Certified Survey Technician Exam Prep

The NSPS Certified Survey Technician program is a four-level national certification for survey technicians, offered in field and office tracks. SurveyBible provides free full-length exam simulations built to the official NSPS work-element blueprints — no subscription required.

Practice Exams

CST Level I

Entry level — no experience required

Single exam for all candidates — 200 questions across 6 work elements. Open book, like the real exam.

•Survey Types and History
•Field Equipment & Operations
•Survey Control
•Survey Computations
+ 2 more work elements

Start Level I Practice

CST Level II

Minimum 1.5 years total experience

Separate Field and Office exams — 180 questions each, drawn from 9 work elements. Open book, like the real exam.

•Types of Surveys
•Field Equipment & Instruments
•Survey Computations
•Control Points: Horizontal & Vertical
+ 5 more work elements

Start Level II Practice

CST Level III

Minimum 3.5 years total experience

Separate Field and Office exams — 150 questions each, drawn from 11 work elements. Open book, like the real exam.

•Types of Surveys
•Field Equipment & Instruments
•Office Operations
•Control Points: Horizontal & Vertical
+ 7 more work elements

Start Level III Practice

Level IV is a take-home essay/report exam (two months to complete, active Level III certification required) — there is no multiple-choice exam to practice. See the program guide below for Level IV application cycles.

The CST Career Ladder

Track	Level I entry level	Level II 1.5+ yrs	Level III 3.5+ yrs	Level IV 5.5+ yrs
Office	Entry-level position	Computer Operator	Chief Computer Operator	Survey Office Manager
Field	Entry-level position	Instrument Person	Party Chief (Boundary or Construction)	Survey Field Manager

Resources

SurveyBible Study Materials

CST study guides & downloads — program blueprint guide, exam-day checklist, study plan
Full-length practice exams — all five Level I-III exams, free
How to register with NSPS — eligibility, costs, documents, steps

Official NSPS Resources

NSPS CST program page — official information, applications, exam dates
learncst.com — NSPS-affiliated online training program
Sample examinations — NSPS publishes official Level I-III sample tests on the CST website (Applicants section)
Contact: cstinformation@nsps.us.com · (240) 439-4615

Exam Facts (Levels I-III)

Open book

Bring a surveying text, first aid & safety manual, and a surveying dictionary

Multiple choice

200 questions (Level I), 180 (Level II), 150 (Level III)

Four to six hours

Proctored, offered quarterly nationwide, online or on paper

Retesting

If you fail, retest within one year by paying only the exam fee

SurveyBible is not affiliated with or endorsed by NSPS. Confirm current program details, fees, and exam rules at nsps.us.com.