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Registered Surveyor practice questions

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Question 1Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed describes the parcel as beginning at a monumented iron pin and running 200.00 feet to a second iron pin, then 150.00 feet to a third pin. The pins are found in place and undisturbed. Which call generally controls if the distances conflict with the monument positions?

  1. The monuments control over the distances Correct answer.
  2. The distances control over the monuments
  3. The area recited in the deed controls over the monuments
  4. The bearings control over the monuments

Explanation

Under the hierarchy of calls, natural or artificial monuments that are found in place generally prevail over courses and distances. Distances yield because they are more easily mistaken by the scrivener or surveyor. Record area is the weakest call and yields to all others.

Question 2Boundary Law and Retracement

A surveyor is retracing a boundary line that a deed calls to run along a river. The river has gradually shifted over decades through slow accretion, not avulsion. What is the general common-law rule for a boundary on a non-navigable stream?

  1. The boundary follows the thread of the stream as it slowly moves by accretion Correct answer.
  2. The boundary is extinguished and reverts to the state
  3. The boundary jumps to the new channel only if the shift is sudden
  4. The boundary remains fixed at the original surveyed line regardless of gradual movement

Explanation

For non-navigable streams, the boundary generally follows the thread of the stream, and gradual accretion changes the boundary with the water. Avulsion, a sudden change, leaves the old boundary in place. The doctrine distinguishes slow imperceptible movement from sudden shifts.

Question 3Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed's description reads 'to the northeast corner of the Smith tract, thence along Smith's line to the county road.' The Smith tract is identifiable on the ground, but the deed gives no bearing or distance for the second line. What principle allows the surveyor to locate the line?

  1. The line must be established by the shortest possible distance
  2. The line is located by reference to a known adjoining boundary and the physical road Correct answer.
  3. The line is set by the deed's recited area alone
  4. The line is void for uncertainty and cannot be located

Explanation

A description that refers to a known adjoining tract and a physical road is sufficient to locate the line by reference to those calls. Deeds are construed to uphold validity when the land can be identified with reasonable certainty. The surveyor uses the known monuments and adjoiner's line to establish the missing course.

Question 4Boundary Law and Retracement

In the public land survey system, what is the primary purpose of a meander line along a navigable body of water?

  1. To establish the actual boundary of the upland owner's title
  2. To set the line of ordinary high water as a matter of law
  3. To fix the thread of the stream as the ownership line
  4. To mark the approximate water boundary for subdivision and area computation Correct answer.

Explanation

Meander lines are run to approximate the water boundary so that the surrounding subdivisions and areas can be computed; they are not the legal boundary. Title generally extends to the water as provided by state law. The meander line merely aids in describing and calculating the fractional lots.

Question 5Boundary Law and Retracement

A boundary by acquiescence is claimed where two adjoining owners have treated a fence as the boundary for a long period. Which element is most essential to the doctrine?

  1. A recorded survey showing the fence location
  2. Payment of taxes according to the fence line
  3. A written agreement signed by both owners
  4. Mutual recognition of the line as the boundary over a statutory or significant period Correct answer.

Explanation

Boundary by acquiescence rests on the adjoining owners' mutual recognition and acceptance of a line as the boundary over a significant period. It does not require a written agreement or recorded survey. The conduct of the parties, not a document, supplies the basis.

Question 6Boundary Law and Retracement

A surveyor finds that a deed monument called for as an 'old oak' no longer exists, but a neighboring deed and a prior survey plat both place the corner at the same point. What is the best approach to reestablish the corner?

  1. Decline to set any corner because the original monument is gone
  2. Set the corner at the center of the parcel's recited area
  3. Use the corroborating deed and plat evidence to reestablish the corner position Correct answer.
  4. Set the corner at the deed distance from the nearest line without regard to other evidence

Explanation

When an original monument is lost, the surveyor may reestablish the corner from corroborating evidence such as adjoining deeds, prior plats, and other acceptable records. The goal is to reproduce the original position as nearly as possible. Distances alone or area alone are not preferred over consistent record evidence.

