- Identity and Exam Format at a Glance
- The Six Work Elements and Question Counts
- Field Equipment and Operations: The Heavy Hitter
- Computations, Control and Office Work
- First Aid, Safety and Survey History
- Open-Book and Calculator Rules
- Fees, Retakes and Scoring Rules
- Proctor and Scheduling Logistics
- Renewal and Continuing Education Snapshot
- A Domain-Ordered Study Sequence
- Career Context: What the Credential Is and Is Not
- Cheat Sheet FAQ
- The Level I exam is 200 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours, open book, English only.
- Field Equipment & Operations carries 75 questions, more than any other work element.
- Normal passing is 70%; 66-69 is pending cycle review and 65 or below fails.
- Only specific Casio, HP and TI calculator families are allowed under the October 2022 policy.
Identity and Exam Format at a Glance
This page covers one credential only: the Certified Survey Technician Level I (CST), issued by the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) and administered by the Certified Survey Technician Board (CSTB) through approved proctors. If you want the plain-language definition first, see What Is CST Certification? Everything below is meant to fit on a single printed page you can review the night before your exam.
| Item | Level I Fact |
|---|---|
| Issuer | NSPS; administered by the CSTB via approved proctors |
| Questions | 200 multiple choice |
| Time | 4 hours |
| Book policy | Open book (printed references and securely bound technical notes) |
| Language | English only |
| Delivery | Online or paper, with an approved on-site proctor |
| Experience required | None at Level I |
| NSPS membership | Not required |
| Normal passing criterion | 70%, subject to CST Board adjustment |
Four hours for 200 questions works out to roughly 72 seconds per question. That is generous for recall items and tight for multi-step computations, so budget your time accordingly. For a deeper look at difficulty, read How Hard Is the CST Exam?
The Six Work Elements and Question Counts
NSPS publishes question allocations for each work element rather than percentage weights, and the current outline took effect January 1, 2023. Treat the counts below as the official blueprint. Percentages you may see elsewhere are derived, not published weights.
| Domain | Questions |
|---|---|
| Survey Types and History | 15 |
| Field Equipment & Operations | 75 (largest) |
| Survey Control | 6 |
| Survey Computations | 50 |
| Office Operations, Plan Reading and Preparation | 34 |
| First Aid & Safety | 20 |
The full breakdown of what each area covers is in CST Exam Domains: Complete Guide to All 6 Content Areas.
Field Equipment and Operations: The Heavy Hitter
With 75 of 200 questions, Field Equipment & Operations is the single biggest block. Two other elements, Survey Computations and Office Operations, together add another 84 questions, so the practical, hands-on side of the profession dominates the exam.
Domain 2: Field Equipment & Operations
Expect questions about how instruments are set up, used, checked and cared for, and how field procedures are carried out.
- Know the names and purposes of common surveying instruments and accessories.
- Understand setup, leveling and basic field-check procedures.
- Recognize routine care, handling and transport practices for equipment.
- Be able to read the scenario in a question and pick the correct field action.
Because the exam is open book, the goal is not to memorize every procedure. Instead, learn where each procedure lives in your fundamental surveying text so you can find it in under a minute.
Key Takeaway
Spend your largest block of study time on Field Equipment & Operations, then tab your reference book by instrument and procedure so lookups are fast during the 4 hours.
Computations, Control and Office Work
Survey Computations (50 questions)
Domain 4: Survey Computations
This is the math-heavy element, and the one most affected by your calculator choice and fluency.
- Practice unit conversions using the charts in your fundamental surveying text.
- Work angle, distance and basic geometric problems until the keystrokes are automatic.
- Show your work on scratch paper so you can catch sign and rounding errors.
- Rehearse on one of the permitted calculators, not a different model.
Survey Control (6 questions)
Domain 3: Survey Control
The smallest block on the exam. It rewards a clean grasp of the fundamentals rather than hours of drilling.
- Understand what control is and why surveys depend on it.
- Review the basic vocabulary so you can decode a question quickly.
Office Operations, Plan Reading and Preparation (34 questions)
Domain 5: Office Operations, Plan Reading and Preparation
Think of this as the desk side of a survey crew's work.
- Read plan sheets: symbols, notes, scales and dimensions.
- Understand how field data becomes a prepared drawing or document.
- Know the terminology in Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms, one of NSPS's recommended references.
For a structured plan that spreads these elements across your calendar, see the CST Study Guide: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
First Aid, Safety and Survey History
Domain 6: First Aid & Safety (20 questions)
These are often the most approachable points on the exam, and they reward common sense plus a quick scan of a first-aid or safety manual.
- Review basic first aid responses relevant to outdoor and field work.
- Study general jobsite and field safety practices.
- Use the first-aid/safety manual recommended by NSPS as your reference.
Domain 1: Survey Types and History (15 questions)
A compact element covering the kinds of surveys and the background of the profession.
- Be able to distinguish major survey types by purpose.
- Know the historical vocabulary so unfamiliar terms do not slow you down.
