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DE Land Surveyor study materials
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DE Land Surveyor practice questions

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Question 1Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

Under the Delaware Board of Registration for Professional Land Surveyors, which activity is reserved for a licensed professional land surveyor rather than an unlicensed survey technician?

  1. Compiling a records-research file for a property
  2. Drafting a topographic map from existing survey data
  3. Downloading and processing GNSS field observations
  4. Certifying a boundary survey plat for recording Correct answer.

Explanation

The legal distinction is that only a licensed surveyor may take responsible charge of and certify survey work whose results affect property rights or public welfare. Technicians may perform field and drafting tasks, but the professional judgment and certification rest with the licensee.

Question 2Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A Delaware surveyor signs and seals a boundary survey plat. What does the seal primarily signify?

  1. That the state has verified the boundary corners in the field
  2. That the plat has been reviewed and approved by the county
  3. That the surveyor takes professional responsibility for the work and is licensed in Delaware Correct answer.
  4. That the surveyor's firm carries professional liability insurance

Explanation

A seal is a personal attestation that the licensee prepared or directly supervised the work and accepts responsibility for its accuracy and professional soundness. It does not represent state field verification, county approval, or insurance coverage.

Question 3Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

In Delaware, continuing education for land surveyor license renewal is most accurately described by which statement?

  1. Licensees must complete board-approved continuing education hours each renewal cycle Correct answer.
  2. No continuing education is required once a surveyor passes the initial exam
  3. Continuing education is required only for surveyors who supervise field crews
  4. Continuing education must consist solely of university-level coursework

Explanation

Delaware requires licensees to complete a set number of board-approved continuing education hours per renewal period to maintain competency. The requirement applies to all licensees regardless of role, and it is not limited to academic courses.

Question 4Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor discovers a previously unrecorded discrepancy in a property description while preparing a plat. What is the most appropriate professional response?

  1. Ignore it because the client did not request a boundary resolution
  2. Resolve it silently by choosing whichever deed benefits the client
  3. Document the discrepancy and address it through the proper professional and legal channels Correct answer.
  4. Record a new deed on the client's behalf without consulting an attorney

Explanation

Professional ethics require surveyors to disclose material discrepancies rather than conceal or unilaterally resolve them. The surveyor should document findings and coordinate with the client and, where legal interpretation of title is needed, an attorney.

Question 5Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

Which record is the primary source a Delaware surveyor should research first when retracing an existing boundary?

  1. The recorded deed and plat history for the parcel Correct answer.
  2. A neighboring owner's verbal recollection of the corners
  3. The county tax parcel map
  4. A utility company's as-built drawing

Explanation

Retracement begins with the written record: the chain of deeds, plats, and related recorded documents that establish the parcel's legal description. Tax maps and utility drawings are secondary aids, and verbal recollections are only corroborative.

Question 6Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A survey crew is working on a rural Delaware parcel and finds a monument that matches the bearing and distance called for in the deed. What is the correct interpretation of this find?

  1. It is strong evidence of the original corner and should be accepted and held Correct answer.
  2. It proves the deed is in error
  3. It should be disregarded because only set monuments control
  4. It must be replaced with a new monument at the calculated position

Explanation

Monuments called for in the record that are found in the expected location are among the highest forms of boundary evidence and generally control over courses and distances. Finding a called-for monument corroborates the record rather than contradicting it.

Question 7Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

Which statement best describes the role of a datum in surveying?

  1. It is a temporary benchmark set by the crew
  2. It is a reference surface or frame to which positions and elevations are related Correct answer.
  3. It is the instrument calibration certificate
  4. It is the legal description of a parcel boundary

Explanation

A datum provides the reference frame, such as a horizontal or vertical datum, against which coordinates and elevations are expressed. Without a stated datum, measurements lack a common basis for comparison.

Question 8Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is asked to locate a parcel boundary for a client and discovers the client's fence encroaches on the neighbor's land. What is the surveyor's professional obligation?

  1. Move the fence to the correct line without telling either party
  2. Report the encroachment accurately on the plat and to the client Correct answer.
  3. Refuse to complete the survey
  4. Omit the encroachment to avoid conflict between neighbors

Explanation

The surveyor's duty is to depict conditions accurately and inform the client of material findings such as encroachments. The surveyor does not adjudicate the dispute or alter physical improvements without authorization.

Question 9Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A Delaware surveyor is preparing a plat and must show the basis of bearings. Why is stating the basis of bearings important?

