LS/LSIT Practice Problems

[mlm]

I noticed on an earlier thread that there was talk of posting these on-line, possibly on this forum. What has become of this idea?

thanks,

mlm

[GregCVS]

I haven't seen any yet. I know there are many like myself that would benefit from practicing them. If anyone has an old PLS problem, PLEASE POST IT HERE! Thanks.

[Bob Hart]

CLSA is dedicating a forum area specifically for this purpose. We hope to have this up and running very soon. We are completely supportive of this idea. And encourage you to post the questions as soon as the forum area is up. You may send questions ahead of time to the administrator of the site.

Thanks for your continued interest and enthusiasm.

Bob Hart
CLSA President

[GregCVS]

Will the Administrator be able to verify the correct solutions and the length of time a candidate should spend on it?

[Bob Hart]

The level of review will be nominal. We discussed previously of posting the answer following everyones good hearted attempts on some regular basis.

We will have to play it by the users wishes and modify the level of babysitting as the issues arise.

What the posters provide as to time alloted or points value is up to them.

Bob Hart

[mlm]

O.k.,

I know this isn't the official site for the questions/problems, but I would like to throw out a few questions for those in need:


A.) California Coordinate System:

1) What projection system does California use?

2) How many NAD '83 zones are there in California?

3) How many NAD '27 zones are there in California?

4) Where in a particular zone is the convergence angle (gamma/theta) equal to zero? Or another way to put it: At what location in a particular zone is Grid North equal to True North?

5) What is the relationship between Grid North, True North, and the convergence angle?

6) Where in California law is the CCS defined?

Geodesy/Astronomy:

1.) What is the difference between magnetic north, true north, geodetic north and astronomic north?

2.) What is the infamous "2nd term"?

Hope this provides a little stimulation.

sincerely,

mlm

[Bob Hart]

This is a look up question. How long will you give the examinee to find the answer. One minute per question or two?

Bob Hart

[mlm]

Bob,

I'm beginning to understand what the exam prep committee is up against! It ain't easy deciding how much a problem is worth or how long it should take to answer it. Since everyone's experience is so varied, what seems easy to me could be almost foreign to someone else, and vice versa. Anyway, guess I'll need to put a little more thought into this.

thanks,

mlm

[mlm]

I thought about this overnight, and I consider my first six questions to be pretty basic. I don't think examinees have time to look these up on an exam. I know that I didn't. They should already know them and use their time wisely on carefully reading and solving the more involved boundary, etc. problems.

mlm

[Ian Wilson]

There are three types of questions that are asked on tests.

The first, and lowest level, is “Cognitive”. It is a simple question that requires a simple answer. The answer requires no thought or judgment, merely “regurgitation” of memorized facts. Fill-in-the blank questions are of this type. It is the easiest question to write. It is also the least effective type in terms of measuring the knowledge level of a candidate.

An example would be: “1) When driving, what do you do at a YIELD sign?”

This type of question has no place on a professional licensing exam.

The second type of question is “Synthetic”. This requires a restatement of facts and is a bit above the Cognitive type question. This type is only marginally more difficult to write than the Cognitive variety. It also just begins to measure the candidate’s knowledge level.

An example would be: “2) When you see a yellow sign shaped like an upside-down triangle, what should you do?”

This is better than mere memory-type answers, but not as good as it could be. This type of question should be used in moderation on a professional licensing exam.

The final type of question is “Synthetic”. In this type, you are given a fact or two and asked to make a decision about them to come up with a third fact.

An example would be: “3) As you are driving, you notice that traffic entering the road from your right slows down or stops before entering the road completely. Discuss what would cause this reaction and explain its safety benefits.”

This type of question is able to get at the examinee’s thought process and logic. It is also the most difficult type of question to write well. This type of question is the basis for a good professional licensing exam.

Writing test questions is not an easy task. Beyond the writing, they have to be set up in such a way as to break down the answers into discrete elements that can be graded on an objective basis where the candidate either gets the points for that element or they do not. Then, the question has to pass round after round of review to determine if it is actually going to measure a significant concept worthy of a professional licensing exam.

Because of the previous questions you get lead into a certain pathway. Although the intended answer is “Slow down and wait for a break in traffic before entering the roadway.” The answer to 2) could easily be “Nothing! It’s probably on the side of the on-ramp and I’m already on the freeway.”

The intended answer to 3) is “There is probably a YIELD sign on the on-ramp. The driver’s are slowing down so as to be able to merge into traffic safely.” The answer could just as easily be “There is a pedestrian cross-walk at the on-ramp. The driver’s are stopping or slowing down to avoid hitting pedestrians.”

It’s very easy to throw stones. It’s not at all easy to perform, from the candidate’s position or the exam writer’s position.