Page 26 - Traverse 50.3

Thoughts On Professional Practice and Education.. continued from previous page
This is the fifth article I have prepared in the series offering retention after the graduate has some experience is a reasonable
thoughts on professional practice and education. In this article, procedure to protect the public’s safety. Perhaps this statement
I wish to discuss the timing of professional exams. In particular, is true. Yet, on that basis, all licensed surveyors should be periodi-
I wish to advocate allowing an applicant to take their licensing cally tested from time to time to insure knowledge retention after
exams before obtaining any required experience. the passage of time. I suspect there are very few licensed survey-
ors that would advocate that they be subject to periodic retesting
There are two common models of examination sequence found in to ensure knowledge retention.
the United States. The first model, that appears to be most com-
mon at the present time, requires the applicant take the profes- Having given my opinion, I now offer advice by suggesting pro-
sional surveyor exam and state specific exam after the experience fessional societies encourage statute or rule changes allowing
requirements have been met. all exams be taken soon or at graduation. Of course, the soon-
to-be graduate has another option. The student can apply to
The second model is to permit an applicant to take all three exams test in a state that does allow all testing at or near graduation.
at or near graduation and before meeting minimum qualifications. The applicant does not need to journey to a particular state
There was a third model that may still be present in some states. since NCEES offers the same exams at testing centers through-
The third model was to require the experience first then allow the out the United States. Perhaps the applicant would have to
applicant for licensing to take all the exams within a short window delay taking the state specific exam until they are eligible for
of time. When I was first licensed almost fifty years ago, I took the licensing within that state. Of course, the one hurdle that may
first exam one day and the second exam the very next day. arise from this recommendation is a state that will not accept
In this article, I would like to advocate that states allow an appli- the NCEES test score for an exam taken before experience was
cant to take the exams on sequential days at or near graduation. I achieved. I know of at least one state that will not accept the
offer two reasons for my position. PE exam score if the PE exam was taken before experience was
met. I know this does not make much sense but bureaucracies
For my first reason, I would suggest that taking the professional and their rules often do not make sense.
exams near graduation is the best time in life’s journey to sched-
ule and have time to take the exams. By the time the graduate † Other books and articles by Knud can be found at https://umaine.
achieves the pre-requisite experience for licensure, they are often edu/svt/faculty/hermansen-articles/
married – perhaps with young children, involved in community ac-
tivities, and have a full employment commitment. It is difficult to
find time to study or even take time off from work for testing. Col-
lege breaks are usually far less stressful and a less busy time than
the hectic and stressful work schedule a graduate will encounter
after graduation. To emphasize this, let me remind surveyors that
as a full-time student in college, the student could count on two to
three weeks off at Christmas, one week off during Thanksgiving,
and a one or two-week spring break. College breaks were known
well in advance, allowing for professional test scheduling.

Once the graduate is employed, vacation time or personal days
must often be used for testing. Time off from work must often
be scheduled in advance and authorized only when work al-
lows. While college can be stressful, the stress of college often
pales in comparison to balancing family responsibility, home,
and work commitments.

The second reason for allowing all tests while in college or shortly
after graduation is the extent of retained surveying knowledge.
Broad knowledge of surveying is usually at a maximum retention
just before or soon after graduation. Therefore, the best chance to
pass all three exams with minimum study is at or near graduation.
Some would argue that testing the graduate on knowledge

24 The Nevada Traverse Vol.50, No.2, 2023