Question 7Boundary Law and Retracement

What distinguishes a 'lost corner' from an 'obliterated corner' in boundary retracement?

  1. A lost corner has no evidence of its original position, while an obliterated corner's position can be recovered from evidence Correct answer.
  2. A lost corner can be reestablished by proportion, while an obliterated corner cannot
  3. A lost corner is always a section corner, while an obliterated corner is a lot corner
  4. A lost corner is one that was never monumented, while an obliterated corner was monumented

Explanation

An obliterated corner is one whose physical evidence is gone but whose position can be recovered from reliable evidence such as accessory monuments or records. A lost corner has no such evidence and must be reestablished by accepted methods such as proportion. The distinction turns on the availability of evidence, not on the type of corner.

Question 8Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed calls for a boundary 'to the center of the highway.' The highway was established by dedication after the deed was written. How is the call generally interpreted?

  1. The boundary extends to the far edge of the right-of-way
  2. The boundary stops at the edge of the right-of-way because the deed predates the highway
  3. The boundary extends to the center of the highway, subject to the public easement Correct answer.
  4. The boundary is void because the highway did not exist when the deed was written

Explanation

A call to the center of a highway generally carries the boundary to the center line, with the public holding an easement for highway purposes. The fact that the highway was established later does not defeat the center-line call. The owner retains the underlying fee subject to the easement.

Question 9Boundary Law and Retracement

Under the rule of practical location, a long-established fence line that both owners have treated as the boundary may control over the deed line when which condition is met?

  1. The deed area matches the fenced area
  2. The fence has been in place for at least one year
  3. The owners have recognized and acquiesced in the line as the boundary for the required period Correct answer.
  4. The fence was built by a licensed surveyor

Explanation

Practical location requires the adjoining owners to have recognized and acquiesced in a line as the boundary for the period required by law. The doctrine rests on the parties' conduct and reliance, not on the fence's age alone. A surveyor's involvement or an area match is not the test.

Question 10Boundary Law and Retracement

In retracing a metes-and-bounds description, the surveyor encounters a conflict between a bearing and a distance to a called monument. Which should generally govern?

  1. The bearing and distance are averaged to fix the point
  2. The monument governs over both the bearing and the distance Correct answer.
  3. The distance governs because it is more precise
  4. The bearing governs because it is stated first

Explanation

When a description calls for a monument and the bearing or distance to it conflicts, the monument generally controls. Bearings and distances are subordinate calls that yield to a found monument. The surveyor does not average conflicting calls but applies the hierarchy.

Question 11Boundary Law and Retracement

A riparian owner's land borders a navigable river. Under the equal-footing doctrine as generally applied, what does the state typically own?

  1. The entire riverbed up to the upland owner's line
  2. Only the water itself, with the bed owned by the upland owner
  3. The beds of navigable waters below the ordinary high water mark, subject to public navigation rights Correct answer.
  4. The thread of the stream only

Explanation

Under the equal-footing doctrine, states generally hold title to the beds of navigable waters below the ordinary high water mark, subject to public rights of navigation and fishing. The upland owner's boundary is typically the ordinary high water mark. This differs from non-navigable streams, where the upland owner often owns to the thread.

Question 12Boundary Law and Retracement

A surveyor is asked to locate a parcel described only by a reference to a recorded plat that cannot be found in the county records. What is the most appropriate professional response?

  1. Reconstruct the plat from memory of similar subdivisions
  2. Use the nearest available plat from another subdivision
  3. Inform the client that the description cannot be reliably retraced without the plat and seek alternate evidence Correct answer.
  4. Set the corners at the deed's recited area divided into equal lots

Explanation

A description that depends on an unavailable plat cannot be reliably retraced without obtaining that plat or equivalent evidence. The surveyor should disclose the deficiency and seek the record or other competent evidence. Substituting an unrelated plat or reconstructing from memory would be improper.

