Alaska Land Surveyor (AKLS) Exam study guide
Alaska Land Surveyor (AKLS) Exam · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Alaska Land Surveyor (AKLS) exam is the state-specific licensing examination that Alaska uses to evaluate whether a candidate is competent to practice land surveying independently, sign and seal survey work, and take legal responsibility for boundary determinations. It is aimed at surveyors who have already built field and office experience and are pursuing professional licensure in Alaska, including those licensed elsewhere who need to demonstrate knowledge of Alaska-specific law and practice. The Alaska Land Surveyor (AKLS) Exam study guide has 8 sections and about 2,409 words.
01Alaska Boundary Law and Property Law
Alaska property law blends the common-law doctrines inherited from the states with a distinct overlay of federal public-land law, because most land in the state passed from federal ownership under the Homestead, Mining, and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) regimes. A candidate must understand how boundaries are created and how they are interpreted: monuments control over courses and distances, natural monuments (shorelines, meander lines, rivers) control over artificial calls, and a call for an adjoining tract's line yields to an established boundary.
336 words, about 2 min02Boundary Determination and Retracement
Retracement is the art of re-establishing an original boundary from the record without creating a new one. The controlling principle is that the original survey controls - the retracement surveyor's job is to find and perpetuate the original corners and lines, not to correct them.
330 words, about 2 min03Evidence, Records, and Research
Boundary evidence is classified as direct (monuments, corners, lines) or indirect (testimony, occupation, improvements), and as original (from the first survey) or collateral. The surveyor must gather and weigh evidence systematically: the record (deeds, plats, field notes, government township plats), physical evidence on the ground, and parol evidence such as testimony of long-time occupants.
333 words, about 2 min04Geodesy and Coordinate Systems
A candidate must be fluent in the geodetic framework that underlies all boundary work. Understand the ellipsoid, the geoid, and the difference between them; latitude and longitude on a reference datum; and the State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS) with its zones, scale factors, and grid-to-ground conversions.
293 words, about 1 min05Measurement Technology and Field Procedures
This domain covers the instruments and procedures that produce boundary evidence. A candidate must understand total stations, GNSS (especially RTK and static), levels, and the sources of error in each: instrument centering, prism constant, atmospheric correction, and the geometry of the observation.
287 words, about 1 min06Subdivision, Platting, and Land Development
Subdivision and platting law governs how land is divided and dedicated. A candidate must understand the subdivision process: the preliminary plat, the final plat, and the approvals required; the distinction between a plat that is merely filed and one that is recorded and thus creates lots; and the role of dedications (streets, easements, parks) and their acceptance.
274 words, about 1 min07Cadastral and Public Land Surveys
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the backbone of Alaska cadastral work. A candidate must understand the rectangular system: principal meridians, base lines, townships, ranges, sections, and the rules for subdividing sections into aliquot parts.
288 words, about 1 min08Professional Practice, Ethics, and Alaska Statutes and Regulations
This domain tests the surveyor's legal and ethical obligations. A candidate must know the Alaska statutes and regulations governing land surveying: licensure requirements, the definition of land surveying, the surveyor's seal and certification, and the standards of practice for boundary surveys.
268 words, about 1 min