  1. It satisfies the client's aesthetic preference
  2. It establishes the north reference so the bearings can be reproduced Correct answer.
  3. It determines the property's assessed value
  4. It replaces the need for a distance scale

Explanation

Bearings are meaningless without a stated reference direction, so the plat must identify the basis of bearings used, such as true north, magnetic north, or a record bearing. This lets others reproduce and check the orientation of the survey.

Question 10Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A field crew measures a line as 528.42 ft using a steel tape that is known to be 0.02 ft short over its full 100-ft length. What is the corrected distance?

  1. 528.53 ft Correct answer.
  2. 528.31 ft
  3. 528.42 ft
  4. 528.63 ft

Explanation

A tape that is short reads slightly less than the true distance, so the correction is added: 528.42 × (0.02/100) ≈ 0.106 ft, giving about 528.53 ft. The correction is proportional to the number of tape lengths measured.

Question 11Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

Which situation most clearly requires the professional judgment of a licensed land surveyor rather than routine computation?

  1. Reducing a set of level-loop readings
  2. Entering field notes into a database
  3. Converting state plane coordinates between zones
  4. Weighing conflicting evidence to establish a boundary location Correct answer.

Explanation

Boundary determination requires the surveyor to evaluate and weigh evidence such as monuments, deeds, and occupation, which is professional judgment reserved to licensees. The other tasks are computational or clerical and can be delegated.

Question 12Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is establishing horizontal control for a project and chooses to use the Delaware State Plane Coordinate System. What is a key reason to tie the survey to this system?

  1. It replaces the requirement for a basis of bearings
  2. It provides a common, reproducible coordinate framework across projects Correct answer.
  3. It automatically resolves boundary conflicts
  4. It eliminates the need for field measurements

Explanation

State plane coordinates give all users a shared reference frame so positions can be related and reproduced across projects and agencies. They do not substitute for measurements, resolve title issues, or remove the need to state bearings.

Question 13Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

During a boundary retracement, a surveyor finds that the deed distance between two found monuments differs from the measured distance by several feet. Which principle generally governs?

  1. The average of the deed and measured distances controls
  2. The found monuments generally control over the record distance Correct answer.
  3. The deed distance always controls over the monuments
  4. The surveyor may choose whichever produces a closed figure

Explanation

Under the hierarchy of boundary evidence, natural and artificial monuments called for in the record generally control over courses and distances. Distances are more susceptible to error in the original survey and in transcription.

Question 14Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is preparing to set monuments for a new subdivision in Delaware. Which practice best reflects professional responsibility?

  1. Set monuments after the plat is recorded without notifying anyone
  2. Set monuments in accordance with the approved plat and applicable standards, and document them Correct answer.
  3. Rely on temporary stakes as the permanent corners
  4. Set monuments only where convenient and omit the remainder

Explanation

Monuments must be set as depicted on the approved plat and in accordance with applicable standards, with their positions documented in field notes. Omissions or substitutions of temporary stakes undermine the permanence the record relies on.

Question 15Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is asked to sign a plat prepared entirely by another individual whom the surveyor has never supervised. What is the appropriate action?

  1. Sign it after a brief visual check of the drawing
  2. Sign it and note that responsibility belongs to the other individual
  3. Decline to sign unless the surveyor has actual responsible charge of the work Correct answer.
  4. Sign it because the seal only indicates the firm's identity

Explanation

A licensee may seal only work for which the licensee had responsible charge, meaning real professional direction and control. Signing work performed and controlled by someone else misrepresents responsibility and violates the licensing statute.

Question 16Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

Which of the following best describes the purpose of a field note record in a surveyor's practice?

  1. A marketing document for prospective clients
  2. A personal diary not subject to review
  3. A substitute for the recorded plat
  4. A permanent, contemporaneous record of observations that supports the survey Correct answer.

Explanation

Field notes are the contemporaneous, durable record of what was observed and measured, and they may be relied upon later in retracement or litigation. They are professional records, not marketing material or a replacement for recorded documents.

Question 17Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A client asks a surveyor to prepare a survey that shows a boundary line in a location the client prefers rather than where the evidence indicates. How should the surveyor respond?

  1. Comply but note the discrepancy in small print
  2. Withdraw from the project without explanation
  3. Decline to misrepresent the boundary and explain the evidence-based location Correct answer.
  4. Comply, since the client is paying for the survey

Explanation

Surveyors are obligated to depict boundaries as the evidence supports, not as a client wishes, because the plat may be relied upon by the public and later parties. The professional response is to refuse misrepresentation and explain the findings.

Question 18Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A survey crew observes that a section corner monument appears to have been recently disturbed and reset in a slightly different location. What is the appropriate professional approach?

