Requirements
An applicant may qualify for the Principles and Practice of Surveying exam by meeting the educational
and experience requirements specified in one of the following subsections of the Professional Land
Surveyors law. Please note the REQUIRED EXPERIENCE section.
Subsection 15-305(b) - Approved Curriculum Option
(b) An applicant qualifies under this section if the applicant:
(1) has been graduated from a college or university on completion of at least a 4-year curriculum in land
surveying that the Board approves;
(2) has passed a written examination in the fundamentals of land surveying;
(3) has at least 2 years of experience in land surveying that is satisfactory to the Board and that
indicates to the Board that the applicant may be competent to practice land surveying; and
(4) has passed a written examination in the principles and practice of land surveying.
Subsection 15-305(c) - Regional Accrediting Association Option
(c) An applicant qualifies under this section if the applicant:
(1) has been graduated upon completion of at least a 4-year curriculum from a college or university that
is accredited by, or is a constituent unit of an institution accredited by, the Middle States Association
of Colleges and Schools or the equivalent regional accrediting association of other regional areas;
(2) has passed a written examination in the fundamentals of land surveying;
(3) has at least 4 years of experience in land surveying that is satisfactory to the Board and that
indicates to the Board that the applicant may be competent to practice land surveying; and
(4) has passed a written examination in the principles and practice of land surveying.
Subsection 305(d) - Non-academic Option - 12 years work experience
(d) (1) An applicant qualifies under this section if the applicant:
(i) is a high school graduate or the equivalent;
(ii) subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, has at least 12 years of experience in land surveying
that is satisfactory to the Board and that indicates to the Board that the applicant may be competent to
practice land surveying; and
(iii) has passed a written examination in the principles and practices of land surveying.
(2) For each 30 semester hours or its equivalent that an applicant completes in land surveying courses
that the Board approves, the Board may allow a 1-year credit towards the experience requirements of
paragraph (1)(ii) of this subsection for a maximum of 3 years.
Subsection 305(e) - Non-Academic Option - 8 years work experience
(e) (1) An applicant qualifies under this section if the applicant:
(i) is a high school graduate or the equivalent;
(ii) subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, has at least 4 years of experience in land surveying
that is satisfactory to the Board and that indicates to the Board that the applicant may be competent to
practice land surveying;
(iii) has passed a written examination in the fundamentals of land surveying;
(iv) has completed at least 4 years of experience in land surveying that is satisfactory to the Board and
that indicates to the Board that the applicant may be competent to practice land surveying; and
(v) has passed a written examination in the principles and practice of land surveying.
(2) For each 30 semester hours or its equivalent that an applicant completes in land surveying courses
that the Board approves, the Board may allow a 1-year credit towards the experience requirements of
paragraph (1)(ii) of this subsection for a maximum of 3 years.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
Applicants must demonstrate in their application that they possess the required experience as outlined
in the Guidelines for Experience Requirements for Professional Surveyor License chart.
Minor Engineering - An applicant for the principles and practice examination shall have 2 years
of experience generally known as "minor engineering experience." An applicant may be able to meet a
2-year experiential requirement set forth in this regulation by the following methods acceptable work
experience, acceptable education; or a combination of acceptable work experience and acceptable education.
Educational Equivalency - In order to meet the minor engineering requirement, an applicant may
claim 3 semester credit hours as an equivalent of 6 months of minor engineering experience after the
completion of courses of instruction in the following areas: hydraulics; surface water hydrology; route
surveying or road design; storm drainage system design; storm water management design; sediment and
erosion control design; or infiltration. These courses must be offered by a university, community
college, professional surveying organization, or other qualified provider acceptable to the Board. For
more details, see
COMAR 09.13.07.04.
How to Apply
First-time applicants may download an application from the Online
Forms Page. The filing deadline for first-time applicants for the Principles and Practice of Surveying
examination is 60 days prior to the examination date. See exam schedule. First-time applicants must have
an original transcript, if applicable, sent directly from the school to the State Board, and it must be
received by the deadline. Postmarks are not acceptable. The applicant pays only the application fee of
$35 when applying.
Re-examinees must apply online. Examinees who fail an examination
will receive a track number and instructions along with their results letter. The deadline to file for
re-examination is 60 days prior to the examination date. See
exam schedule. The fee for re-examination is the total of the exam fee(s) plus the $60 test
administration fee.
Approved candidates will be sent examination admittance and general examination information at least 2
weeks prior to the examination.
Study Materials
Information about study materials for the Principles and Practice of Surveying exam can be viewed at
NCEES.
Exam Information
Exam site: Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road,
Timonium, MD 21093
IMPORTANT UPDATES FS/PLS
- You must REGISTER on-line with NCEES
by the registration deadline. No fee is required for this registration. If you fail to register
with NCEES you will not be allowed to sit for the exam.
- NCEES will e-mail you 2-3 weeks before the exam with a link to download and print your exam
authorization notice. Read it carefully. You will be required to present this document along with
a valid, government-issued ID upon arrival at the exam site.
- ***PLEASE NOTE: All Land Surveying Exams will be held in the Vista Room at
Timonium Fairgrounds.
- If your address changes prior to the exam, you MUST notify us in writing.
- ONLY the calculators listed below are allowed into Maryland exam sites. The NCEES
calculator policy will be strictly enforced per NCEES instructions.
NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!! As with cell phones and other electronic devices, any inappropriate
calculators will be confiscated by the proctor at the door. Calculators will be randomly checked
throughout the day. If you are found to have a calculator or any unauthorized electronic
device in your possession that is not listed below, you will be removed from the exam room and
your answer sheet will not be scored. If you have any questions concerning the NCEES
calculator policy please visit the NCESS
website before calling the Board office.
- Hewlett Packard - HP 33S and HP 35S models, BUT no others.
- Casio - All FX 115 models; MUST contain FX-115 in its model name.
- Texas Instruments - All TI 30X and TI 36X models;
MUST contain either TI-30X or TI 36X in its model name.
The calculators must match the numbers shown above EXACTLY.
Calculators not meeting the above criteria are not permitted in the exam room. Candidates are
encouraged to ensure that their calculator is on the approved list before reporting for the exam.
****THE CALCULATOR POLICY WILL BE ENFORCED FOR THE STATE PORTIONS OF THE LAND SURVEYORS EXAM AS
WELL****
- PLS ONLY: Handwritten notations/notes made in reference manuals and books or on printed
hand-out materials brought into the exam site must be in ink. Notations and notes in pencil
ARE NOT PERMITTED inside the exam site. You may bring in photocopies of the original pencil
notes. All materials must be bound or in a loose-leaf binder. Staples are not acceptable fasteners
for bound reference materials. Examinees may tab their reference materials with Post-It notes
before they enter the exam site but are not permitted to bring in packets of
post-it notes.
Special Accommodations
The Maryland Board for Professional Engineers complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in
accommodating examination candidates with special needs.
Request for special testing accommodations must be reviewed and approved by NCEES (not the Board) and
must be received by them no later than 60 days prior to the exam date.
Visit the NCEES website for instructions on requesting
religious and ADA accommodations.
If you request special accommodations, please send a copy of the original documents sent to NCEES to
the Exam Coordinator, 500 N. Calvert Street, Room 308, Baltimore, MD 21202.
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