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California-Specific Professional Land Surveyor Examination TestPlanEffective January 2019General Definition of California Professional Land Surveying Practices:The practice of land surveying in the State of California consists of determining, establishing,reporting and mapping the positions, contours and/or geospatial configuration of points,physical features, property interests, boundary and/or property lines by applying the principlesof surveying, mathematics, measurement and law to meet the distinctive requirements of theState of California to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.This area of practice is structured into six primary content areas:Business Practices and Project Management (12%)Research and Project Planning (20%)Field Operations and Investigations (15%)Analysis and Evaluation (26%)Mapping and Document Preparation (18%)Professional Consulting (9%)I.II.III.IV.V.VI.1November 2018

BPELSG Land Surveying Test Plan‐2019Percentage ofQuestions onthe ExamI. Business Practices and Project ManagementProfessional Activities:1. Communicate the practice of land surveying2. Prepare proposals and contracts (e.g., scope, schedule, budget, client needs, regulatoryrequirements)3. Offer or procure land surveying and incidental services4. Direct personnel for office and field tasks5. Coordinate projects with third parties (e.g., agencies, consultants, contractors)6. Identify project standards (e.g., mapping, accuracy requirements, legal requirements,methodology, quality assurance, agency standards, project specifications)7. Develop plan for project execution (e.g., mapping, accuracy requirements, methodology,quality assurance, client needs)8. Preserve survey monuments in accordance with State law9. Manage a land surveying business, organization or department10. Apply the Subdivision Map Act and other related laws and regulations11. Apply the Professional Land Surveyors Act12. Identify and disclose potential conflicts of interestTest questions on these professional activities may include one or more of the following:A. Professional Land Surveyors' (PLS) ActB. Project requirementsC. Impact of local ordinancesD. Subdivision Map Act (SMA)E. Survey‐relevant sections of state laws (e.g., Public Resources Code, Civil Code,Evidence Code)F. Impact of federal laws (e.g., FEMA, CoE, BLM)G. Laws and ordinances pertaining to setting of monuments (e.g., PLS Act § 8771‐8772,SMA § 66495‐66498, local ordinances)H. Right of entry lawsI. Capabilities and limitations of equipment and technologies (e.g., GPS, laser scanning,levels, total stations, UAS)J. Interpretation of elements in construction plans and specifications pertaining to stakingK. Elements required for an aerial flight plan (e.g., photogrammetric, LiDAR, UAS)L. Procedures for preparation for aerial mapping and contouringM. Procedures for preparation for terrestrial mapping and contouring (e.g., total station,GPS, LiDAR, cameras)N. National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy (NSSDA)O. When records of survey are required2November 201812%

P. When corner records are requiredQ. When parcel maps are requiredR. When final maps are requiredS. When tentative maps are requiredT. Map waivers (e.g., SMA § 66428)U. Exceptions to Subdivision Map Act (e.g., SMA § 66412)V. State and local agency requirements for maps and related documents (e.g., submittal,review, filing)W. Mapping requirements and criteriaX. Contractual agreements (e.g., cost estimates, scope of services, limitations)Y. Appropriate communication methods (e.g., statuatory, regulatory)II. Research and Project PlanningProfessional Activities:1. Identify and determine proper control datums, realizations and epochs2. Analyze project data (e.g., recorded maps, deeds, title data, control data, land planningrequirements)3. Identify conflicts within documents, maps and drawings4. Conduct project research5. Prepare construction layout and control files6. Perform surveying calculations (e.g., boundary, control, topographic)7. Plan control networksTest questions on these professional activities may include one or more of the following:A. Interpretation of elements in construction plans and specifications pertaining tostakingB. Elements required for an aerial flight plan and control (e.g., photogrammetric, LiDAR,UAS)C. Procedures and requirements for aerial mapping and contouringD. Procedures for preparation for terrestrial mapping and contouring (e.g., total station,GPS, LiDAR, photogrammetry)E. When records of survey are requiredF. When corner records are requiredG. Public Land Survey System (PLSS)H. Sequential conveyances (e.g., senior, junior rights)I. Simultaneous conveyancesJ. Water boundariesK. Relationship of land grants between private, state and federal (e.g., ranchos, townsites)L. Methods of establishing boundariesM. Types and components of title documents (e.g., title report, chain of title, lot andblock report)N. Monument recovery proceduresO. Easements, rights‐of‐way, leases and other encumbrancesP. Methods and procedures for retracement and re‐establishment of railroad rights‐of‐way3November 201820%

