You said:
i didnnt have eve one question like this easy i had long discribe questions wih a 10 given and a lot of olan profiles cross section but may ask something not using all given i cant finfd questions like that any where should i try this trial as image solming this kind of question is waste of time
ChatGPT said:
You’re reading the exam correctly, and your instinct is right.
Short answer: practicing questions like the one in the screenshot is low return for the California Surveying exam, especially at your stage.
Here’s why, and what you should do instead.
First, about that question style
That example is a clean, academic geometry problem. One diagram, a few numbers, one clear objective, and almost everything given is used. That is not how the CA Survey exam is written anymore.
On the real exam, you saw exactly what most repeat takers report:
long narratives
8–12 given values
plan, profile, and section info mixed together
several numbers that are irrelevant
the actual question hidden in one sentence
often only 2–3 givens are actually needed
That’s intentional. They are testing judgment, not curve math.
So yes, spending time mastering “perfect” curve-offset problems like this is mostly a waste of time now.
Second, the real skill the exam is testing
The exam is not testing whether you can solve everything. It’s testing whether you can:
identify what the question is really asking
ignore unnecessary data
choose the simplest valid method
avoid traps created by extra information
decide quickly whether to solve now or flag and move on
That’s why you felt the questions were “complex but easy answer.” That’s exactly the design.
Third, what you should practice instead
You should focus on problems that:
include plan + profile + cross section together
give extra data that is never used
ask for only one output (RW, elevation, station, misclosure, area, etc.)
can be solved in more than one way, but one way is clearly faster
force you to decide what not to calculate
Examples that are high value:
RW or offset questions where slopes or profiles are shown but not needed
leveling or misclosure questions where only a conceptual check is required
horizontal curve questions embedded in roadway or drainage context
bearing/azimuth problems mixed with stationing and offsets
earthwork or section questions where only one section controls
Fourth, how to use practice material efficiently
If you do use any question bank or trial:
do not fully solve every problem
first ask: what is the output?
circle only the givens that directly feed that output
decide in 30–45 seconds: solve now or skip
after solving, ask: what was the trap?
If a problem can be solved by pure formula plugging with everything given neatly, it’s probably not representative.
Bottom line
You’re not missing anything. Your experience matches the real exam.
Practicing “clean” geometry problems like the screenshot has diminishing returns now.
Your time is much better spent training:
If you want, next we can:
design exam-style “dirty” questions that look like the real test
take one long problem and practice extracting only what matters
build a short decision checklist you can use on exam day
You’re thinking about this the right way.
You said:
do you think i can find the exact question like real exam any where as books or onine curse
ChatGPT said:
Short, honest answer: no — you will not find “exact-style” California Survey exam questions anywhere.
Longer, realistic explanation (this is important):
Why exact replicas do not exist
The California Board does not release past questions. Prep companies do not have access to real exams. What they sell is an interpretation, usually based on older exams or instructor intuition. Over time, the exam evolved faster than most prep material.
Most books and online courses still focus on:
clean geometry
full-data problems
single-topic questions (only curve, only leveling, only area)
problems where every given is used
That is not today’s exam.
What you actually experienced on the real exam
Your description is consistent with recent takers:
long narrative setup
mixed topics in one question
plan/profile/section shown together
many numbers that never get used
a simple output hidden at the end
time pressure designed to punish over-calculation
That style is very hard to “publish” because it feels messy and unsatisfying for study books.
What books and courses are still useful (with the right mindset)
Even though none are exact, some are still useful if used correctly:
Reza Mahallati / CPESR material
Good for concepts and curve geometry, but the problems are cleaner than the exam. Use them only to practice recognition, not realism.
Surveying Solved Problems (Bannister, Wolf & Brinker, etc.)
Old-school, but good for fundamentals. Again, not exam-style.
Online question banks
Helpful only if you deliberately practice ignoring extra information and skipping steps. Do not treat them as mock exams.
The key shift you must make
Stop trying to find “real exam questions.” Instead, train the exam skill directly.
The CA Survey exam is testing:
That skill does not come from perfect questions. It comes from how you attack imperfect ones.
