Since I am a structure guy, I have very limited knowledge about survey. Still, I was very much confident to pass the survey in the first time I took the PE exam, cause survey exam was all about math, right?. I ended up passing the 8 hours and seismic, but missing 22 points under cut score for survey. I passed it 2nd time then. I think these tips helped me passed at my 2nd shot.
1. If the exam has 6, 7 and 8 point questions, focus on 6 and 7 point questions, skip every 8-point questions. Deal with them when you have time at the end of the exam, cause they all are way more difficult than 6 or 7 point questions.
If the exam has 6 and 7 point questions only, then focus on 6 point questions first.
2. Read Professional Engineers Act, Professional Land Surveyors Act carefully. If you can, read Subdivision Map too. As I remember, there were about 5 to 8 questions relating to those Acts in both times I took the survey. If you do know these Acts, you can solve each problem in within 30s to 1 min, which means that you can save 10 mins to 20 mins for other questions. I had 10 minutes left on clock when I finished the survey exam last time.
P.E Act and PLS Act can be downloaded from the Board's website. Subdivision Map can be found on google.
3. Understand the equipments. This Caltrans survey manual have a lot of good information about equipment, datum, types of survey and more. I wished I had known this manual at my first time. Since these types of question have nothing to do with calculation, knowing these knowledges will save you 4-10 minutes (2-5 questions).
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/esc/geometronics/...Manual_TOC.html
4. About books,
Construction Surveying and Layout by Wesley G. Crawford is a excellent book for people who has limit knowledge about Construction survey. This book have a lot of descriptive pictures and explanation.
Surveying Principles for Civil Engineers by Paul A Cuomo is so so, but it is the best for Photogammetry calculation examples.
Engineering Surveying by Chelapati is good for Horizontal and Vertical curves, Errors and Adjustments. Other than those, this one is an under average book. Since the author tried to cover too many topics in a very thin book, from basic math to survey techniques to laws, him trimmed off everything he could afford to, which, in the end, misled your studying, especially for those who have no good surveying knowledge like me.
Surveying Principles and Applications by Barry F. Kavanagh is the book for you to read about survey in general. You will need some basic knowledge before you can enjoy this book, otherwise, you will have to find some help from experienced office surveyors.
4. Finally, practice, practice and practice :multiplespotting: This tip saved me a license :lmao:
Hope those tips help.
Best wishes in April, guys.