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Michigan Land Surveyor — Requirements & Free Practice

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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.

Professional Surveyor License with a Limitation

The limited form of the professional surveyor license authorized by the general Occupational Code; the limitation is individually imposed with Board involvement rather than a published surveyor specialty.

Licensing authority: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and Michigan State Board of Professional Surveyors · Application information

Initial licensure with an individually imposed limitation
Alternative assessment
Under MCL 339.517, the Department and Board may administer an alternative form of testing or a personal interview or both; no exact separate examination is identified, so this is an applicant condition.
Application
Submit the online MiPLUS application, all supporting documentation, and applicable fees; MCL 339.202(1).
Application completion
MCL 339.409(3) requires completion within one year after receipt of the application or mailing of the last incomplete notice, whichever is later; otherwise submit a new application and fees under the then-current standards.
Approval
Issuance is discretionary and follows a finding of competence under MCL 339.518; the named ordinary examinations remain identified, subject to individually approved equivalent proof or exceptions.
Character
Be of good moral character under MCL 339.2004(3)(d); answer the licensing-guide moral-character question.
Education
Provide a bachelor’s or higher surveying degree accredited by EAC/ABET, ETAC/ABET, or ANSAC/ABET, or an NCEES credentials evaluation satisfying its Surveying Education Standard, or a NACES-member evaluation establishing substantial equivalence under R 339.17201.
Equivalent proof
MCL 339.2004(3)(c) permits equivalent proof of qualification acceptable to the Department and Board instead of passing the named fundamentals and professional-practice examinations; acceptance is an applicant condition, not a separate no-exam leaf.
Exam scheduling
The licensing guide states no Department preapproval is needed to schedule FS, PS, or Part IIB. Prior passing results count; provide the month and year of NCEES passes, which the Department verifies with NCEES.
Experience
Document at least eight years of satisfactory professional surveying experience including no more than five years of education; R 339.17202 allows no more than four years for one qualifying bachelor’s degree and one year for one post-baccalaureate degree. Qualifying work and supervision or licensed practice must be verified under Rule 202(2)-(3).
Individual review
Demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Department and Board that ordinary requirements are not a fair and adequate measure of knowledge and skills, or that the required examination is not an adequate basis for determining competence; petition review under Article 5 and MCL 339.203(1).
Limitation
The Department may impose a limitation under MCL 339.203(2) with Board approval, or if the Board neither approves nor disapproves within 60 days; the limitation governs the permitted functions, time, area, or other specified practice conditions.
Social security
Provide the SSN at application, or the SSN affidavit if exempt or without an SSN; licensing guide p.2.
Renewal with a limitation
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the MiPLUS renewal application and applicable fee. The guide permits application no sooner than 90 days before expiration; the renewal cycle is two years.
Continuing education
When licensed during the preceding two-year period, complete 30 approved CE hours in that period, including two surveying-ethics hours, before renewing; attest to compliance. Retain CE documentation four years and provide it if audited under R 339.17505.
Limitation
Renewal may impose a limitation with Board approval, or when the Board neither approves nor disapproves within 30 days after notice under MCL 339.204(3). Comply with applicable individual restrictions and orders.
Waiver
MCL 339.204(2) permits waiver for disability, military service, absence from the continental United States, or circumstances beyond the licensee’s control accepted by the Board. R 339.17505(5) requires a CE-waiver request at least 30 days before the last regularly scheduled Board meeting before expiration.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Professional Surveyor License

The unrestricted professional surveyor license, including examination, reciprocity, foreign-trained, military, renewal, relicensure, and restoration pathways. Retired or emeritus status is not authorized; firm approval is not a separate firm license under the licensing guide.