Question 13Boundary Law and Retracement

What is the significance of the 'ordinary high water mark' in boundary law?

  1. It is the line reached by the highest tide of the year
  2. It is the line up to which the water's action marks the bed and bank, generally the boundary for navigable waters Correct answer.
  3. It is the centerline of the water body
  4. It is the line of the lowest recorded water level

Explanation

The ordinary high water mark is the line that the water's action has marked on the bank, generally indicating the limit of the bed and the boundary of state-owned navigable waters. It is not the highest flood of record or the lowest level. It reflects the ordinary, not extraordinary, action of the water.

Question 14Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed describes the parcel as bounded on the north by 'the south line of the Brown grant.' The Brown grant is a large patented tract whose south line is a surveyed and monumented line. How should the surveyor treat this call?

  1. As a general description to be ignored in favor of distances
  2. As a call to a known boundary line that controls over recited distances Correct answer.
  3. As an area call subject to proportional adjustment
  4. As an ambiguous reference requiring the shortest distance

Explanation

A call to the line of an adjoining grant is a call to a known boundary and generally controls over recited distances. The surveyor locates the Brown grant's south line from its own monuments and records. Area and distance calls yield to this known line.

Question 15Boundary Law and Retracement

In the public land survey system, how are the corners of a normal section generally identified?

  1. By the intersection of latitude and longitude lines only
  2. By the section corners at the intersections of section lines, with quarter corners at midpoints of section lines Correct answer.
  3. By the meander line
  4. By the center of the section only

Explanation

A normal section is bounded by section lines, with section corners at their intersections and quarter corners at the midpoints of the section lines. These corners are monumented and serve as the basis for subdivision. Latitude and longitude intersections and the section center are not the corner system.

Question 16Boundary Law and Retracement

A boundary dispute involves a strip of land between two deed lines. One owner claims title by adverse possession. Which element is generally required?

  1. Actual, open, notorious, exclusive, and continuous possession for the statutory period Correct answer.
  2. Payment of the full market value to the neighbor
  3. A written deed to the strip
  4. A survey showing the strip within the deed lines

Explanation

Adverse possession generally requires actual, open, notorious, exclusive, and continuous possession for the statutory period, often with a claim of right. A written deed or payment to the neighbor is not required. The possession must be of the kind that puts the true owner on notice.

Question 17Boundary Law and Retracement

A surveyor is retracing a line called in a deed to run 'north 20 degrees east, 500 feet to a stone.' The stone is found, but the bearing and distance computed from the previous corner place the stone slightly off. What is the proper treatment?

  1. Hold the stone as the corner and adjust the bearing and distance to it Correct answer.
  2. Average the computed position and the stone position
  3. Hold the computed bearing and distance and ignore the stone
  4. Reject the stone as not original

Explanation

A found monument called for in the deed generally controls over the bearing and distance that lead to it. The surveyor holds the stone and treats the course and distance as approximate. Averaging or rejecting a called-for monument is not the accepted approach.

Question 18Boundary Law and Retracement

What is the effect of a 'senior rights' principle when two overlapping deeds describe the same land?

  1. The deed recorded first in time always prevails regardless of execution date
  2. The later deed always prevails because it is more recent
  3. The earlier (senior) conveyance generally prevails to the extent of the overlap Correct answer.
  4. The deed with the larger area prevails

Explanation

Under senior rights, the earlier conveyance generally prevails over a later one to the extent the two overlap. The principle protects the first grantee from being deprived by a subsequent grant of the same land. Recording order is a separate question from the priority created by the senior conveyance.

Question 19Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed calls for a boundary to run 'to a point on the north bank of the creek.' The creek is non-navigable and has gradually eroded its north bank over time. What is the general effect on the boundary?

  1. The boundary shifts only if the erosion is sudden
  2. The boundary remains at the original bank line
  3. The boundary follows the bank as it gradually moves by erosion Correct answer.
  4. The boundary is fixed at the thread of the original channel

Explanation

Where a boundary is called to the bank of a non-navigable stream, gradual erosion generally moves the boundary with the bank. Sudden avulsion would leave the old line in place. The doctrine of accretion and erosion applies to slow, imperceptible changes.

