Principles & Practice of Land Surveying Examination Application Instructions

Examinations are given each April and October. The application deadlines are January 1st for the April exam and July 1st for the October exam.

The test site will be Lexington Kentucky.

Eligibility

Eligibility for the exam is outlined under Sections 7 through 10 on page one of the application.

Transcript

If you are applying under Sections 7 through 9, have your college or university mail a transcript directly to the Board. If applying under Section 10, provide a copy of your high school diploma or equivalent.

If applying under Section 8, please review 201 KAR 18:092 regarding the Surveying Core Curriculum.

• Account for all time since age eighteen (18), even if it is not land surveying experience.
• For non-surveying experience, complete only columns one and three.
• For surveying experience, complete all columns.
• Total the time claimed in column four.
• Complete a Report of Professional Experience (RPE) (PDF - 780KB) for each land surveying experience claimed. The endorser number (left hand side of table) must be written in the upper right hand corner of the corresponding RPE. The applicant is to complete Sections 1 and 3 and mail to the endorser to complete Section 2. Do not return with your application.
  

KRS 322.045 (PDF - 7KB) requires that experience be progressive and under the direct supervision of a licensed and practicing land surveyor. Progressive means experience has been in several advancing areas. An example would be progression from rodman or instrument operator to party chief or technician. Several years in the same position performing the same functions is not considered progressive experience. Experience in the various elements of boundary surveying (deed and records research, computations, drafting, and field work) and areas such as deed plotting, field note reduction, calculations for traverse closure, and platting of the survey should be reflected in the applicant's work descriptions.

Please review 201 KAR 18:072 Section 2 for further information regarding experience. In no case shall an applicant's experience gained after graduation be less than two years

Sign and date page 3. No fees are required with the application. If approved to sit for the exam, you will receive a letter instructing you to log onto the ELSES website at els-examreg.org  to register for the exam and pay your nonrefundable exam fee. Do not register on this website until you have received an approval letter from the board office. Approximately two weeks prior to the exam, ELSES will mail admittance packets to those who have completed the registration process.

For those retaking the exam, you do not have to complete a new application. You simply log onto the aforementioned website and register for the exam.

Retake Limitations

After July 2006, an applicant who fails the same exam three times, regardless of the jurisdiction where the exam is administered, must reapply by completing the application in full and include evidence satisfactory to the board of gaining additional knowledge. Such evidence may include, but is not limited to review courses, college courses, and continuing education courses. You may not register on the ELSES website until you have receive an approval letter from the board office.