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Key Facts: CA Land Surveyor Exam

Pass/fail

Score Report

BPELSG

2/yr

Exam Administrations

BPELSG

4 hrs

Time Limit

BPELSG

None

CE Per Cycle

BPELSG

6 yrs

Experience Required

BPELSG

$250

Board Exam Fee

BPELSG (from July 1, 2026)

California requires the NCEES FS and PS exams, the California state-specific PLS exam, the California State Laws and Rules exam, and 6 years of qualifying experience. BPELSG oversees licensing under the Professional Land Surveyors' Act (Business and Professions Code sections 8700-8805).

Sample CA Land Surveyor Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the CA Land Surveyor exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 400+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which state agency regulates professional land surveyors in California?
A.California Department of Real Estate
B.Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG)
C.California Contractors State License Board
D.California Board of Architecture
Explanation: The California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) regulates professional land surveyors under the Professional Land Surveyors' Act, Business and Professions Code Sections 8700-8805. The Board is within the Department of Consumer Affairs.
2What is the formal name of the California law governing land surveyors?
A.California Surveying Act
B.Professional Land Surveyors' Act (Business and Professions Code Sections 8700-8805)
C.Land Survey Regulations Act
D.California Property Survey Code
Explanation: The Professional Land Surveyors' Act is codified in the Business and Professions Code, Chapter 15, Sections 8700 through 8805. B&P Code Section 8700 states that this chapter may be cited as the Professional Land Surveyors' Act.
3What examinations must an applicant pass for California PLS licensure?
A.Only the NCEES PS exam
B.The NCEES FS, NCEES PS (national component), and a supplemental California-specific examination
C.Only the California-specific exam
D.The FE and PE exams
Explanation: California requires passage of the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam, a second division exam that incorporates the NCEES PS exam (national component) and a supplemental California-specific examination. The California-specific exam includes a separate part testing knowledge of state-specific laws and regulations.
4What are the six primary content areas of the California Professional Land Surveyor Examination?
A.Only boundary law and mathematics
B.Business Practices/Project Management, Research/Planning, Field Operations, Analysis/Evaluation, Mapping/Document Preparation, and Professional Consulting
C.Only field operations and legal descriptions
D.Only mathematics and law
Explanation: The 2025 California PLS Examination Test Plan organizes questions into six content areas: I. Business Practices and Project Management (10%), II. Research, Project Planning and Preparation (16%), III. Field Operations and Investigations (20%), IV. Analysis and Evaluation (26%), V. Mapping and Document Preparation (16%), VI. Professional Consulting (12%).
5What is the application fee for a California professional land surveyor license?
A.$100
B.$125
C.$175
D.$250
Explanation: Effective July 1, 2026, 16 CCR Section 407 sets the application fee for licensure as a professional land surveyor at $250 (increased from $175). The California State-Specific Land Surveying examination fee and the biennial renewal fee are also $250 under the same fee amendment.
6How often must California PLS licenses be renewed?
A.Annually
B.Every two years (biennial)
C.Every three years
D.Every five years
Explanation: Under the California Professional Land Surveyors' Act, individual PLS licenses must be renewed every two years (biennially) from the assigned renewal date. Effective July 1, 2026, the biennial renewal fee under 16 CCR Section 407 is $250.
7What is the biennial renewal fee for a California PLS license?
A.$100
B.$150
C.$180
D.$250
Explanation: Effective July 1, 2026, 16 CCR Section 407 sets the two-year biennial renewal fee for a California PLS license at $250 (increased from $180). Failure to renew results in an expired license and the inability to legally practice land surveying.
8Under BPC Section 8726, which of the following is considered the practice of land surveying in California?
A.Only drawing maps
B.Determining the location of boundary lines of real property, setting monuments, preparing subdivision maps, and geodetic surveying
C.Only GPS measurements
D.Only construction staking
Explanation: BPC Section 8726 broadly defines the practice of land surveying to include determining location of fixed works, topographic surveying, locating boundaries, surveying for subdivision of land, setting reference/control/boundary monuments, geodetic or cadastral surveying, producing related maps and documents, and writing legal descriptions.
9What is the California Subdivision Map Act?
A.A federal law governing subdivisions
B.A state law governing the division of land for sale, lease, or financing purposes (Government Code Sections 66410-66499.58)
C.A county ordinance
D.A regulation of the BPELSG
Explanation: The California Subdivision Map Act (Government Code Sections 66410-66499.58) governs the division of land for sale, lease, or financing purposes. It requires local agencies to regulate and control the design and improvement of subdivisions, including the recording of tentative and final maps prepared by licensed land surveyors.
10Under the California Subdivision Map Act, what is a 'subdivision'?
A.Only large developments with more than 100 lots
B.The division of any unit of land for the purpose of sale, lease, or financing, whether immediate or future
C.Only commercial land divisions
D.Only land divisions requiring environmental review
Explanation: Government Code Section 66424 defines 'subdivision' as the division, by any subdivider, of any unit or units of improved or unimproved land for the purpose of sale, lease or financing, whether immediate or future. This includes condominium projects and community apartment projects.