Question 20Boundary Law and Retracement

In a metes-and-bounds description, what does the term 'metes' refer to?

  1. The monuments at the corners
  2. The area of the parcel
  3. The bearings and distances that describe the lines Correct answer.
  4. The adjoining owners' names

Explanation

'Metes' refers to the measurements, that is, the bearings and distances that define the lines of the parcel. 'Bounds' refers to the monuments and adjoining boundaries that limit the parcel. Together they form a description by courses, distances, and calls.

Question 21Boundary Law and Retracement

A surveyor discovers that a deed's description closes with a large error of closure, while the parcel is bounded on three sides by long-established fences and a road. What is the best professional approach?

  1. Give weight to the established physical boundaries and investigate the record for the intended description Correct answer.
  2. Set the corners at the average of the deed and the fences
  3. Force the deed to close mathematically and set corners accordingly
  4. Reject the deed as void

Explanation

A large error of closure signals a problem in the description, and established physical boundaries and records may better reflect the intended parcel. The surveyor should investigate the record and give weight to reliable evidence rather than force a mathematical closure. Averaging positions is not an accepted method.

Question 22Boundary Law and Retracement

What is a 'granting clause' in a deed, and why does it matter in boundary interpretation?

  1. The clause that identifies the interest conveyed and the property description Correct answer.
  2. The clause that identifies the parties
  3. The clause that contains the notary acknowledgment
  4. The clause that states the consideration

Explanation

The granting clause identifies the interest being conveyed and contains or incorporates the property description. Its language is central to determining what land and what estate passed to the grantee. The parties, consideration, and acknowledgment are handled by other clauses.

Question 23Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed reserves a right-of-way easement 'over the existing farm road.' The road's location is not described by bearing or distance. How is the easement's location generally determined?

  1. By a straight line between the parcel corners
  2. By the deed's recited area of the easement
  3. By the location of the existing road as a fixed monument of the easement Correct answer.
  4. By the shortest route between the parcels

Explanation

A reservation that refers to an existing road generally fixes the easement at that road's location, which serves as a monument. The existing physical feature identifies the easement's route. Area, corner-to-corner lines, or shortest routes are not the controlling reference.

Question 24Boundary Law and Retracement

Under the doctrine of prescription, an easement may be acquired by use that is adverse, open, notorious, and continuous for the statutory period. How does prescription differ from adverse possession?

  1. Prescription requires payment of taxes
  2. Prescription requires a written grant
  3. Prescription applies only to government land
  4. Prescription creates an easement right, while adverse possession creates title to the land Correct answer.

Explanation

Prescription creates an easement, a right of use over another's land, while adverse possession can vest title to the land itself. Both depend on adverse use or possession for the statutory period. A written grant and tax payment are not required for prescription.

Question 25Boundary Law and Retracement

A surveyor is retracing a boundary where the original government survey monument at a section corner is found, but a later resurvey placed a different monument nearby. Which monument generally controls?

  1. The monument set by the surveyor with the higher license
  2. The later resurvey monument, because it is more recent
  3. Whichever monument is closer to the computed position
  4. The original government survey monument, if it is the original corner Correct answer.

Explanation

An original government survey monument, when found in place, generally controls over later resurvey monuments. The original corner is the best evidence of the boundary established by the government survey. Later monuments do not displace an original corner that is found.

Question 26Boundary Law and Retracement

In boundary retracement, what does the legal principle of 'monuments over distances' mean when a deed's calls conflict?

  1. The surveyor may choose whichever call yields the smallest area.
  2. A called monument, if found or proven, controls over the stated distance. Correct answer.
  3. The bearing call controls over both monument and distance.
  4. The stated distance always controls because it is a mathematical quantity.