Licensing authority: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and Michigan State Board of Professional Surveyors · Application information

Initial licensure through individual petition review
Alternative assessment
Under MCL 339.517, the Department and Board may administer an alternative form of testing or a personal interview or both; no exact separate examination is identified, so this is an applicant condition.
Application
Submit the online MiPLUS application, all supporting documentation, and applicable fees; MCL 339.202(1).
Application completion
MCL 339.409(3) requires completion within one year after receipt of the application or mailing of the last incomplete notice, whichever is later; otherwise submit a new application and fees under the then-current standards.
Approval
Issuance is discretionary and follows a finding of competence under MCL 339.518; the named ordinary examinations remain identified, subject to individually approved equivalent proof or exceptions.
Character
Be of good moral character under MCL 339.2004(3)(d); answer the licensing-guide moral-character question.
Education
Provide a bachelor’s or higher surveying degree accredited by EAC/ABET, ETAC/ABET, or ANSAC/ABET, or an NCEES credentials evaluation satisfying its Surveying Education Standard, or a NACES-member evaluation establishing substantial equivalence under R 339.17201.
Equivalent proof
MCL 339.2004(3)(c) permits equivalent proof of qualification acceptable to the Department and Board instead of passing the named fundamentals and professional-practice examinations; acceptance is an applicant condition, not a separate no-exam leaf.
Exam scheduling
The licensing guide states no Department preapproval is needed to schedule FS, PS, or Part IIB. Prior passing results count; provide the month and year of NCEES passes, which the Department verifies with NCEES.
Experience
Document at least eight years of satisfactory professional surveying experience including no more than five years of education; R 339.17202 allows no more than four years for one qualifying bachelor’s degree and one year for one post-baccalaureate degree. Qualifying work and supervision or licensed practice must be verified under Rule 202(2)-(3).
Individual review
Demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Department and Board that ordinary requirements are not a fair and adequate measure of knowledge and skills, or that the required examination is not an adequate basis for determining competence; petition review under Article 5 and MCL 339.203(1).
Social security
Provide the SSN at application, or the SSN affidavit if exempt or without an SSN; licensing guide p.2.
Licensure by examination
Applicant
Applicant seeking initial professional surveyor licensure by examination.
Application
Submit the online MiPLUS application, all supporting documentation, and applicable fees; MCL 339.202(1).
Application completion
MCL 339.409(3) requires completion within one year after receipt of the application or mailing of the last incomplete notice, whichever is later; otherwise submit a new application and fees under the then-current standards.
Character
Be of good moral character under MCL 339.2004(3)(d); answer the licensing-guide moral-character question.
Education
Provide a bachelor’s or higher surveying degree accredited by EAC/ABET, ETAC/ABET, or ANSAC/ABET, or an NCEES credentials evaluation satisfying its Surveying Education Standard, or a NACES-member evaluation establishing substantial equivalence under R 339.17201.
Equivalent proof
MCL 339.2004(3)(c) permits equivalent proof of qualification acceptable to the Department and Board instead of passing the named fundamentals and professional-practice examinations; acceptance is an applicant condition, not a separate no-exam leaf.
Exam scheduling
The licensing guide states no Department preapproval is needed to schedule FS, PS, or Part IIB. Prior passing results count; provide the month and year of NCEES passes, which the Department verifies with NCEES.
Experience
Document at least eight years of satisfactory professional surveying experience including no more than five years of education; R 339.17202 allows no more than four years for one qualifying bachelor’s degree and one year for one post-baccalaureate degree. Qualifying work and supervision or licensed practice must be verified under Rule 202(2)-(3).
Social security
Provide the SSN at application, or the SSN affidavit if exempt or without an SSN; licensing guide p.2.
Licensure by examination with unavailable foreign records
Application
Submit the online MiPLUS application, all supporting documentation, and applicable fees; MCL 339.202(1).
Application completion
MCL 339.409(3) requires completion within one year after receipt of the application or mailing of the last incomplete notice, whichever is later; otherwise submit a new application and fees under the then-current standards.
Character
Be of good moral character under MCL 339.2004(3)(d); answer the licensing-guide moral-character question.
Education
Provide a bachelor’s or higher surveying degree accredited by EAC/ABET, ETAC/ABET, or ANSAC/ABET, or an NCEES credentials evaluation satisfying its Surveying Education Standard, or a NACES-member evaluation establishing substantial equivalence under R 339.17201.
