    • G. Surveys to Establish New Parcels, Lots, or Units — 1. Types of subdivisions; 2. Platting; 3. Condominiums and associations; 4. Deed restrictions and restrictive covenants; 5. Zoning and subdivision ordinances
    • H. As-Built/Record Drawing Surveys — 1. As-built/record drawing calculations including slopes, grades, and plan details; 2. As-built/record drawing techniques and activities; 3. Horizontal and vertical as-built/record drawing positions relative to a plan or datum
    • I. Consultation Services — 1. Site topography and slope for development purposes; 2. Site access for development purposes; 3. Zoning standards related to new projects; 4. Floodplains as related to land development
Examination sources