Explanation

The hierarchy of calls generally places natural monuments first, then artificial monuments, then courses and distances, then area. A found monument that matches the deed call is strong evidence of the original boundary location. Distances are more susceptible to error in the original survey and in transcription, so they yield to a reliable monument.

Question 27Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed describes a boundary as running 'to a heap of stones at the northeast corner of the Smith tract.' The stones are gone, but the Smith deed and a nearby fence corner corroborate the location. How should the surveyor treat the stone heap?

  1. As a lost corner, requiring proportional measurement between the nearest known corners.
  2. As an obliterated corner, whose position may be re-established by collateral evidence. Correct answer.
  3. As a natural monument that cannot be re-established once removed.
  4. As a nonexistent call, so the distance in the deed controls.

Explanation

An obliterated corner is one whose physical evidence is gone but whose original position can be recovered from external evidence such as adjoining deeds, fence lines, or other improvements. A lost corner has no such evidence and is re-established by proportionate methods. Here the Smith deed and fence corner provide the necessary evidence.

Question 28Boundary Law and Retracement

When a deed calls for a boundary along a non-navigable stream, what is the general common-law rule regarding ownership of the streambed?

  1. The streambed is owned by the adjacent owners as tenants in common regardless of the deed.
  2. The riparian owner holds title to the center or thread of the stream, subject to the rights of other riparians. Correct answer.
  3. The riparian owner holds no interest in the bed unless the deed expressly conveys it.
  4. The riparian owner holds title only to the ordinary high water mark, with the bed owned by the state.

Explanation

For non-navigable streams, the common-law presumption is that a conveyance of land bounded by the stream carries title to the thread (center) of the stream. This presumption can be rebutted by clear language in the deed. Navigable waters are treated differently, with the bed typically held by the state.

Question 29Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed conveys a parcel 'bounded on the north by the south line of the old county road.' The road was vacated before the deed was executed. What is the most defensible interpretation of the northern boundary?

  1. The boundary remains the south line of the vacated road as it existed at the time of the deed. Correct answer.
  2. The boundary is void for uncertainty because the monument no longer exists.
  3. The boundary reverts to the centerline of the vacated road because the fee passed to the abutting owners.
  4. The boundary is the north line of the vacated road because the road no longer exists.

Explanation

A call for a monument such as a road line is construed as referring to the line as it existed when the deed was made, even if the road is later vacated. Vacation does not move the boundary; it may affect rights in the vacated fee. The deed's call to the south line therefore controls.

Question 30Boundary Law and Retracement

Under the doctrine of practical location, when may a long-established fence line control the boundary between two parcels even if it does not match the deed lines?

  1. When both owners have treated the fence as the boundary for a long period and their conduct shows agreement or acquiescence. Correct answer.
  2. Only when the original deed monuments are entirely lost.
  3. Whenever the fence has existed for at least one year, regardless of the owners' conduct.
  4. Only when the fence line is confirmed by a licensed surveyor's map.

Explanation

Practical location requires conduct by the adjoining owners showing that they have agreed to or acquiesced in a boundary line for a sufficient period. The doctrine rests on estoppel and the policy of settling boundaries. Mere existence of a fence for a short time, without such conduct, is not enough.

Question 31Boundary Law and Retracement

A surveyor is retracing a metes-and-bounds parcel and finds that the description calls for a line to run 'to a white oak, thence along the meanders of the creek.' The white oak is found, but the creek has shifted gradually over time. What principle governs the boundary along the creek?

  1. The boundary remains fixed at the creek's location as of the original survey.
  2. The boundary is the centerline of the creek as it existed when the deed was written.
  3. The boundary follows the creek's gradual movement under the doctrine of accretion. Correct answer.
  4. The boundary follows the creek only if the shift was sudden and avulsive.

Explanation

When a boundary follows a non-navigable stream and the stream changes by gradual and imperceptible accretion or reliction, the boundary moves with the stream. A sudden avulsive change does not move the boundary. The deed's call to the meanders incorporates this common-law principle.

