Fall 2019 LS Exam

[bryanmundia]

Just wondering and looking for ideas on how to deal with the anxiety and stress of waiting for your exam results. I know it has only been 2 weeks since the exam but I find myself constantly checking my email (more than usual, even for me) hoping to hear from the board. 6-8 weeks seems like an eternity for an exam that is computer based. I am not asking for the results in the moments after I take the exam (even though that would be great) and I know that there are workings behind the scenes on cut-scores and other things in regards to contested questions but it is killing me not to know.

Any suggestions on how to ease the stress or is this just one of those "deal with it" moments that I will have to endure until the email goes out? Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!

[SPMPLS]

Stressing and fretting will in no way change the exam results, so why waste the energy? That can be said for virtually everything we "worry" about. Completely wasted time and energy.

Back when I took the exam it was given once a year and the results took about 14 weeks to receive. Fortunately, I only had to endure that twice. Oh, the exam was 8 hours and 10 problems. It was impossible to finish.

You "young uns" have it easy.

Best of luck.

[bryanmundia]

Stressing and fretting will in no way change the exam results, so why waste the energy? That can be said for virtually everything we "worry" about. Completely wasted time and energy.

Back when I took the exam it was given once a year and the results took about 14 weeks to receive. Fortunately, I only had to endure that twice. Oh, the exam was 8 hours and 10 problems. It was impossible to finish.

You "young uns" have it easy.

Best of luck.

Yes so I have heard the exam was much more "difficult" back when it was paper. However, at least with the paper exam you could get "partial credit" whereas with CBT it is right or wrong and there isn't any credit for half the answer. I know the results won't change whether I stress or not but I guess for me the stress ins't in whether I passed or not but how I did, I just want to know. I appreciate your input and thanks for helping out.

[SPMPLS]

I believe partial credit was given back when I took the exam (1985 and 1986), but I can tell you that was not the case from 2004 to 2011 under the format prior to going to CBT. Not only that, but if you gave the correct answer, then added additional comments to support your answer and those comments contained incorrect content, you did not get credit for your initial correct answer. CBT has removed the opportunity for examinees to shoot themselves in the foot by expounding on their depth of knowledge rather than answering the question and moving on.

[BrianSpore]

I can only go off the two time I took it, the first time exam date was November 2, 2015 with the result email on December 9, 2015. The second time when I passed the exam date was April 18, 2016 with the result email on May 25, 2016. hope that helps and good luck.

[bryanmundia]

I can only go off the two time I took it, the first time exam date was November 2, 2015 with the result email on December 9, 2015. The second time when I passed the exam date was April 18, 2016 with the result email on May 25, 2016. hope that helps and good luck.

Thanks for the response Brian, this definitely gives me a good idea of when I hopefully will get my results.

[bryanmundia]

I believe partial credit was given back when I took the exam (1985 and 1986), but I can tell you that was not the case from 2004 to 2011 under the format prior to going to CBT. Not only that, but if you gave the correct answer, then added additional comments to support your answer and those comments contained incorrect content, you did not get credit for your initial correct answer. CBT has removed the opportunity for examinees to shoot themselves in the foot by expounding on their depth of knowledge rather than answering the question and moving on.

If you want me to tell you that your exam was harder than any CBT exam I will take to prove you are more worthy or a superior surveyor then just come out and say it. Besides, if CBT is so easy then why haven't the pass rates gone up since it was implemented? Take a look at the test diagnostics on the board website. Thank you for telling me not to worry as it is worthless to do so, I assume you took your own advice when you took the exam?

[MikeT]

I think when I took the exam more than once back in the 90's, it was like 3 months before we found out the results.

[Peter Ehlert]

October 31,1980 ... results April 1981

I guess my email was down

[Stephen Johnson]

October 31,1980 ... results April 1981

I guess my email was down

March 4, 1990 :Take home reciprocity test

March 5, 1990 : Express mail to Sacramento

March 6 1990: Called to make sure it arrived. told I passed

March 7. 1990: Board meeting. Date on my wall Certificate (Received official Letter June 1990) (Received Wall Certificate March 1991)

[Dave Lindell]

My wall certificate (license?) is dated 8th day of September, 1972, so I must have taken the exam the previous April.

When I got he notification that I passed I called the Board and asked if I could have number 4000 which was going to be issued that year.
They said the numbers were already assigned (I got 4016).
Number 4000 has never been issued and is now voided. Did I mess up the system?

One advantage is that you can now use LS 4000 as a fictitious surveyor in any problem scenario the way we used to use LS 5000.

[SPMPLS]

I believe partial credit was given back when I took the exam (1985 and 1986), but I can tell you that was not the case from 2004 to 2011 under the format prior to going to CBT. Not only that, but if you gave the correct answer, then added additional comments to support your answer and those comments contained incorrect content, you did not get credit for your initial correct answer. CBT has removed the opportunity for examinees to shoot themselves in the foot by expounding on their depth of knowledge rather than answering the question and moving on.

If you want me to tell you that your exam was harder than any CBT exam I will take to prove you are more worthy or a superior surveyor then just come out and say it. Besides, if CBT is so easy then why haven't the pass rates gone up since it was implemented? Take a look at the test diagnostics on the board website. Thank you for telling me not to worry as it is worthless to do so, I assume you took your own advice when you took the exam?

I didn't mean to imply, infer, or otherwise portray that any licensed surveyor is superior to another based on when they passed the exam or what the exam format was at the time (or what their license number is). I was simply trying to convey that partial credit was not given long before CBT was implemented.