  1. Immediately remove the monument and set a new one
  2. Accept the monument without question because it is a monument
  3. Document the condition, gather corroborating evidence, and evaluate its reliability Correct answer.
  4. Ignore the condition and rely solely on the deed distance

Explanation

Monuments are strong evidence only when their integrity is established, so a disturbed monument must be evaluated against other evidence such as accessories, bearing trees, and record calls. The surveyor documents the condition and reasons to a defensible conclusion.

Question 19Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

Which statement accurately reflects the relationship between a surveyor's field measurements and the legal description in a recorded deed?

  1. The deed is irrelevant once a survey is performed
  2. The surveyor interprets and applies the deed description to the ground Correct answer.
  3. The surveyor's measurements override the deed whenever they differ
  4. The surveyor's measurements create new title to land

Explanation

A surveyor locates and marks the boundaries described in the deed; the survey does not create or transfer title. Where measurement and record differ, the surveyor applies the rules of evidence and construction to interpret the deed.

Question 20Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor discovers that two adjoining deeds overlap by 12 feet along a common line. Which approach best reflects sound professional practice?

  1. Assign the overlap to the client automatically
  2. Split the overlap equally between the owners without further research
  3. Investigate the record chain, occupation, and monuments to determine the intended line Correct answer.
  4. Ignore the overlap and survey each parcel independently

Explanation

An overlap is a title and evidence question that requires research into the common grantor's chain, occupation lines, and monuments to determine intent. The surveyor does not arbitrarily assign or divide the disputed strip.

Question 21Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is evaluating whether a long-standing fence line should be treated as the boundary. Which consideration is most relevant to the analysis?

  1. The assessed value of the parcels
  2. The fence's paint color and condition
  3. Whether the occupation has been open, notorious, and continuous for the statutory period, along with the record Correct answer.
  4. The fence owner's stated intention alone

Explanation

Occupation evidence such as a long-standing fence may support doctrines like adverse possession or practical location, but only when the required elements and statutory period are met and weighed against the record. The surveyor analyzes these factors rather than relying on appearance or intent alone.

Question 22Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is asked to certify the accuracy of an ALTA/NSPS land title survey for a commercial transaction. Which statement best describes the surveyor's obligation regarding the standards?

  1. The surveyor's seal alone guarantees the title is free of defects
  2. The surveyor may omit items the client finds inconvenient without disclosure
  3. The surveyor may use any older version of the standards preferred by the lender
  4. The surveyor must follow the current ALTA/NSPS standards and the agreed table of optional items Correct answer.

Explanation

An ALTA/NSPS survey must be performed per the current published standards and the table of optional items negotiated with the client. The surveyor documents what was and was not addressed rather than silently omitting items, and the survey does not guarantee title.

Question 23Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is establishing a vertical control network and must decide between a local assumed datum and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). Which statement best captures the professional consideration?

  1. An assumed datum is always preferable because it is simpler
  2. NAVD 88 eliminates the need to document the datum used
  3. NAVD 88 provides a common reference that supports comparison with other work and flood data Correct answer.
  4. The choice has no effect on how elevations are interpreted

Explanation

Tying elevations to NAVD 88 gives a widely recognized reference that allows comparison with other surveys, mapping, and regulatory flood information. A local assumed datum is acceptable only when clearly documented and appropriate to the project's needs.

Question 24Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor reviewing a boundary retracement finds that the original surveyor's plat shows a closure error far exceeding modern standards. How should this affect the retracement?

  1. The original plat should be discarded as worthless
  2. The original survey still stands as evidence, and its monuments and calls are evaluated in context Correct answer.
  3. The surveyor should relocate all corners to a mathematically perfect closure
  4. The error proves the original surveyor was unlicensed

Explanation

Historic surveys were performed with the instruments and standards of their time, and their monuments and calls remain important evidence despite closure error. The retracing surveyor evaluates that evidence rather than discarding it or forcing a perfect mathematical solution.

Question 25Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is preparing to perform a survey on a parcel adjacent to a state highway in Delaware. Which practice best reflects coordination with the right-of-way record?

  1. Rely on the centerline of the traveled way as the boundary
  2. Assume the highway right-of-way is exactly the width shown on an old map
  3. Set the property line at the edge of pavement
  4. Research the recorded right-of-way documents and monumentation to establish the line Correct answer.

Explanation

Highway rights-of-way are established by recorded documents such as deeds, condemnation proceedings, and plans, and their limits must be located from that record and its monuments. Pavement edges and traveled-way centerlines are not reliable substitutes for the legal record.

Question 26Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

Under Delaware law, which entity is responsible for licensing land surveyors and for investigating complaints of professional misconduct?