Q. Controlling elements of legal descriptionsR. Strengths and weaknesses of various legal description typesS. Horizontal and vertical controlT. Projections, datums and epoch datesU. Transformation between datums and projectionsV. Geoid, ellipsoid and orthometric heightsW. Error sources (e.g., multipath, data input, instrument calibration)X. Methods and procedures to produce control networks within accuracy standards (e.g.,Public Resources Code, Federal and State standards)Y. Sources of research data (e.g., public, quasi‐public, private)Z. Source, type and accuracy of digital data (e.g., metadata, GIS)III. Field Operations and InvestigationsProfessional Activities:1. Perform topographic and/or as‐built surveys2. Perform control surveys3. Perform boundary surveys4. Retrace PLSS surveys5. Perform monitoring surveys6. Perform construction staking7. Perform hydrographic surveys (e.g., bathymetric, tidal datum)8. Communicate with clients, contractors and general public while in the fieldTest questions on these professional activities may include one or more of the following:A. Right of entry lawsB. Capabilities and limitations of equipment and technologies (e.g., GPS, laser scanning,levels, total stations, UAS)C. Interpretation of elements in construction plans and specifications pertaining tostakingD. Public Land Survey System (PLSS)E. Monument recoveryF. Monument re‐establishment procedures (e.g., PLS Act 8771 and 8773)G. Horizontal and vertical controlH. Error sources (e.g., multipath, data input, instrument calibration)I. California Coordinate SystemsJ. Real‐time‐networks (e.g., processes, redundancy, accessibility, accuracy)K. Survey calculations (e.g., horizontal and vertical alignments, volumes, grade)L. Field notes and staking reportsM. Basis of control values and their relation to maps and construction plans (e.g., basis ofbearings, benchmark)N. Methods and requirements for performing topographic and/or as‐built surveysO. Field practices and procedures for construction stakingP. Geoid models, ellipsoid heights and orthometric heights4November 201815%

IV. Analysis and EvaluationProfessional Activities:1. Analyze field evidence together with recorded and unrecorded documentation toretrace boundaries, easements, and possible encroachments (e.g., monuments,occupation, oaths/parol evidence)2. Identify conflicts between project drawings and existing field conditions3. Evaluate accuracies of historic documents and maps versus measured survey data4. Evaluate relevance and spatial relationships of maps and measured survey data (e.g., GISdata, field data, metadata)5. Identify and assess boundary conflicts6. Analyze results of survey adjustments (e.g., least squares, error analysis)7. Perform quality assurance and quality controlTest questions on these professional activities may include one or more of the following:A. When records of survey are requiredB. When corner records are requiredC. Public Land Survey System (PLSS)D. Water boundaries (e.g., tidal datums, navigable vs non‐navigable)E. Hierarchy of evidence (e.g., Code of Civil Procedure 2077)F. Effects of unwritten rightsG. Boundary resolutionH. Evaluation of field evidenceI. Methods of establishing boundariesJ. Types of conveyances and their effects of ownership on property (e.g., fee vs.easement, grant deed, quitclaim deed)K. Effect of riparian and littoral rights on boundariesL. Cloud on titleM. Error analysisN. Effect of ground movement and earthquakes on boundariesO. Easements, rights‐of‐way, leases and other encumbrancesP. Criteria for acceptance or rejection of monumentsQ. Physical evidence that may indicate unwritten rights (e.g., adverse possession,prescriptive rights)R. Controlling elements of legal descriptionsS. Types of legal descriptions (e.g., strip, metes and bounds, lot and block, aliquot)T. Exceptions and reservations of legal descriptionsU. Horizontal and vertical controlV. Projections, datums, realizations and epoch datesW. Geoid, ellipsoid and orthometric heightsX. Conversion between grid and ground distancesY. Quantifying and analyzing errors5November 201826%