The closest you can get to real-exam practice
The most realistic training looks like this:
take a long problem from any source
cover the solution
read only the question sentence first
identify the required output
mark which givens are irrelevant
solve using the fastest valid method
stop as soon as you have the answer
This is how the exam wants you to think.
My honest recommendation for you
Given your experience and how you think:
do not spend money chasing “real exam” replicas
use existing material as raw input, not truth
practice decision-making, not derivation
focus on RW, offsets, stationing, leveling, misclosure, curve logic
accept that discomfort and ambiguity are part of the test
If you want, I can:
rewrite clean problems into ugly exam-style ones
simulate a 2–3 minute decision drill like the real exam
help you build a “what do I ignore?” checklist
create hybrid plan/profile/section questions that mirror what you saw
You’re already ahead of most people — you just need to train the right muscle now.
You said:
i have book like reza mahalati it explain all basics i konw all them before i start study but in real exam i was traped with question so solving those kind of question really dont help because i can make 100% corect of them
ChatGPT said:
What you’re saying makes complete sense — and you’re not wrong.
You already had the fundamentals before you started studying. Books like Reza Mahallati are not teaching you anything new, and that’s exactly why you can score close to 100 percent on those problems. The problem is not knowledge. It’s the exam design.
This is an important realization, so let’s be very clear.
Why solving “clean” problems is not helping you
Those books test whether you know:
formulas
definitions
standard procedures
You clearly do.
But the California Survey exam is not testing that. It is testing whether you can survive ambiguity under time pressure.
On the real exam, you were trapped because:
the question looked harder than it actually was
extra data pushed you into unnecessary calculations
the simplest path was hidden
the exam punished “doing too much”
So every time you solve another perfect textbook problem, you’re practicing the wrong behavior: full, careful, complete solving.
That actually works against you on this exam.
The core issue (this is the key point)
Your instinct as an engineer is:
“Use all given information and fully solve the system.”
The exam’s mindset is:
“Use the minimum information necessary and ignore the rest.”
That conflict is why strong engineers get trapped.
What you should stop doing
At this point, you should:
stop doing full derivations
stop proving answers to yourself
stop trusting that more calculation equals more correctness
stop using books as validation of readiness
If you can already solve 100 percent of those questions, they are no longer training you.
What you should train instead (very specific)
You need to train four exam-only skills:
Output-first reading
Read the last sentence first. If you can’t clearly state the required output in one phrase, stop and reread.
Givens elimination
Physically cross out numbers that do not directly feed the output. On many exam questions, more than half are noise.
Shortcut selection
Ask: is this conceptual, proportional, geometric, or arithmetic? If there’s a conceptual path, take it and skip equations.
Stop rule
The moment you reach the requested value, stop. Do not check, do not refine, do not optimize.
This is the opposite of how we were trained as engineers — and that’s why it’s hard.
What actually would help you now
Instead of solving new problems, do this:
take problems you already know
deliberately ignore parts of the data
solve them in under 2 minutes
explain why you ignored certain givens
practice flagging problems without guilt
This builds exam instinct, not math skill.
Very important reassurance
Failing this exam does not mean you’re weak in surveying. It means you’re too disciplined and thorough for a test that rewards selective thinking.
That’s why so many experienced engineers fail it once or twice.
If you want, next we can:
take one Reza problem and “corrupt” it into exam-style
practice a real trap scenario step by step
build a 30-second decision filter you can apply to every question
You’re not behind. You just discovered the real problem earlier than most people do.
You said:
so what is your recomendation because i cn see any chance to find those kind of question i think i should ask ai to make similar question for me
ChatGPT said:
Your conclusion is exactly the right one.
Yes — asking AI to generate exam-style questions is not only reasonable, it is probably the best option you have right now, if it’s done the right way.
Let me be very clear and practical.
Why AI-generated questions actually work better than books
Books and courses are constrained:
The CA Survey exam has none of those constraints.
AI, on the other hand, can:
intentionally include irrelevant data
mix plan, profile, and section info
hide the real question in a long description
create traps without apologizing for them
force you to decide what to ignore
That makes it ideal for this exam — if you control the prompt.
What I recommend you do (step-by-step)
Stop looking for “real exam questions”
They don’t exist publicly. Accept that fully and move on.
