Best surveying & photogrammetry books according to redditors

Here you go:

Pinpoint: How GPS is Changing Technology, Culture, and Our Minds https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393354369/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_F58wDb3SNQ2J8

Program your calculators now and practice practice practice. I liked surveying solved problems as a tool to study.

I took the Structures focus for the PE exam, I can't recommend for you an exact prep schedule, but I can tell you mine.

I studied for a total of 500 hours at 40hrs/wk took approximately 3 months or so. 200 hrs of prep for the PE exam itself and 150 hrs each for the Survey and Seismic portions.

I prepared using the CERM, PPI Sample problems, NCEES Sample Exams, and the following:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1888577940/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591261007/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591263786/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Did I over do it? Without a doubt I over did it. But I can also say that I rolled up on the test, took a dump on its front lawn and lit it on fire. I also managed to finish so quickly that I took a bit of a nap during the NCEES exam. I was however working up to the last minute on the Survey and Seismic portions. Those sections weren't hard, you just need to manage your time well and you will be fine.

When you do walk into the exam, you will see people with half-pallet carts filled with reference materials. You will not need that many books, you only really need your CERM, applicable code manuals, as well as a rapid reference note binder that you compile yourself. I flew in to California to take it, and all my reference materials fit into a back pack and a carry on suitcase.

I also, took a review course offered at the local university, go to every class and never skip!

Feel free to ask me if you have any questions, best of luck!

Without knowing the specifics of that certification, a couple of resources that may help:

• Syllabus of the Geospatial Applications for Unmanned Aerial Systems Program of Penn State : obviously I'm not suggesting taken the class for time reasons but it may help as a guide.
  
• Elements of Photogrammetry with Application in GIS, Fourth Edition: I'm going through this (massive) book and it seems to be good.
  
• Elementary Surveying: An Introduction to Geomatics seems to be a good resource for improving your GNSS accuracy and learn of general geodesy.
  
  Again, I'm not familiar with that certification (or any mapping certification whatsoever), but I'm curious as well, I want to take the winter (not much flytime in the PNW) to up my mapping game with GIS and going deeper with geodesy and remote sensing. I would be interested in hearing if any one can build a good "curriculum" for becoming a decent mapper.

http://www.amazon.com/Surveying-Principles-Civil-Engineers-2nd/dp/1888577940/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453821432&sr=1-1&keywords=Surveying+Principles+for+Civil+Engineers

I'm in Texas too, and Oklahoma State University actually has online surveying courses you could take (pretty sure you can take those classes without having to get 'enrolled'). There's also a free CST Exam prep course online. Otherwise, Amazon has some good textbooks to check out (Elementary Surveying, Surveying Problems Solved, and Construction Surveying)!

Hope this helps. Feel free to message me if you have any questions/need any advice! I'm a student as well but I've been working at a surveying company for the last 5 years as an AutoCAD draftsperson. Might be able to help you with job hunting too (depending on which area of Texas you're in), if you need it!

Does Colorado use the NCEES PS test in addition to the State test? If so I suggest Surveying Solved Problems by Van Sickle.

Surveying Solved Problems for the FS and PS Exams, 4th Ed https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591264871/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_h8z7Cb5AYZH44

I took these exams back in October '15 (along with the PE) and passed all of them.

For me the Hiner course was a lifesaver for the seismic portion. I had zero experience with the content in the seismic exam but Hiner's course had me very well prepared for the exam.

Survey exam was far easier in my opinion. Just grab a practice problem book and brush up on whatever is rusty. FYI: the Cuomo Surveying Principles book goes into way more detail than the exam does.

Good luck!

This is the goto book in our department for the mapping science class... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Datums-Map-Projections-Sensing-Surveying/dp/1904445470