As you stated, the CBT exam stats support that it is not a measurably easier exam than the pre-CBT days. It has, however, eliminated the possibility of examinees wasting time "explaining/supporting" their answers, thus risking losing all credit for making a mis-statement in their supporting comments. Believe me, I saw that happen on much more than one occasion.

As a side note, I have always felt that the exam statistics, specifically the pass/fail rate, are substantially skewed to the negative because a significant percentage of the people sitting for the exam were (during my involvement with the exam) either not qualified to sit for the exam or totally ill prepared to take the exam, or both. More than once I have shaken my head and thought "who in the world signed as a reference for this person?"

As to taking my own advice: Probably not, but I am much wiser at 60 than I was at 27. Life has a way of doing that.

[E_Page]

Any suggestions on how to ease the stress ...

Ten Rounds of Jose Cuervo

I walked in the band just started
The singer couldn't carry a tune in a bucket
Was on a mission to drown her memory but
I thought no way with all this raucous.

But after one round with Jose Cuervo
I caught my boots tapping long with the beat

And after two rounds with Jose Cuervo
That band was sounding pretty darn good to me
Then some stranger asked me to dance
And I revealed to her my two left feet
Said don't get me wrong I'm glad you asked
But tonight's about me and an old memory

Then after three rounds with Jose Cuervo
I let her lead me out on the floor

And after four rounds with Jose Cuervo
I was showing off moves never seen before

Well around five or round six
I forgot what I came to forget

And after round seven or was it eight
I bought a round for the whole damn place

And after nine rounds with Jose Cuervo
They were countin' me out I was about to give in

And after ten rounds with Jose Cuervo
I lost count and started counting again

One round with Jose Cuervo
Two rounds with Jose Cuervo
Three rounds with Jose Cuervo

[bryanmundia]

Any suggestions on how to ease the stress ...

Ten Rounds of Jose Cuervo

I walked in the band just started
The singer couldn't carry a tune in a bucket
Was on a mission to drown her memory but
I thought no way with all this raucous.

But after one round with Jose Cuervo
I caught my boots tapping long with the beat

And after two rounds with Jose Cuervo
That band was sounding pretty darn good to me
Then some stranger asked me to dance
And I revealed to her my two left feet
Said don't get me wrong I'm glad you asked
But tonight's about me and an old memory

Then after three rounds with Jose Cuervo
I let her lead me out on the floor

And after four rounds with Jose Cuervo
I was showing off moves never seen before

Well around five or round six
I forgot what I came to forget

And after round seven or was it eight
I bought a round for the whole damn place

And after nine rounds with Jose Cuervo
They were countin' me out I was about to give in

And after ten rounds with Jose Cuervo
I lost count and started counting again

One round with Jose Cuervo
Two rounds with Jose Cuervo
Three rounds with Jose Cuervo

So listening to music and drinking I guess? Hahaha, thanks Evan!

[bryanmundia]

My wall certificate (license?) is dated 8th day of September, 1972, so I must have taken the exam the previous April.

When I got he notification that I passed I called the Board and asked if I could have number 4000 which was going to be issued that year.
They said the numbers were already assigned (I got 4016).
Number 4000 has never been issued and is now voided. Did I mess up the system?

One advantage is that you can now use LS 4000 as a fictitious surveyor in any problem scenario the way we used to use LS 5000.

LS 5000 is being used (granted he is retired now), better be careful setting those tags!

[JLG3RD]

If you are that worried about the exam you are not prepared and therefore you will worry.

[bryanmundia]

If you are that worried about the exam you are not prepared and therefore you will worry.

Not worried about anything, more of just wanting to know is what is causing my anxiety and stress.

[Peter Ehlert]

I suffer from the same at times, it's like a mobius strip. the anxiety and stress is about having anxiety and stress

I wish I had an answer for you.

[LS_8750]

I'll take exception to that JLG3RD comment:

The anxiety and stress is something that I experience no matter how prepared I am. During my university days, after finals I would routinely get some sort of anxiety driven flu and throw up for a day or so before I could go out and have fun.

And when I took the PLS exam, I had a baby on the way and could not foresee any future study time should I have failed. I left 40 percent of the exam blank because I didn't bring a clock with me and there was none on the wall. Talk about anxiety. ... Took three months to get the results back. I passed.

Hang in there and keep checking the Board's updates every 2.5 minutes or so.

[bryanmundia]

I'll take exception to that JLG3RD comment:

The anxiety and stress is something that I experience no matter how prepared I am. During my university days, after finals I would routinely get some sort of anxiety driven flu and throw up for a day or so before I could go out and have fun.

And when I took the PLS exam, I had a baby on the way and could not foresee any future study time should I have failed. I left 40 percent of the exam blank because I didn't bring a clock with me and there was none on the wall. Talk about anxiety. ... Took three months to get the results back. I passed.

Hang in there and keep checking the Board's updates every 2.5 minutes or so.

Glad I am not the only one. I felt good about the exam and good about the amount of study time I put in but as you know, just because you fell good about something doesn't mean it actually works out in your favor.

I am constantly checking the website and my email. I think I am going to wear out my mouse buttons!

[APT_PLS]

I took the national exam October 26, 2019 and the CA PLS exam October 29, 2019. I didn’t start checking my email like crazy until the last week of November because I knew I had passed the national exam before I had even completed it and I was surprised to receive my national exam results within 3 or 4 days.

While I felt confident in my performance on the CA PLS exam and was really expecting that “congratulations” email everyone talks about, I was still stressed about the potential results. By the time I received my CA PLS exam results on December 3, 2019, I had been jumping for my phone in anticipation for almost two weeks.

I was confident going into both tests that I was going to pass both, but I felt like a kid waiting for Christmas because I was pretty sure I was going to get that bike I wanted so much but…