California PE Civil Surveying Practice Exam

I recently moved to CA and need to take the seismic and the surveying tests. It has been a long time since I have passed my national PE and my studying skills are rusty at best. I did purchase Dr. Mansour's and Reza's surveying text/workbook from ebay along with Boniface's 2 practice exams. I feel that I really need to take more practice tests to ensure that I can complete the test on time. I found that there a lot of problems common in Reza's and Mansour's books. Anyway, both Mansour and http://www.civilpesurveyingreview.com/ have computerized tests. The CPSR is more expensive as I have to buy the entire course. If I had to purchase one, which one would you recommend and why? By the way, Boniface's practice tests are ok but from what I have read, they are easier than the real exam problem. 

Thank you for your help.

Maji said:

I recently moved to CA and need to take the seismic and the surveying tests. It has been a long time since I have passed my national PE and my studying skills are rusty at best. I did purchase Dr. Mansour's and Reza's surveying text/workbook from ebay along with Boniface's 2 practice exams. I feel that I really need to take more practice tests to ensure that I can complete the test on time. I found that there a lot of problems common in Reza's and Mansour's books. Anyway, both Mansour and http://www.civilpesurveyingreview.com/ have computerized tests. The CPSR is more expensive as I have to buy the entire course. If I had to purchase one, which one would you recommend and why? By the way, Boniface's practice tests are ok but from what I have read, they are easier than the real exam problem. Thank you for your help.

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This provably won't help but I'm in the same dilemma. I think i'm signing up for Reza's class though I also want the CBT tests that CPSR offers. I have co-workers who've taken one or the other. They say Reza is good with teaching how to do problems and gain speed. Mansour is good with teaching concepts. You'll notice that Mansour's notes are actually nicer and better organized, in my opinion. And yes, the practice problems in both books are exactly the same. So if you're going to self study, you definitely need more problems. My friend's theory is that they started the workbook together then decided to split.

I took the test in April, and people may keep thinking that I'm just upset because I didn't pass, but it's just the way my questions came through.... the workbook problems were nothing like my test other than the vertical and horizontal curves. I got a lot of equipment, methods, history/legal questions. I'm hoping to gain speed on the calculation questions to have time to think about the rest. Maybe Reza will work. I couldn't find many discussions about CPSR's survey though. Maybe it's new.

Good luck. Hopefully you'll chose wisely and not have to seat through it. It's draining and the $500+ to refile stings.

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Thank you jijir83. I think your friend is correct or those problems are actual test problems that were "smuggled" out and distributed. Just wearing the tin foil hat for a moment...

I have a coworker who mentioned that he was surprised by the amount of legal type of questions he got too when he sat for the test in Oct. 2015. I am seriously debating between the CBT tests that Mansour is now offering vs. CPSR. CPSR will be more expensive though, but if it helps me pass the exam, then it is money well spent. Decisions! Decisions!

I wish you the best of luck and recommend that if money is no object and you have Manrour's book, then go for CPSR. I may go that route too but money is a consideration here.