Question 32Boundary Law and Retracement

What is the effect of the 'senior rights' principle when two overlapping deeds from a common grantor describe the same land?

  1. The senior deed is void to the extent of the overlap, and the junior deed controls.
  2. The later conveyance always prevails because it is closer in time to the current owner.
  3. The two grantees share the overlapping strip equally as tenants in common.
  4. The earlier conveyance generally prevails to the extent of the overlap, if it was recorded or the later grantee had notice. Correct answer.

Explanation

Senior rights give priority to the first conveyance of the overlapping land, subject to recording statutes and notice. The junior grantee may take nothing in the overlap if the senior deed was recorded or the junior had notice. This principle resolves conflicts between competing deeds from the same grantor.

Question 33Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed calls for a boundary to run 'north 10 degrees east, 300 feet to a stone wall.' The stone wall is found, but the distance measures 285 feet. What should the surveyor do?

  1. Hold the distance as controlling and ignore the stone wall.
  2. Average the deed distance and the measured distance to locate the point.
  3. Hold the stone wall as the controlling call and treat the distance as erroneous. Correct answer.
  4. Reject both calls and re-establish the line by proportional measurement.

Explanation

Under the hierarchy of calls, a found monument such as a stone wall controls over the stated distance. The distance is presumed to be erroneous or a result of the original surveyor's measurement. The surveyor should locate the boundary at the monument.

Question 34Boundary Law and Retracement

In the public land survey system, what is the primary significance of a 'meander line' along a navigable body of water?

  1. It is a line established only for taxation purposes and has no survey significance.
  2. It is the legal boundary of the parcel and fixes the owner's title at that line.
  3. It is a line run to determine the quantity of upland, not a boundary of the riparian parcel. Correct answer.
  4. It is the line of ordinary high water and therefore the boundary of the parcel.

Explanation

Meander lines are run to compute the area of upland in the government survey. They are not boundaries; the water body itself is the boundary. The riparian owner's title extends to the water as provided by law, subject to the public trust.

Question 35Boundary Law and Retracement

A surveyor discovers that a deed's description closes with an error of closure of 1 in 500, but the parcel is bounded on three sides by a river, a stone wall, and a public road. How should the surveyor resolve the boundary?

  1. Use the area stated in the deed to compute the missing line and ignore the monuments.
  2. Reject the deed description because the error of closure exceeds acceptable standards.
  3. Hold the natural and artificial monuments on the three sides and adjust the remaining line to close. Correct answer.
  4. Redistribute the error of closure proportionally around the entire perimeter, including the monument lines.

Explanation

Monuments such as a river, stone wall, and road control over the mathematical closure of the description. The surveyor should hold those calls and adjust the non-monumental line to achieve closure. Proportional distribution is used only for lines without controlling monuments.

Question 36Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed reserves a right-of-way easement 'over the existing farm road.' The road's location is not described by bearing or distance. How should a surveyor locate the easement?

  1. By requiring the parties to agree on a new location because the description is void.
  2. By locating the centerline of the parcel, because an easement of undefined location is presumed to run through the center.
  3. By locating the road as it existed at the time of the deed, using physical evidence and historical records. Correct answer.
  4. By establishing a straight line between the two nearest deed corners, regardless of the road's path.

Explanation

A call for an existing road incorporates the road's location at the time of the grant. The surveyor should look for physical evidence such as pavement, fence lines, or aerial photographs and corroborate with historical records. The easement is not void for uncertainty if the road can be located.

Question 37Boundary Law and Retracement

Under the doctrine of prescription, what must a claimant prove to acquire an easement by prescription?

  1. Use that is exclusive and under a claim of right, but need not be continuous.
  2. Use that is permissive, occasional, and known to the servient owner.
  3. Use that is adverse, open, notorious, continuous, and for the statutory period. Correct answer.
  4. Use that is secret, sporadic, and for less than the statutory period.

