Board of Licensure for Professional Land Surveyors - Examinations

Land Surveyor-in-Training Examination

The Fundamentals of Surveying Exam (FS) is administered by NCEES. Candidates need to register directly NCEES at their web site: http://www.ncees.org. Maine FS candidates do not need to apply to the Board untif after they have passed the exam.

EXAMINATION DATES

The examination is administered via computer based testing (CBT) by NCEES/PearsonVUE and  will be administered during four testing windows throughout the year:  January-February, April-May, July-August, and October-November.  Registration will be open year round, but seating will only be available during the open testing windows.

EXAMINATION FEES   

The exam registration fees are paid directly to NCEES during the registration process. 

NATURE OF EXAMINATION     

The FS exam is an 8-hour closed book examination on the Fundamentals of Land Surveying and consists of multiple choice questions and problems.  The exam is prepared and scored by the NCEES.

No copies of examinations may be kept by the examinee, and none will be furnished for study.  Battery-powered, non-printing, silent calculators may be used.  Electronic devices with “QWERTY” key pads may not be used.  There is a list of acceptable calculators at the NCEES web site:  www.ncees.org .

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS 

NCEES publishes a "NCEES Examinee Guide (PDF)" which explains the exam process in more detail which is available on their web site:   www.ncees.org.  Sample questions are also available at the NCEES web site.  

REQUEST FOR RE-EXAMINATION      
           
If you fail an examination you may re-take it in the next testing window which is described further in the "NCEES Examinee Guide (PDF)". 

Professional Land Surveyor Examinations

Professional Land Surveyor Examinations

Maine Specific Multiple Choice Exam Dates

April 19, 2024 Application Deadline: April 1st
October 18, 2024 Application Deadline: October 1st
April 18, 2025 Application Deadline: April 1st
October 17, 2025 Application Deadline: October 1st

Summary of the Parts of the Examination

Part I PLS - NCEES National Exam - Principles and Practice (PS) Is a 6-hour multiple-choice, closed-book NCEES exam to test your competence in the professional aspects of land surveying. This exam may include problems concerning principles of the profession (legal, technical, standards of professional conduct), property surveys, written instruments, monumentation, real property law, field surveying procedures, property survey descriptions, subdivision planning and design, deed descriptions and conveyance, surveying law, photogrammetry, surveying astronomy, cadastre, remote sensing, cartographic surveying, geodetic surveying, hydrographic surveying, construction surveying, architectural surveying and computations and adjustments. Electronic devices with "QWERTY" key pads may not be used.

Note: The Principles and Practice of Surveying Exam (PS) is administered electronically by NCEES. Candidates may sit for the PS exam prior to applying to the Board for licensure. To register for the PS exam you will need to establish a My Examination account with NCEES through their web site: http://www.ncees.org

Part II PLS - Maine Specific Multiple Choice (MSMC) This exam is administered in April and October at the Board office in Gardiner, Maine. Candidates may sit for this exam prior to applying to the Board for licensure. Exam applications (PDF) are available on the web site. Please see MSMC Suggested Study Materials (PDF) for additional information. Electronic devices with "QWERTY" key pads may not be used. A list of acceptable calculators is available at the NCEES web site: www.ncees.org