Use AI as a question generator, not a tutor
You don’t need explanations of basics. You need exposure to ambiguity.
Train with short, timed drills
The exam is about decisions under pressure, not mastery.
The exact prompt you should use (important)
When you ask AI (me or any other), use prompts like this:
“Create a California Survey exam–style problem with a long narrative, plan/profile/section information, and at least 10 given values. Make sure only 2–3 of the values are actually needed. Do not clearly indicate which method to use. The question should look harder than it is. Do not include a solution unless I ask for it.”
Then solve it under time pressure.
How to practice correctly with those questions
For each problem:
spend 30 seconds identifying the output
cross out irrelevant data
decide solve now or flag
solve using the shortest valid path
stop immediately when you have the answer
Afterward, then ask for the solution and trap explanation.
What topics to focus AI-generated questions on
High-yield exam areas:
RW width from plan/profile with extra slope data
leveling and misclosure mixed with stationing
bearings/azimuths mixed with curves and offsets
horizontal curves embedded in roadway descriptions
area or volume with extra sections shown
coordinate geometry with redundant points
Avoid wasting time on:
One very important mindset shift
You are not studying surveying anymore.
You are training for a hostile test environment.
That requires:
That’s why AI is actually a better training partner than books at this stage.
If you want, next I can:
generate your first “ugly” exam-style question
act as the examiner and time you
review your decision process instead of just the math
build a daily 30-minute drill plan until your retake
Just tell me how you want to start.
You said:
. Survey Planning
Weight: 25%
Professional Activities
Distinguish purposes and procedures of different surveys (topographic, route, control, construction).
Use datums for horizontal and vertical control.
Determine scope of civil engineering surveying.
Testable Topics
A. Control surveys – purpose, procedures.
B. Alignment surveys – route surveys, horizontal/vertical alignment.
C. Topographic surveys – aerial, ground, utilities.
D. Data collection methods – leveling, LiDAR, etc.
E. Accuracy vs precision – measurement errors, applications.
F. Horizontal & vertical datums – including assumed datums.
G. GIS uses and limitations.
H. The role & limits of civil engineers in surveying tasks.
II. Field Data Collection
Weight: 15%
Professional Activities
Measure horizontal distances.
Measure angles.
Measure elevations.
Identify construction conflicts (utilities, structures).
Testable Topics
A. Establish or locate points/alignment using distances + angles.
B. Determine elevation using differential leveling or trig leveling.
C. Survey equipment – purpose & correct application.
D. Create and check level notes (misclosures, arithmetic checks).
III. Data Analysis and Evaluation
Weight: 30%
Professional Activities
Identify accuracy requirements & limits for survey data and maps.
Perform traverse calculations – closure, error, side shots.
Perform leveling calculations.
Do rectangular coordinate calculations.
Determine line & grade from plans/profiles.
Testable Topics
A. Instrument/measuring errors – distance, angle, leveling.
B. Error of closure – horizontal + vertical.
C. Compute distances – horizontal, slope, vertical.
D. Compute angles – azimuth, bearing, backbearing, deflection.
E. Horizontal curves – R, L, T, compound, reverse.
F. Vertical curves – high/low point, rate of grade, elevations.
G. Contours vs cross-sections – relationships.
H. Vertical clearances/interference – plan/profile, sections.
I. Offsets – perpendicular, parallel, incremental.
J. Area computations – including double meridian distance (DMD).
K. Rectangular coordinates – latitudes & departures.
IV. Mapping
Weight: 10%
Professional Activities
Interpret maps & plans – elevations, benchmarks, contours, fixed works.
Prepare topographic/planimetric maps from field data.
Testable Topics
A. Elevation interpolation.
B. Plotting topo features – contour intervals, field points.
C. Plotting profiles & cross-sections.
D. Map scales & accuracy standards.
V. Construction Surveying
Weight: 20%
Professional Activities
Use construction staking procedures – stationing, staking.
Set critical cross-section points – hinge, catch, grade break.
Set points along alignment – curves, tangents, grades.
