CST PROGRAM & EXAM BLUEPRINT GUIDE
SurveyBible — surveybible.com
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WHAT IS THE CST PROGRAM?

The Certified Survey Technician (CST) program is a national,
four-level certification for survey technicians, sponsored by the
National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) and administered
by the Certified Survey Technician Board. It is recognized by the
U.S. Department of Labor within its National Apprenticeship
Program.

Certification is by proctored examination. All CST exams are
OPEN BOOK. Levels I through III are multiple-choice exams offered
quarterly nationwide, available online and on paper (both
proctored). Level IV is a take-home essay/report exam.

THE CAREER LADDER (two tracks)

              Level I      Level II       Level III        Level IV
Experience:   entry level  1.5+ years     3.5+ years       5.5+ years
Office track: entry        Computer       Chief Computer   Survey Office
              position     Operator       Operator         Manager
Field track:  entry        Instrument     Party Chief      Survey Field
              position     Person         (Boundary or     Manager
                                          Construction)

- Level I has a single exam (no track split).
- Levels II and III each offer a Field exam and an Office exam.
- Level IV is essay/report format, completed over two months;
  you must hold an active Level III certification to apply.
- If you fail, no need to reapply within one year — just pay the
  examination fee to retest.
- Annual certification renewal is $40 (reinstatement fee $10).

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LEVEL I EXAM BLUEPRINT — 200 questions, 4 hours
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 1. Survey Types and History ................................. 15
 2. Field Equipment & Operations ............................. 75
 3. Survey Control ............................................ 6
 4. Survey Computations ...................................... 50
 5. Office Operations, Plan Reading and Preparation .......... 34
 6. First Aid & Safety ....................................... 20

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LEVEL II EXAM BLUEPRINT — 180 questions per track
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                                              FIELD    OFFICE
 1. Types of Surveys                            10       10
 2. Field Equipment & Instruments               35       15
 3. Survey Computations                         40       55
 4. Control Points: Horizontal & Vertical       10       10
 5. Field Operations                            35       10
 6. Field Notes                                 10       10
 7. Plan Reading and Preparation                15       45
 8. Principles of the Profession                10       10
 9. First Aid & Safety                          15       15

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LEVEL III EXAM BLUEPRINT — 150 questions per track
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                                              FIELD    OFFICE
 1. Types of Surveys                             7        7
 2. Field Equipment & Instruments               34       11
 3. Office Operations                            7       30
 4. Control Points: Horizontal & Vertical        8        8
 5. Field Operations                            30        8
 6. Field Notes                                  7        7
 7. Survey Computations                         21       21
 8. Plan Reading & Preparation                   8       30
 9. Principles of the Profession                 7        7
10. First Aid & Safety                          11       11
11. Supervisory Skills                          10       10

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LEVEL IV — take-home exam
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- Essay/report format, two months to complete.
- Application cycles: Cycle I applications due on or before
  December 15; Cycle III applications due on or before June 15.
- Requires active Level III certification.

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REGISTRATION & MORE INFORMATION
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- NSPS CST program: nsps.us.com (CST section) / cstnsps.com
- Email: cstinformation@nsps.us.com
- Phone: (240) 439-4615
- Discounts available for students, active military, and veterans;
  group discounts for 10+ at the same location.
- NSPS also lists recommended study books on the CST website under
  the Applicants section.

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HOW TO PREPARE ON SURVEYBIBLE (FREE)
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SurveyBible offers free full-length CST exam simulations built to
the exact NSPS work-element blueprints above:
- CST Level I Exam Simulation (200 questions)
- CST Level II Field / Office Exam Simulations (180 questions)
- CST Level III Field / Office Exam Simulations (150 questions)
Visit surveybible.com/exams/cst to start.

This guide is an independent study aid published by SurveyBible.
SurveyBible is not affiliated with or endorsed by NSPS. Program
details (fees, dates, formats) change — always confirm current
requirements at nsps.us.com.