Equivalent proof
MCL 339.2004(3)(c) permits equivalent proof of qualification acceptable to the Department and Board instead of passing the named fundamentals and professional-practice examinations; acceptance is an applicant condition, not a separate no-exam leaf.
Exam scheduling
The licensing guide states no Department preapproval is needed to schedule FS, PS, or Part IIB. Prior passing results count; provide the month and year of NCEES passes, which the Department verifies with NCEES.
Experience
Document at least eight years of satisfactory professional surveying experience including no more than five years of education; R 339.17202 allows no more than four years for one qualifying bachelor’s degree and one year for one post-baccalaureate degree. Qualifying work and supervision or licensed practice must be verified under Rule 202(2)-(3).
Social security
Provide the SSN at application, or the SSN affidavit if exempt or without an SSN; licensing guide p.2.
Unavailable records
Records of education or experience are unavailable from a foreign country. Obtain approval of the Department and Board; submit a notarized affidavit detailing education, schools, attendance dates, degree, courses, grades, and former employers, and a notarized governmental statement verifying unavailability under MCL 339.214.
Reciprocal licensure with unavailable foreign records
Application
Submit the online MiPLUS application, all supporting documentation, and applicable fees; MCL 339.202(1).
Application completion
MCL 339.409(3) requires completion within one year after receipt of the application or mailing of the last incomplete notice, whichever is later; otherwise submit a new application and fees under the then-current standards.
Character
Be of good moral character under MCL 339.2004(3)(d); answer the licensing-guide moral-character question.
Education
Provide a bachelor’s or higher surveying degree accredited by EAC/ABET, ETAC/ABET, or ANSAC/ABET, or an NCEES credentials evaluation satisfying its Surveying Education Standard, or a NACES-member evaluation establishing substantial equivalence under R 339.17201.
Equivalent proof
MCL 339.2004(3)(c) permits equivalent proof of qualification acceptable to the Department and Board instead of passing the named fundamentals and professional-practice examinations; acceptance is an applicant condition, not a separate no-exam leaf.
Exam scheduling
The licensing guide states no Department preapproval is needed to schedule FS, PS, or Part IIB. Prior passing results count; provide the month and year of NCEES passes, which the Department verifies with NCEES.
Existing certificate
The qualifying certificate and equivalency determination required by MCL 339.2013(1) are also required.
Experience
Document at least eight years of satisfactory professional surveying experience including no more than five years of education; R 339.17202 allows no more than four years for one qualifying bachelor’s degree and one year for one post-baccalaureate degree. Qualifying work and supervision or licensed practice must be verified under Rule 202(2)-(3).
Social security
Provide the SSN at application, or the SSN affidavit if exempt or without an SSN; licensing guide p.2.
Unavailable records
Records of education or experience are unavailable from a foreign country. Obtain approval of the Department and Board; submit a notarized affidavit detailing education, schools, attendance dates, degree, courses, grades, and former employers, and a notarized governmental statement verifying unavailability under MCL 339.214.
Licensure for foreign educated or trained applicants
Application
Submit the online MiPLUS application, all supporting documentation, and applicable fees; MCL 339.202(1).
Application completion
MCL 339.409(3) requires completion within one year after receipt of the application or mailing of the last incomplete notice, whichever is later; otherwise submit a new application and fees under the then-current standards.
Character
Be of good moral character under MCL 339.2004(3)(d); answer the licensing-guide moral-character question.
Education
Provide a bachelor’s or higher surveying degree accredited by EAC/ABET, ETAC/ABET, or ANSAC/ABET, or an NCEES credentials evaluation satisfying its Surveying Education Standard, or a NACES-member evaluation establishing substantial equivalence under R 339.17201.
Equivalent proof
MCL 339.2004(3)(c) permits equivalent proof of qualification acceptable to the Department and Board instead of passing the named fundamentals and professional-practice examinations; acceptance is an applicant condition, not a separate no-exam leaf.
Exam scheduling
The licensing guide states no Department preapproval is needed to schedule FS, PS, or Part IIB. Prior passing results count; provide the month and year of NCEES passes, which the Department verifies with NCEES.
Experience
Document at least eight years of satisfactory professional surveying experience including no more than five years of education; R 339.17202 allows no more than four years for one qualifying bachelor’s degree and one year for one post-baccalaureate degree. Qualifying work and supervision or licensed practice must be verified under Rule 202(2)-(3).
Foreign education
