Finally passed my RPLS exam after two attempts — here's what worked

by Mike_T 516 views3 replies
M
Mike_TOP
May 27, 2026

I'm still in shock honestly. Got my results yesterday and I passed with a 78. After failing by 4 points back in October I wasn't sure I had it in me to try again, but here I am. For anyone who's just starting out: the exam is genuinely hard, especially the boundary law and legal descriptions sections. I spent way too much time on traverse calculations the first go-round and totally neglected the state-specific stuff.

What finally made the difference for me was switching up my approach in January. I found a solid RPLS practice test bank that actually simulated the time pressure — doing timed sections was a game-changer because I used to run out of time on the legal descriptions problems. I also worked through a RPLS study guide that organized the material by topic weight rather than just chapter order, which helped me focus my last six weeks on the high-yield areas.

If anyone has questions about scheduling, what to bring, or specific exam tips I picked up along the way, happy to answer. This community helped me a ton and I want to pay it forward.

C
Chloe W.
May 28, 2026
Congratulations!! I'm sitting for mine in August and the boundary law section is exactly what's keeping me up at night. Can I ask which practice tests you were using? I've gone through two different prep books and neither one felt like it matched the actual difficulty level I've heard about from people who've already taken it. Also — how many hours a week were you studying in those final six weeks?
L
lisa.prep
May 28, 2026
This is exactly the kind of post I needed to see today. Sitting at my desk dreading my study session and you just reminded me why it's worth it. Congrats on passing — enjoy not thinking about traverse closures for a while!
S
Sofia R.
May 28, 2026
Two attempts is nothing to be ashamed of, the RPLS pass rate hovers around 50-60% depending on the year. I passed on my third try back in 2021 and the single biggest exam tip I'd give anyone is to not skip the professional practice and ethics questions. Everyone focuses on the technical calc stuff and then gets blindsided. Ethics questions are actually pretty straightforward once you internalize the NSPS guidelines, and they're basically free points if you prep them.

Join the Discussion

Sign in or register to reply with your account, or reply as a guest below.