Explanation

Prescription requires use that is adverse, open and notorious, continuous, and for the statutory period. Permissive use does not ripen into a prescriptive easement. The claimant bears the burden of proving each element.

Question 38Boundary Law and Retracement

A surveyor finds the original government survey monument at a section corner, but a later survey by a private surveyor placed a different corner 15 feet away. Which corner should control?

  1. A point halfway between the two corners to balance the evidence.
  2. The original government monument, because it is the best evidence of the original boundary. Correct answer.
  3. The later private survey corner, because it is more recent and presumably more accurate.
  4. The corner established by the later survey if it was recorded first.

Explanation

Original government survey monuments are generally accepted as the best evidence of the original boundary location. A later private survey that conflicts with an original monument is usually in error. The original monument controls unless it is proven to be fraudulent or not the original.

Question 39Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed describes a parcel by reference to a recorded plat, but the plat shows a lot line ending at a point that does not close mathematically. What should the surveyor do?

  1. Apply a proportional adjustment to all lines, including those controlled by monuments.
  2. Use the area of the lot as stated on the plat to compute the missing line.
  3. Hold the plat's physical features and adjust the non-monumented line to close, following the rules of construction. Correct answer.
  4. Reject the plat and survey the parcel by the deed's metes and bounds alone.

Explanation

When a plat contains a mathematical error, the surveyor should honor the physical features and monument calls shown on the plat. The non-monumented line is adjusted to achieve closure. Proportional adjustment is not applied to monument-controlled lines.

Question 40Boundary Law and Retracement

A deed's metes-and-bounds description calls for a boundary running 'thence North 45 degrees East, 200 feet to a large granite boulder marked X.' In the field, the surveyor locates the marked boulder, but the bearing and distance from the last called corner place the line 12 feet from the boulder. Assuming the boulder is the original monument called for, which call should control the location of the corner?

  1. The call for the marked granite boulder, because a natural or artificial monument called for in the deed controls over courses and distances. Correct answer.
  2. The bearing and distance, because mathematical closure must be preserved and the deed's figures are presumed correct.
  3. Neither call controls; the corner must be set at the average position between the monument and the computed point.
  4. The bearing only, because the angular call is superior to both the monument and the distance.

Explanation

The hierarchy of evidence in retracement places monuments above courses and distances, so an original monument called for in the deed fixes the corner even when the bearing and distance produce a different point. The 12-foot discrepancy is treated as an error in the deed's figures, not in the monument, provided the boulder is satisfactorily identified as the one called for.

Question 41Measurement and Geodesy

In a geodetic datum, what does the semi-major axis of the reference ellipsoid represent?

  1. The polar radius of the ellipsoid
  2. The flattening ratio between axes
  3. The geoid-ellipsoid separation at the equator
  4. The equatorial radius of the ellipsoid Correct answer.

Explanation

The reference ellipsoid is defined by a semi-major axis a and a flattening f. The semi-major axis is the radius measured in the equatorial plane, while the semi-minor axis b is the polar radius related by b = a(1 - f).

Question 42Measurement and Geodesy

A survey line is measured as 250.000 m at a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, while the tape was standardised at 20 degrees Celsius with coefficient of expansion 1.15 x 10^-5 per degree. What is the temperature correction to apply?

  1. +0.0043 m
  2. +0.431 m
  3. +0.043 m Correct answer.
  4. -0.043 m

Explanation

The correction is Ct = L * alpha * (T - T0) = 250 * 1.15e-5 * 15 = 0.0431 m. Because the tape is warmer than standardisation temperature it has expanded, so the measured length is too short and the correction is positive.

Question 43Measurement and Geodesy

Which statement correctly describes the relationship between the geoid and the reference ellipsoid?

  1. The geoid is a mathematical surface of revolution that exactly matches the ellipsoid
  2. The geoid is defined as the surface of constant ellipsoidal height above the ellipsoid
  3. The geoid coincides with the terrain surface at all points on land
  4. The geoid is an equipotential surface of gravity approximating mean sea level, and undulations describe its separation from the ellipsoid Correct answer.