Received education or training outside the United States; submit official transcripts and the necessary qualifying NCEES or NACES-member credentials evaluation directly from the evaluator. An NCEES Council Record may be used if already licensed elsewhere.
Social security
Provide the SSN at application, or the SSN affidavit if exempt or without an SSN; licensing guide p.2.
Late renewal within sixty days after expiration
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the MiPLUS renewal application and applicable fee. The guide permits application no sooner than 90 days before expiration; the renewal cycle is two years.
Continuing education
When licensed during the preceding two-year period, complete 30 approved CE hours in that period, including two surveying-ethics hours, before renewing; attest to compliance. Retain CE documentation four years and provide it if audited under R 339.17505.
Late renewal
Pay the renewal fee and late fee within 60 days after expiration. Do not practice or use the professional title after expiration until properly renewed.
Waiver
MCL 339.204(2) permits waiver for disability, military service, absence from the continental United States, or circumstances beyond the licensee’s control accepted by the Board. R 339.17505(5) requires a CE-waiver request at least 30 days before the last regularly scheduled Board meeting before expiration.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Removal of a limitation through qualification review
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Competence
The Department and Board may remove the limitation if qualification review establishes competence to perform each function without it; this is a qualification-review route under MCL 339.519, not a separately identified examination.
Existing limited license
Hold a license limited under MCL 339.203 or 339.204.
Petition
Petition the Department in writing within 30 days after imposition of the limitation.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensure without examination for a qualifying military member, veteran, or dependent
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Discipline
No disqualifying revocation or surrender during investigation; discipline must be resolved, and pending complaints, allegations, or investigations must be resolved before issuance or denial.
Existing license
Hold a valid license or registration in the occupation from an equivalent licensing authority in at least one other US state; each qualifying license must be in good standing and held for at least one year. The other state must verify applicable minimum education and experience, and its requirements must substantially equal or exceed Michigan requirements.
Military status
Prove membership in the armed forces or uniformed services, veteran status, or dependent status. Dependent means spouse, surviving spouse, child under 26, or surviving child under 26 under MCL 339.104(2).
Other requirements
Pay applicable fees unless waived; meet good moral character and any occupational age requirement. Issuance is prohibited if the Department determines it may violate federal oversight or licensing guidelines.
Prior exam
MCL 339.217(1)(b)(iii) requires that any examination required for the other-state license was passed. It names no exact current nationwide or Michigan examination; this prior qualifying-license evidence is an applicant condition.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Temporary renewal exemption during mobilized military duty
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Duration
The exemption lasts until 90 days after release from the mobilized duty, but no longer than 36 months from license expiration.
Notice
Notify the Department by written or electronic mail, provide proof of mobilized duty, and provide oversight arrangements if responsible for supervising licensed activities.
Qualifying duty
A licensee or qualifying officer mobilized for military duty in the Armed Forces by the President may request temporary exemption from renewal fees, CE, and related renewal requirements.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensure by reciprocity
Application
Submit the online MiPLUS application, all supporting documentation, and applicable fees; MCL 339.202(1).
Application completion
MCL 339.409(3) requires completion within one year after receipt of the application or mailing of the last incomplete notice, whichever is later; otherwise submit a new application and fees under the then-current standards.
Character
Be of good moral character under MCL 339.2004(3)(d); answer the licensing-guide moral-character question.
Council record
An NCEES Council Record may be transmitted; the guide also permits the indicated documentation instead.
Education
Provide a bachelor’s or higher surveying degree accredited by EAC/ABET, ETAC/ABET, or ANSAC/ABET, or an NCEES credentials evaluation satisfying its Surveying Education Standard, or a NACES-member evaluation establishing substantial equivalence under R 339.17201.
Equivalent proof
MCL 339.2004(3)(c) permits equivalent proof of qualification acceptable to the Department and Board instead of passing the named fundamentals and professional-practice examinations; acceptance is an applicant condition, not a separate no-exam leaf.
Exam scheduling