About the CA Land Surveyor Exam

The California state-specific Professional Land Surveyor exam is a 4-hour multiple-choice computer-based test given at Prometric centers twice a year. Its January 2025 test plan covers business practices, research and planning, field operations, analysis and evaluation, mapping and documents, and professional consulting under the PLS Act, the Subdivision Map Act and the Board Rules.

Exam sponsor: California BPELSG. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Question count not published by the exam provider

Time Limit

4 hours

Passing Score

Set by the Board (pass/fail)

Exam / Certification Fees

$250 Board exam fee (from July 1, 2026) plus Prometric fee

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: 65%. estimated first-time pass rate This describes exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep users or results from using our resources. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

10%

Business Practices and Project Management

PLS Act, project requirements, Subdivision Map Act, monument-setting laws, right of entry, when records of survey and corner records are required, map waivers and exceptions, contracts and scope management.

16%

Research, Project Planning and Preparation

Control datums, realizations and epochs; recorded maps, deeds and title data; PLSS; sequential and simultaneous conveyances; water boundaries; land grants; legal descriptions; geoid and projections; GIS data.

20%

Field Operations and Investigations

Boundary, control, topographic and construction surveys; PLSS retracement; monument recovery and re-establishment; California Coordinate Systems; real-time networks; evidence of unwritten rights and water boundaries.

26%

Analysis and Evaluation

Hierarchy of evidence, boundary and title conflicts, junior and senior rights, deed and conveyance analysis, cloud on title, earth movement, datums and epochs, grid and ground distances, error analysis and case law.

16%

Mapping and Document Preparation

Legal descriptions, records of survey, corner records, subdivision maps, ALTA/NSPS surveys related to state law, the California Coordinate System, Board Rules, and signing and sealing.

12%

Professional Consulting

Expert testimony, peer review, conflict resolution, unwritten and riparian rights, cloud on title, encroachments, CEQA and other state laws, and the code of professional conduct (Board Rule 476).

Preparing for the CA Land Surveyor Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Set by the Board (pass/fail)
  • Assessment: Question count not published by the exam provider
  • Time limit: 4 hours
  • Exam / certification fees: $250 Board exam fee (from July 1, 2026) plus Prometric fee Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 400 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
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CA Land Surveyor: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master California boundary law principles under Business & Professions Code §8700
2Know when the PLS Act and Subdivision Map Act require records of survey, corner records, and tentative, parcel or final maps
3Know the BPELSG licensing requirements and disciplinary procedures
4Understand PLSS procedures for the Mt. Diablo, San Bernardino, and Humboldt meridians
5Review California professional practice and ethics standards

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the California land surveyor state exam cover?

The exam follows BPELSG's January 2025 test plan: Business Practices and Project Management (10%), Research, Project Planning and Preparation (16%), Field Operations and Investigations (20%), Analysis and Evaluation (26%), Mapping and Document Preparation (16%), and Professional Consulting (12%). It tests the PLS Act, the Subdivision Map Act, the Board Rules and California boundary practice.

How many questions are on the California land surveyor state exam?

BPELSG does not publish a question count. The exam is a 4-hour multiple-choice computer-based test at Prometric centers and may include alternate item types.

What is the passing score for the California land surveyor state exam?

BPELSG does not publish a percentage. The Board sets the passing score at the minimum level of knowledge acceptable for practice; passing candidates see only a pass result, and failing candidates receive a diagnostic report.

What are California's continuing education requirements for land surveyors?

California has no continuing education requirement for professional land surveyors. Licenses are valid for two years, and licenses that expire and renew after June 30, 2026 require an online Renewal Assessment on state law and Board rules.