PS Reference Handbook April 2013 - NCEES: Home

130 Pages·2013·2.83 MB·English

by  Ragenia Thompson

Reference Handbook for the PS Exam
Revised February 5, 2013
The Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) Exam is a closed-book exam. The PS Reference Handbook
is the only material you may use in the exam room. You will not be allowed to bring your personal copy
of the Handbook with you to the exam, but a proctor will provide one at the site. Basic theories,
conversions, formulas, and definitions that examinees are expected to know have not been included in the
PS Reference Handbook.

NCEES will periodically revise reference material. Each PS exam will be administered using the latest
version of the PS Reference Handbook.
PS
principles and practice
of surveying
PS REFERENCE HANDBOOK
Do not write in this book or remove any pages.
Do all scratch work in your exam book.
PS REFERENCE
HANDBOOK

Do not write in this book or remove any pages.
Do all scratch work in your exam book.
© 2013, All Rights Reserved
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying®

Printed in the United States of America
January 2013
About the Handbook
The Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) Exam is a closed-book exam. The PS Reference
Handbook supplied by NCEES is the only material you may use. You will not be allowed to bring your
personal copy of the Handbook or any other documentation into the exam room, but you will be
provided with a new Handbook at your seat on exam day.

The Handbook does not contain all the information required to answer every question on the exam.
Some of the basic theories, conversions, formulas, and definitions examinees are expected to know
have not been included in the supplied references. When appropriate, NCEES will provide information
in the question statement itself to assist you in solving the problem.

NCEES will periodically revise and update the PS Reference Handbook. Each PS exam will be
administered using the latest version of the Handbook.

Using the Handbook on exam day
During the exam, you may write in your exam book and on your answer sheet. However, you will not
be allowed to write in or remove pages from the Handbook. A proctor will collect all your testing
materials, including the PS Reference Handbook, before you leave the exam room.

Updates on exam content and procedures
NCEES.org is our home on the Web. Visit us there for updates on everything exam-related, including
specifications, exam-day policies, scoring, practice tests, and corrections to published study materials.

Errata
To report errata to this book, e-mail your correction using our feedback form on ncees.org. Examinees
are not penalized for any errors in the Handbook that affect an exam question.
Do not write in this book or remove any pages.
Do all scratch work in your exam book.
CONTENTS

Abbreviations and Acronyms .................................................................................................... 1
Conversions and Other Useful Relationships ............................................................................ 2
Metric Prefixes .......................................................................................................................... 2
Quadratic Equation .................................................................................................................... 2
Oblique Triangles ...................................................................................................................... 3
Spherical Triangles .................................................................................................................... 3
Probability and Statistics ........................................................................................................... 3
Confidence Intervals .................................................................................................................. 4
Horizontal Circular Curves ....................................................................................................... 5
Vertical Curve Formulas ........................................................................................................... 6
Photogrammetry ........................................................................................................................ 6
Physics ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Curvature and Refraction .......................................................................................................... 7
Geodesy ..................................................................................................................................... 7
State Plane Coordinates ............................................................................................................. 8
Electronic Distance Measurement ............................................................................................. 8
Atmospheric Correction ............................................................................................................ 8
Area Formulas ........................................................................................................................... 8
Earthwork Formulas .................................................................................................................. 8
Tape Correction Formulas ......................................................................................................... 9
Stadia ......................................................................................................................................... 9
Unit Normal Distribution Table .............................................................................................. 10
t-Distribution Table ................................................................................................................. 11
Critical Values of the F Distribution Table ............................................................................. 12
Economics ............................................................................................................................... 13
Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys .................. 15
United States National Map Accuracy Standards ................................................................... 25
FGCS Specifications and Procedures to Incorporate Electronic Digital/Bar-Code
Leveling Systems .................................................................................................................... 27
Geospatial Positioning Accuracy Standards
Part 1: Reporting Methodology ......................................................................................... 33
Part 2: Standards for Geodetic Networks .......................................................................... 45
Part 3: National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy ........................................................ 55
Part 4: Standards for Architecture, Engineering, Construction (A/E/C)
and Facility Manangement ................................................................................................ 83
Part 5: Standards for Nautical Charting Hydrographic Surveys ..................................... 107
Do not write in this book or remove any pages.
Do all scratch work in your exam book.
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

ACSM American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. Used interchangeably with
National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS).

ALTA/ACSM ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey

CADD computer-aided design and drafting

DOD Department of Defense

DOT Department of Transportation

DTM digital terrain modeling

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

FGSC Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee

GLO General Land Office

GNSS Global Navigation Satellite Systems

GSP global positioning system

NAVD North American Vertical Datum

NGVD National Geodetic Vertical Datum

NGS National Geodetic Survey

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

USGS United States Geological Survey

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