Exam Day Checklist & Strategy Guide

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Everything you need to know before walking into your exam. Interactive checklists, time management strategies, and pitfalls to avoid.

70 questions in 4 hours = ~3.4 minutes per question

  • 1First pass (aim for ~2 min/question): answer everything you know immediately. Don’t deliberate — if you know it, mark it and move on.
  • 2Flag difficult questions for a second pass. The Prometric interface has a built-in flag feature.
  • 3Second pass: tackle flagged questions with remaining time. You’ll often find that later questions jog your memory on earlier ones.
  • 4Don’t spend more than 5 minutes on any single question. If you’re stuck, make your best guess, flag it, and move on.
  • 5Leave 15–20 minutes at the end for a final review of flagged items.
  • 6Open-book advantage: if a question requires a specific code section, look it up — but only if you know roughly where to find it. Aimless searching wastes time.
  • Module weights: M1 Business Practices (10%), M2 Research & Planning (16%), M3 Field Operations (20%), M4 Analysis & Evaluation (26%), M5 Mapping & Documents (16%), M6 Professional Consulting (12%).
  • M4 (Boundary & Legal Principles) is worth the most at 26% — prioritize those questions and make sure your boundary law references are well-tabbed.
  • SMA (Subdivision Map Act) questions are heavily tested, making up roughly 15–20% of the exam. Know the filing deadlines, required certificates, and map content requirements.
  • Open-book advantage: tab your California codes (B&P Code, PRC, Gov Code). Color-coded tabs by subject are ideal.
  • For calculation questions, set up the problem completely on scratch paper before touching the calculator. Most errors come from rushing the setup, not the arithmetic.
  • When you encounter a code-based question, look it up rather than relying on memory. It’s open-book for a reason.
  • Key statutes to tab: B&P Code 8700–8805 (PLS Act), PRC 8811–8819 (California Coordinate System), and Gov Code 66410–66499.37 (Subdivision Map Act).

Universal Pitfalls

  • Changing answers without a strong reason — your first instinct is statistically more often correct.
  • Spending too long on one question and falling behind on time.
  • Not reading ALL answer options before selecting — the first plausible option isn’t always the best one.
  • Misreading "EXCEPT," "NOT," or "LEAST" in question stems. Circle or underline these keywords.
  • Calculator entry errors — always double-check your inputs, especially negative signs and decimal points.
  • Rushing through the last 10–15 questions because you ran out of time.

CA PLS-Specific Pitfalls

  • Not bringing organized, tabbed reference materials — unorganized books waste precious minutes.
  • Spending too long searching for a code section you can’t find. If it’s taking more than 60 seconds, make your best guess and move on.
  • Confusing PRC (Public Resources Code) with B&P (Business & Professions) Code sections — they cover different topics.
  • Not answering all questions — there is no penalty for guessing on the CA PLS exam.
  • Forgetting that the exam is computer-based at Prometric — you won’t have a paper exam booklet to flip through.

Good luck on your exam! Remember: preparation beats panic. If you've put in the study time, trust your knowledge.