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PS Surveying Cheat Sheet

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Legal Principles

  • 18-27% of exam
  • Evidence Priority Water Boundaries Conveyance Rights Legal Descriptions PLSS Evidence

Survey Practice

  • 22-33% of exam
  • Records Research Field Checks GNSS Methods Computations GIS Datums

Standards

  • 8-12% of exam
  • ALTA/NSPS BLM Manual FEMA Work Accuracy Standards Electronic Standards

Business Practice

  • 13-19% of exam
  • Scopes Contracts QA/QC Risk Communication

Practice Areas

  • 24-36% of exam
  • ALTA Surveys Control Networks Construction Layout Boundary Surveys Topographic Work Subdivisions

Quick Facts

  • Exam PS Surveying
  • Owner NCEES
  • Questions 100
  • Time 7 hours
  • Format CBT closed book
  • References Electronic handbook
  • Units USCS
  • Fee $375
  • Score Pass/fail scaled
  • Pass Rate 56% first-time
  • Repeat Rate 39% repeat
  • Eligibility Board rules vary

Call Priority LE

  • Intent -> monuments -> course -> distance -> area
  • Intent Monuments Course Distance Area

Monument vs Measurement LE

Monument

  • Physical evidence
  • Original intent
  • May control

Measurement

  • Record number
  • May contain error
  • Supports geometry
  • Evidence beats arithmetic

Evidence Picker LE

  • Found original monument → Honor monument ( Verify undisturbed )
  • Conflicting distance → Weigh calls ( Intent controls )
  • Sudden channel change → Avulsion ( Boundary may stay )
  • Gradual shoreline change → Accretion/reliction ( Boundary may move )
  • Ambiguous deed → Parol evidence ( Clarify, not rewrite )
  • PLSS corner found → Existent corner ( Recover, don't replace )
  • Corner evidence absent → Lost-corner methods ( Proportion carefully )
  • Sequential overlap → Senior rights ( Junior bears shortage )

Evidence Priority LE

  • Original monument Best original evidence
  • Called monument Named deed object
  • Natural monument Water, tree, ridge
  • Artificial monument Set human marker
  • Course Bearing or direction
  • Distance Measured line length
  • Area Least reliable call
  • Occupation Use evidence

Water Change LE

  • Gradual moves; sudden stays
  • Accretion moves Reliction moves Avulsion stays

Accretion vs Avulsion LE

Accretion

  • Gradual change
  • Often moves line

Avulsion

  • Sudden change
  • Often line stays
  • Speed changes law

Rights Doctrines LE

  • Senior deed Earlier conveyance
  • Junior deed Later conveyance
  • Parol evidence Clarifies ambiguity
  • Prescriptive easement Long adverse use
  • Adverse possession May ripen title
  • Acquiescence Accepted line conduct
  • Appurtenant easement Runs with land
  • Easement in gross Benefits holder
  • Encumbrance Affects title/use

Corner Status LE

  • Existent found; obliterated proved; lost proportioned
  • Existent found Obliterated proved Lost proportioned

Easement vs Possession LE

Easement

  • Use right
  • Fee remains elsewhere

Possession

  • Ownership claim
  • Court decides title
  • Use right vs title

Water + PLSS LE

  • Accretion Gradual land gain
  • Reliction Gradual water retreat
  • Avulsion Sudden channel change
  • Riparian River or stream
  • Littoral Lake or sea
  • Navigability Sovereign-right trigger
  • Existent corner Direct evidence supports
  • Obliterated corner Collateral evidence proves
  • Lost corner Evidence insufficient
  • Proportioning Lost-corner restoration

GNSS Heights PR

  • GNSS height needs geoid
  • Ellipsoid in Geoid model Ortho out

Datum vs Projection PR

Datum

  • Reference frame
  • Positions depend

Projection

  • Flat grid
  • Scale distortion
  • Frame before grid

Method Picker PR

  • Need high control → Static GNSS ( Post-process )
  • Need real-time staking → RTK ( Independent check )
  • Need flood elevation → Orthometric height ( Geoid required )
  • Need local grid → Site calibration ( Distributed control )
  • Need network confidence → Least squares ( Residual review )
  • Need boundary start → Records research ( Include adjoiners )
  • Need field reliability → Redundant observations ( Blunders visible )
  • Need GIS delivery → Metadata ( Datum projection )

Records + Field PR

  • Deed chain Conveyance history
  • Adjoiner deeds Neighbor context
  • Prior surveys Past opinions
  • Title record Recorded interests
  • Field notes Observed evidence
  • Check shots Independent verification
  • Redundancy Extra observations
  • Witness ties Recover monument position
  • Monument log Evidence inventory