Testable Topics
A. Staking procedures – stationing, cut/fill marking.
B. Critical cross-section points – hinge, catch, grade breaks.
C. Alignment points – horizontal & vertical curve layout. be nazare to az koja shoro konam be tavajoh be natije ghabli emyehanam
ChatGPT said:
سؤال خیلی خوبی پرسیدی، و مهمتر از آن این است که الان دقیقاً دادهای داری که میشود با آن یک برنامه هوشمند چید.
بیاییم کاملاً واقعبینانه و بر اساس نتیجه امتحان قبلیات تصمیم بگیریم.
من اول جمعبندی میکنم، بعد دقیق میگویم از کجا شروع کنی، چی را فعلاً رها کنی، و چطور تمرین کنی.
۱) تفسیر نتیجه امتحان تو (خیلی مهم)
بر اساس چیزی که فرستادی:
Survey Planning (25%) → Marginal
Data Analysis & Evaluation (30%) → Marginal
Field Data Collection (15%) → Deficient
Mapping (10%) → Deficient
Construction Surveying (20%) → Deficient
این یعنی چه؟
یعنی:
تو دانش پایه را داری (Marginal = نزدیک قبولی)
ولی در سؤالهای عملی، ترکیبی، و کثیف (exam-style) زمین خوردی
بیشترین ضربه را از Field / Mapping / Construction خوردی، نه از فرمولها
پس مشکل تو «بلد نبودن» نیست
مشکل تو «تصمیمگیری زیر فشار و فیلتر اطلاعات» است
۲) از کجا شروع کنی؟ (جواب کوتاه)
نه از Reza
نه از Curve Geometry
نه از Traverses تمیز
شروع باید از Construction + Field + Mapping باشد
چرا؟ چون:
اینها بیشترین تله را دارند
داستانمحور هستند
معمولاً عدد زیاد میدهند ولی خروجی ساده میخواهند
دقیقاً شبیه چیزی هستند که گفتی در امتحان دیدی
۳) ترتیب پیشنهادی مطالعه (خیلی دقیق)
فاز ۱ – Construction Surveying (اولویت اول)
چرا؟ چون:
تمرکز کن روی:
stationing و معنی واقعیاش
cut / fill فقط مفهومی، نه حساب سنگین
تشخیص کدام نقطه کنترلکننده است
تشخیص این که سؤال دنبال عدد است یا مفهوم
نوع تمرین:
فاز ۲ – Field Data Collection
اینجا خیلیها اشتباه میکنند.
تمرکز نکن روی:
تمرکز کن روی:
leveling و misclosure فقط مفهومی
اینکه آیا misclosure قابل قبول هست یا نه
arithmetic check
تشخیص اینکه اصلاً لازم هست حساب کنی یا نه
نوع تمرین:
فاز ۳ – Mapping
این بخش ساده به نظر میرسد ولی تله دارد.
تمرکز کن روی:
نوع تمرین:
فاز ۴ – Data Analysis (آخر، نه اول)
چرا آخر؟
چون تو اینها را بلدی، فقط در دام میافتی.
تمرکز کن فقط روی:
۴) چی را فعلاً رها کنی (خیلی مهم)
فعلاً وقت نگذار روی:
اینها نمره تو را بالا نمیبرد.
۵) بهترین روش تمرین برای تو (پاسخ مستقیم به سؤال AI)
بله، دقیقاً باید از AI بخواهی سؤال بسازد
ولی با این شرطها:
تمرین درست اینطوری است:
۳۰ ثانیه فقط بخوانی
خروجی را بگویی
دادههای اضافی را خط بزنی
تصمیم بگیری solve یا flag
حل کنی و بلافاصله بایستی
تو مشکل دانش نداری
تو مشکل «exam behavior» داری
و خبر خوب:
این قابل تمرین است
و با کتاب حل نمیشود
ولی با تمرین هدفمند کاملاً قابل اصلاح است
اگر بخواهی، قدم بعدی میتواند یکی از اینها باشد:
یک برنامه ۴ هفتهای دقیق بر اساس همین جدول
اولین سؤال «کثیف» دقیقاً شبیه امتحان برایت بسازم
تمرین فقط تصمیمگیری (solve / skip)
شبیهسازی ۱۰ سؤال پشت سر هم مثل امتحان واقعی
بگو از کدام شروع کنیم.