The licensing guide states no Department preapproval is needed to schedule FS, PS, or Part IIB. Prior passing results count; provide the month and year of NCEES passes, which the Department verifies with NCEES.
Existing certificate
Hold an appropriate qualification or registration certificate from another state or a national council acceptable to the Department and Board; the Board must determine equivalent requirements under MCL 339.2013(1).
Experience
Document at least eight years of satisfactory professional surveying experience including no more than five years of education; R 339.17202 allows no more than four years for one qualifying bachelor’s degree and one year for one post-baccalaureate degree. Qualifying work and supervision or licensed practice must be verified under Rule 202(2)-(3).
Social security
Provide the SSN at application, or the SSN affidavit if exempt or without an SSN; licensing guide p.2.
Relicensure after lapse of more than sixty days but less than three years
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the completed Department application, pay required fees, and satisfy outstanding disciplinary penalties or conditions.
Continuing education
Verify 30 approved CE hours, including two surveying-ethics hours, within the two years immediately before application; if deficient, Rule 303 permits one year after filing to prove the missing hours.
Exam exception
MCL 339.411(3) expressly permits relicensure without examination and without meeting added education or training requirements in force at application, subject to its conditions and the implementing surveyor rule.
Lapse
Apply after the 60-day late-renewal period and before three years after expiration, as governed by R 339.17303(1).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Relicensure after lapse of three years or more
Application
Submit the online MiPLUS application, all supporting documentation, and applicable fees; MCL 339.202(1).
Application completion
MCL 339.409(3) requires completion within one year after receipt of the application or mailing of the last incomplete notice, whichever is later; otherwise submit a new application and fees under the then-current standards.
Board review
MCL 339.2013(2) requires Board review if the applicant does not meet requirements currently in force; this discretion does not remove identified examinations.
Character
Be of good moral character under MCL 339.2004(3)(d); answer the licensing-guide moral-character question.
Continuing education
Verify 30 approved CE hours, including two surveying-ethics hours, in the two years immediately before applying. If deficient, Rule 303 allows one year after application to provide proof of the missing hours.
Council record
The licensing guide requests transmission of an NCEES Council Record proving current licensure requirements.
Current requirements
R 339.17303(2)(c) requires proof that all initial-licensure requirements have been met; already-passed currently offered examinations remain leaves.
Education
Provide a bachelor’s or higher surveying degree accredited by EAC/ABET, ETAC/ABET, or ANSAC/ABET, or an NCEES credentials evaluation satisfying its Surveying Education Standard, or a NACES-member evaluation establishing substantial equivalence under R 339.17201.
Equivalent proof
MCL 339.2004(3)(c) permits equivalent proof of qualification acceptable to the Department and Board instead of passing the named fundamentals and professional-practice examinations; acceptance is an applicant condition, not a separate no-exam leaf.
Exam scheduling
The licensing guide states no Department preapproval is needed to schedule FS, PS, or Part IIB. Prior passing results count; provide the month and year of NCEES passes, which the Department verifies with NCEES.
Experience
Document at least eight years of satisfactory professional surveying experience including no more than five years of education; R 339.17202 allows no more than four years for one qualifying bachelor’s degree and one year for one post-baccalaureate degree. Qualifying work and supervision or licensed practice must be verified under Rule 202(2)-(3).
Lapsed license
The most recent Michigan license expired three or more years before the relicensure application.
Social security
Provide the SSN at application, or the SSN affidavit if exempt or without an SSN; licensing guide p.2.
Biennial renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the MiPLUS renewal application and applicable fee. The guide permits application no sooner than 90 days before expiration; the renewal cycle is two years.
Continuing education
When licensed during the preceding two-year period, complete 30 approved CE hours in that period, including two surveying-ethics hours, before renewing; attest to compliance. Retain CE documentation four years and provide it if audited under R 339.17505.
Waiver
MCL 339.204(2) permits waiver for disability, military service, absence from the continental United States, or circumstances beyond the licensee’s control accepted by the Board. R 339.17505(5) requires a CE-waiver request at least 30 days before the last regularly scheduled Board meeting before expiration.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Part IIB - Michigan Principles & Practice of Professional Surveying Examination