Explanation

The geoid is the equipotential surface of the gravity field that best fits mean sea level, extended under the continents. Geoid undulation N is the height of the geoid above or below the reference ellipsoid, and it varies by up to about 100 m globally.

Question 44Measurement and Geodesy

A total station measures a slope distance of 500.000 m to a target whose elevation difference from the instrument is 30.000 m. What is the horizontal distance?

  1. 470.000 m
  2. 500.900 m
  3. 499.100 m
  4. 498.099 m Correct answer.

Explanation

Horizontal distance is obtained from H = sqrt(S^2 - dH^2) = sqrt(500^2 - 30^2) = sqrt(250000 - 900) = 498.099 m. The slope distance must always be reduced using the elevation difference before any grid or scale correction.

Question 45Measurement and Geodesy

In a grid coordinate system such as a Transverse Mercator projection, what does the point scale factor represent?

  1. The ratio of ellipsoidal distance to slope distance at a point
  2. The ratio of grid distance to ellipsoidal distance at a point Correct answer.
  3. The elevation of the point above the ellipsoid
  4. The convergence angle between grid north and true north

Explanation

The point scale factor k is the local ratio of a differential grid length to the corresponding ellipsoidal length. It equals 1 on the central meridian for a standard TM and increases with distance from it.

Question 46Measurement and Geodesy

A line measured on the ellipsoid has a length of 1000.000 m where the point scale factor is 0.9996 and the elevation factor is 1.0000. What is the grid length?

  1. 999.600 m Correct answer.
  2. 1000.000 m
  3. 999.960 m
  4. 1000.400 m

Explanation

Grid length equals ellipsoidal length multiplied by the combined factor, here just the point scale factor 0.9996. Thus 1000.000 x 0.9996 = 999.600 m, reflecting the reduction toward the central meridian.

Question 47Measurement and Geodesy

Which observation type provides the primary geometric link in a GNSS baseline solution between two receivers?

  1. Barometric height differences
  2. Carrier-phase double differences Correct answer.
  3. Astronomical azimuth observations
  4. Single-point pseudorange positions at each receiver

Explanation

Relative GNSS positioning relies on double-differenced carrier-phase observations, which cancel receiver and satellite clock errors and greatly reduce atmospheric effects. These observations yield the baseline vector between the two antennas.

Question 48Measurement and Geodesy

A level is set up midway between two pegs 80 m apart. The backsight reading is 1.250 m and the foresight reading is 1.685 m. What is the difference in height between the pegs?

  1. 0.435 m, with the foresight peg lower Correct answer.
  2. 0.217 m, with the foresight peg lower
  3. 0.435 m, with the foresight peg higher
  4. 0.870 m, with the foresight peg lower

Explanation

The height difference is backsight minus foresight: 1.250 - 1.685 = -0.435 m. A larger foresight reading means the second peg is lower by 0.435 m. Setting up midway cancels curvature and refraction errors.

Question 49Measurement and Geodesy

Why is a level placed equidistant from the backsight and foresight stations in differential levelling?

  1. To reduce the effect of instrument collimation error only
  2. To ensure the line of sight stays horizontal over long distances
  3. To avoid the need to record the instrument height
  4. To eliminate the effects of Earth curvature and atmospheric refraction Correct answer.

Explanation

Equal sight lengths make curvature and refraction corrections identical for both readings, so they cancel in the height difference. This balancing also cancels residual collimation error, but the primary purpose is curvature and refraction cancellation.

Question 50Measurement and Geodesy

What is the purpose of a resection in a total station survey?

  1. To transfer a reduced level from a benchmark to a new peg
  2. To measure the height difference between two distant stations
  3. To determine the instrument station coordinates and orientation from measurements to known points Correct answer.
  4. To set out a point at a specified offset from a reference line

Explanation

Resection (free stationing) computes the coordinates and orientation of an unknown instrument position by observing known control points. It allows occupation of a convenient point rather than a monumented station.