Together these two elements account for 35 questions. They are efficient to prepare, so protect those points before you tackle the harder computation work.
Open-Book and Calculator Rules
Open book does not mean open everything. The Online Exam Proctor Packet (filename revision 2024-02-02) permits printed references and securely bound technical notes, and prohibits resource sharing and access to network storage, email or the internet.
- Bring: a permitted calculator, printed references, securely bound notes, and the CST Flipchart that is supplied on exam day.
- Recommended references: a fundamental surveying text with conversion charts, a first-aid/safety manual, and Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms.
- Do not rely on: the official sample test alone. It is illustrative and should never be your only study resource.
Fees, Retakes and Scoring Rules
| Item | Amount / Rule |
|---|---|
| Initial exam fee, individual | USD 180 |
| Initial fee, student, active military or veteran | USD 120 |
| Same-level retake within one year, individual | USD 150 |
| Same-level retake, discounted categories | USD 100 |
| Group rate (10+ at same site/time/proctor) | USD 120 per FAQ and July 2024 Program Book; fee page directs groups to NSPS for pricing |
| CST Flipchart | Included, supplied on exam day |
Scoring is straightforward but has a gray zone. A score of 70% normally passes, subject to CST Board adjustment. Scores of 66-69 are pending cycle review, and 65 or below is failing. The FAQ requires a complete cycle before retesting, and after three consecutive failures the July 2024 Program Book requires documented education in the failed work elements before a fourth attempt.
For the full cost picture, including renewal, read CST Certification Cost: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and for score details see CST Passing Score: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Proctor and Scheduling Logistics
You, not NSPS, arrange the approved proctor and the exam site. That makes scheduling the step most candidates underestimate.
- Confirm you meet the Level I requirements (none for experience; membership not required). Higher levels reserve supervisor verification, but Level I does not.
- Apply with NSPS and pay the initial fee.
- Line up an approved proctor and site, in person or online.
- Confirm the actual appointment date with both NSPS and the proctor.
More on windows and deadlines is in CST Exam Dates: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling, and eligibility details are in CST Requirements: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Renewal and Continuing Education Snapshot
- Annual renewal: USD 40.
- Reinstatement: the FAQ lists USD 50 per missed year for up to three years, after which retesting is required. The July 2024 Program Book lists USD 10. Verify any reinstatement invoice with NSPS before paying.
- Continuing education: became mandatory with July 2026 renewal. The Level I notice says "2 CEUs annually" but also describes the amounts as hours, and the 2023 Board minutes use two hours. The unit wording is inconsistent, so check the renewals page and do not convert between CEUs and hours on your own.
- Acceptable education: NSPS lists survey-related education and examples of attendance documentation on its important-links page. Keep your documentation.
A Domain-Ordered Study Sequence
If you have several weeks, order your preparation by points available and difficulty, not by the order the elements are listed.
Quick Points First
- First Aid & Safety (20 questions) and Survey Types and History (15 questions).
- Skim Survey Control (6 questions) and tab the matching pages in your reference book.
Field Equipment & Operations
- Work through the 75-question element in your fundamental surveying text.
- Build tabs and an index for fast open-book lookups.
Computations and Office Work
- Daily calculator practice on your permitted model for Survey Computations.
- Plan reading and terminology for Office Operations, Plan Reading and Preparation.
Timed Mixed Practice
- Take full-length timed sets with your printed references only.
- Fix the weakest element, then confirm proctor logistics.
You can run timed sets on our CST practice test platform, and the CST training overview outlines other preparation options. Observed outside resources include NSPS itself, LearnCST, the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Level 1 preview, OpenExamPrep and member-association webinars; these are listed as observed, not ranked or endorsed by the issuer.
Career Context: What the Credential Is and Is Not
CST is a technician-level certification. It is not a surveying license and should not be confused with the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying pathway toward licensure. The credential shows a documented baseline of knowledge across the six work elements, which can help when applying for crew and office roles, though it does not guarantee an offer.
On pay, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 median annual wage of USD 54,240 for surveying and mapping technicians as a whole. That figure covers the whole occupation and does not measure what CST holders earn or any certification premium. For a careful treatment, see the CST Salary Guide, Is the CST Certification Worth It? and CST Jobs.
Cheat Sheet FAQ
The exam has 200 multiple-choice questions with a 4-hour time limit. It is open book, offered in English only, and delivered online or on paper with an approved on-site proctor.
Field Equipment & Operations, with 75 questions. Survey Computations follows with 50, then Office Operations, Plan Reading and Preparation with 34, First Aid & Safety with 20, Survey Types and History with 15, and Survey Control with 6.
The normal passing criterion is 70%, subject to CST Board adjustment. Scores of 66-69 are pending cycle review, and 65 or below is failing.
Under the policy effective October 25, 2022, only the Casio fx-115 and fx-991 families, HP 33s and 35s, and TI-30X and TI-36X families are permitted. Confirm your exact model with your proctor before exam day.
No. Level I requires no experience and NSPS membership is not required. The application reserves supervisor verification for Level II and above.