Provider
PSI Services LLC
Format
Computer-administered, closed book
Exam questions
140 scored questions; the bulletin permits five to ten additional unscored experimental questions
Time limit
240 minutes
Passing score
70% (98 of 140 scored questions)
Examination outline
  • Michigan Laws: as they pertain to Land Surveying (43 items)
    • MIOSHA
    • Corner Recordation Act, Act 74 of 1970
    • Revised Judicature Act of 1961, Act 236 of 1961 (excerpts: Sections 2567 & 2567a)
    • Certified Surveys, Act 132 of 1970
    • Right of Entry by Surveyors, Act 115 of 1976
    • Affidavits Affecting Real Property, Act 123 of 1915
    • Michigan Coordinate Systems, Act 9 of 1964; creating the Michigan Coordinate System of 1983
    • Occupational Code, Act 299 of 1980 (excerpts: Articles 1-6 & 20)
    • Drain Code, Act 40 of 1956 (excerpts: Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 8)
    • Natural Resources & Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of 1994
    • Revised Statutes of 1846, R.S. of 1846 (excerpts: County Surveyors, Sections 54.95 – 54.106)
    • Remonumentation Act, Act 345 of 1990
    • Condominium Act, Act 59 of 1978
    • Land Division Act, Act 288 of 1967
    • Highways and Private Roads Act, Act 283 of 1909, Chapter 1
    • Records of United States Land Office Act, Act 54 of 1927
    • United States Field Notes, Maps, Plats, and Records, Act 55 of 1927
    • Uniform Electronic Transmission Act, Act 305 of 2000
  • Principles of the Profession: involving management, legal & technical aspects, and professional conduct (14 items)
    • Liability
    • Insurance
    • Obligation to client
    • Contracts
    • Areas of practice
    • Private claims
    • Office management and practice
  • Public Land Surveying Systems in Michigan: including matters pertaining to retracement, and subdivision (32 items)
    • Section Breakdown (Subdivisions of Sections)
    • Original government survey closing corners
    • Original government survey documents, notes & definitions
    • bona fide rights
    • General Sets of Instructions: 1815, 1833 & 1850
    • Control monuments (natural & artificial)
    • Section Line Retracement
    • Preservation
    • Restoration
    • Single & Double proportionate
    • Lost corners
    • Obliterated corners
    • Existent corners
    • Meandered bodies of water
  • Property Surveys, Descriptions and Legal Implications: including legal, technical, historical aspects, and research (32 items)
    • Writing & plotting descriptions
    • Boundary survey problems
    • Subdivision lot resurveys
    • Prorate
    • Monumentation
    • Authority court survey
    • Court testimony
    • Field survey procedures
    • Deeds & Abstracts
    • Error in Measurement
    • Riparian rights
    • Junior & Senior rights
    • Reversion rights
    • Adverse possession
    • Real property history
  • Special Surveying: encompassing measurements, mapping, design and planning & mathematics unique or applicable to surveying (19 items)
    • Land planning for residential development
    • Contour problems
    • Surveying information for architects
    • Photogrammetry & related topics
    • Topographic surveys
    • Hydrographic Mapping
    • Geographic Information System
    • Land Information System and Global Positioning System
    • Control Surveys
    • ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys
    • Floodplain Management
    • FEMA/FIRM Insurance
    • Elevation Certificates
    • Letters of Map Revision
    • Calculated Culvert
    • Proposed Elevation
    • Coordinate
    • Elevation
    • Unmanned aerial vehicles
Examination sources

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

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