Question about PS & LS exam (NY)
New to this board but have been reading threads for a while. I have a couple of questions regarding the PS exam and the NY LS exam.
I’m not going to lie, I barely failed this the last time I tried it. Problem is, when I took it, it was the last open book exam. Kind of curious on how the PS exam is now since it’s a closed book exam. When I 1st got ready for this exam, I studied of course but purchased the 50 question sample book for the PS exam. I blew it out of the water. Almost all the questions were common sense stuff. This thing made me think I was going to knock it out of the park, especially being a open book exam. I know how to survey, what to look for and how to solve problems. I’ve been working in surveying for a little over 10 years now with 4 years of college too. Mostly boundary with a little construction here and there.
So when I go to take the exam, I was perplexed at most of the questions. I was expecting something similar to the practice book and the questions being more about surveying related problems. But it seemed that most of the questions were asking about GIS, GPS, and Public Land Surveying System. Even with the books, I still couldn’t get it. Since I live & work in NY, I don’t have enough PLSS experience, or work with the GPS or GIS. 99% of my surveys are with the total station. It seems the longer I wait, the more technological this profession has become and is leaving me in the dust. I know if I took this in the 90’s, it would’ve been a cinch. But now with everyone using GPS and GIS, it seems that these questions trump actual survey knowledge on how to solve boundaries.
My questions are….
1. have you taken a closed book PS exam? What would you recommend to study. I know my weak spots are as listed but I keep coming up with the same theory. If I don’t know what the answers are with a closed book, how am I going to answer it now?? If the test has questions that are real survey problems related, then I have a chance. But if they still come up with questions like…”Who is allowed to file an official government survey map?” I’m pretty much in the same hole as the last time but worse now because I don’t have experience working out west.2. Also, with it being a closed book exam…are there any math related problems? I brought my calculator in but came out not even using it. Not one single math problem. I noticed that the reference page you can use is the same as the FS exam.
3. LS Exam review. I know NYSAPLS has a review course for both the PS and LS. My problem is, it’s always 6 hours away on the other side of the state. I’m in Western NY and it seems they never cater to this side. At least have it in the middle of the state. Do you know if there are any other review courses not mentioned in the NYSAPLS site? Is there any online site that you can recommend to help me study for these two exams again?
Thanks.
Robert
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