Precision vs Accuracy PR

Precision

  • Repeatability
  • Tight cluster

Accuracy

  • Truth closeness
  • Control agreement
  • Repeatable can be wrong

GNSS + Datums PR

  • Datum Reference frame
  • Epoch Frame date
  • Projection Earth to grid
  • Geoid Elevation model
  • Ellipsoid height GNSS height
  • Orthometric height Elevation above geoid
  • Static GNSS Long control sessions
  • RTK Real-time corrections
  • PPP Precise point positioning
  • Site calibration GNSS to local

Static vs RTK PR

Static

  • Long occupations
  • Control quality

RTK

  • Real-time positions
  • Check required
  • Control vs production

Computations + GIS PR

  • Least squares Redundant adjustment
  • Residual Observed minus adjusted
  • Misclosure Endpoint mismatch
  • Compass rule Length-based correction
  • Coordinate area Vertex product area
  • Percent grade Rise divided run
  • Metadata Dataset documentation
  • Units Foot/meter clarity
  • Scale factor Grid-ground relation

ALTA vs Boundary ST

ALTA

  • Title-insurance standard
  • Shows improvements
  • Needs commitment

Boundary

  • Line opinion
  • Evidence reconciliation
  • Jurisdiction rules
  • Scope drives deliverable

Standards Picker ST

  • Title insurance survey → ALTA 2021 ( Table A optional )
  • Federal PLSS retracement → BLM Manual
  • Flood certificate → FEMA EC
  • Flood study context → FIS
  • Geospatial accuracy → GPAS
  • Map scale accuracy → USNMAS
  • Digital leveling → FGCS 3.5
  • Standard question → Listed revision ( Other years lose )

Supplied Standards ST

  • PS handbook NCEES reference
  • ALTA 2021 Land title standard
  • Table A Optional negotiated items
  • BLM Manual PLSS retracement
  • FEMA EC Elevation certificate
  • FIS Flood insurance study
  • GPAS Geospatial accuracy
  • USNMAS Map accuracy
  • FGCS 3.5 Digital leveling

Project Flow BU

  • Scope -> field -> check -> deliver
  • Scope Field Check Deliver

QA vs QC BU

QA

  • Process assurance
  • Prevents defects

QC

  • Product checking
  • Finds defects
  • Process vs product

Business Risk BU

  • Scope Work boundary
  • Deliverables Promised outputs
  • Budget Planned cost
  • Contract Risk allocation
  • Standard care Ordinary diligence
  • Responsible charge Professional control
  • Seal Professional responsibility
  • QA Process assurance
  • QC Product checking
  • Safety plan Field risk control
  • Insurance Risk financing

Layout vs As-Built AR

Layout

  • Planned positions
  • Before construction

As-built

  • Actual positions
  • After construction
  • Stake vs document

Deliverable Picker AR

  • Need legal lots → Subdivision plat
  • Need built condition → As-built survey
  • Need planned positions → Construction layout
  • Need route offsets → Route survey
  • Need terrain model → Topographic survey
  • Need title closing → ALTA survey
  • Need boundary opinion → Boundary survey
  • Need development advice → Consultation

Survey Types AR

  • ALTA survey Title transaction
  • Boundary survey Boundary opinion
  • Control survey Reference network
  • Construction layout Stake planned work
  • Route survey Alignment corridor
  • Topographic survey Surface/features
  • Subdivision plat Create lots
  • As-built survey Document built work
  • Consultation Development advice
  • Hydrographic survey Water-bottom mapping

ALTA + Boundary AR

  • Title commitment Survey-related records
  • Schedule B Exceptions review
  • Access Observed legal entry
  • Encroachment Cross-boundary improvement
  • Zoning item Authorized scope
  • Utilities Observed/recorded features
  • Reconciliation Evidence weighing
  • Record intent Original meaning

Common Traps

Coordinates vs boundary

  • Coordinates locate evidence ≠ Evidence resolves boundary

Closure vs title

  • Closure checks math ≠ Title follows rights

State law

  • Doctrine is general ≠ Timing is jurisdictional

Fixed water

  • Accretion may move ≠ Avulsion may not

Fixed RTK

  • Fixed is solution ≠ Check proves reliability

Table A

  • Optional means authorized ≠ Not automatic scope

Seal use

  • Seal means charge ≠ Not decoration

GIS vs survey

  • GIS displays data ≠ Survey weighs evidence

Last Minute

  • 1. 100 questions; 7 hours
  • 2. Closed book; electronic references
  • 3. USCS units only
  • 4. Legal: 18-27 questions
  • 5. Practice: 22-33 questions
  • 6. Standards: 8-12 questions
  • 7. Business: 13-19 questions
  • 8. Areas: 24-36 questions
  • 9. Monuments beat measurements
  • 10. Senior rights before junior
  • 11. Accretion moves; avulsion stays
  • 12. Datum before coordinates
  • 13. ALTA Table A optional
  • 14. State law varies

PS Principles and Practice of Surveying

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