  1. The local chapter of a national surveying society
  2. The Delaware Department of Transportation
  3. The county engineering department where the survey is performed
  4. The Delaware Board of Registration for Professional Land Surveyors Correct answer.

Explanation

Professional licensure in Delaware is administered by the Board of Registration for Professional Land Surveyors, which reviews applications, administers examinations, and adjudicates complaints. County agencies and DelDOT regulate construction and highways, not professional licensure. A voluntary professional society has no statutory disciplinary authority.

Question 27Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor signs and seals a plat. What does the seal primarily represent to the public and to reviewing agencies?

  1. That the surveyor personally performed every field measurement shown
  2. That the surveyor accepts professional responsibility for the work and its compliance with applicable standards Correct answer.
  3. That the state has verified the accuracy of every dimension on the plat
  4. That the plat is a legal transfer of title between the parties

Explanation

Sealing a document is an assertion of professional responsibility for the content and for adherence to applicable standards of practice. It does not certify that the licensee personally held every instrument or that a government agency checked each number. Conveyance of title is accomplished by deed, not by the plat seal.

Question 28Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A Delaware surveyor is asked to describe what constitutes the practice of land surveying. Which activity falls within that practice?

  1. Certifying the structural adequacy of a retaining wall
  2. Determining the location of a property boundary line and preparing a description of it Correct answer.
  3. Designing a septic system drainfield for a residence
  4. Preparing a structural steel connection design for a warehouse

Explanation

Determining and monumenting boundaries and writing boundary descriptions are core surveying functions reserved to licensed surveyors. Structural design, septic system design, and structural certification belong to engineering or other regulated disciplines. The distinction matters because offering surveying services without a license is unlawful.

Question 29Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

Which record type provides the most reliable evidence of the original position of a monument set by a prior surveyor?

  1. A real estate listing sheet showing approximate lot dimensions
  2. A recorded plat or field notes describing the monument and its ties Correct answer.
  3. A tax assessment parcel map maintained by the county
  4. A verbal recollection offered years later by a neighboring owner

Explanation

Contemporaneous written records such as recorded plats, monument descriptions, and field notes are the strongest evidence of original monument position. Tax maps are generalized and not survey-grade, and listing sheets are marketing documents. Human memory decades later is unreliable and ranks below documentary evidence.

Question 30Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is preparing a metes-and-bounds description and must express a bearing. Which convention is standard for a bearing in a deed description in Delaware?

  1. A quadrant bearing written as a direction from north or south toward east or west, with degrees, minutes, and seconds Correct answer.
  2. A slope distance expressed in meters with no angular component
  3. An azimuth measured clockwise from true north, written as a single number of degrees
  4. A grid azimuth referenced only to the state plane coordinate system

Explanation

Metes-and-bounds deeds conventionally express directions as quadrant bearings, such as N 45°30'00" E, giving the acute angle from the north or south meridian toward east or west. Azimuths and grid references may appear in control documents but are not the customary deed form. A slope distance alone conveys no direction at all.

Question 31Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

What is the primary purpose of a right-of-way plan prepared for a Delaware roadway project?

  1. To establish the assessed value of adjoining parcels for taxation
  2. To document the soil borings taken along the alignment
  3. To depict existing and proposed right-of-way limits and the parcels affected by acquisition Correct answer.
  4. To record the construction schedule for the contractor

Explanation

Right-of-way plans define the limits of existing and proposed right-of-way and identify parcels and interests to be acquired. They support appraisal and acquisition but do not set assessed values, which are the assessor's function. Construction scheduling and geotechnical logs are separate documents.

Question 32Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is asked to explain why a closure check is performed on a closed traverse before coordinates are adjusted.

  1. To eliminate the need for monument ties at the end of the survey
  2. To confirm that the angular and linear misclosure falls within acceptable tolerance before distributing error Correct answer.
  3. To guarantee that the traverse will be free of any error after adjustment
  4. To convert the traverse from grid to ground distances

Explanation

A closure check compares the computed misclosure against a stated allowable tolerance so the surveyor knows whether the observations are acceptable. Adjustment distributes a known, acceptable error but cannot make data perfect. Closure does not replace monument ties and is unrelated to grid-to-ground conversion.

Question 33Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor must maintain the integrity of field notes as a business record. Which practice best supports that goal?

  1. Rewriting the notes at the end of the week from memory
  2. Recording observations in pencil with erasures when a value is corrected
  3. Recording observations in ink with corrections shown by a single line-through, initialed and dated Correct answer.
  4. Discarding original notes once the plat is drafted

Explanation

Legible, permanent, contemporaneous notes with corrections struck through and initialed preserve the record's credibility and traceability. Erasures and later rewriting undermine authenticity, and destroying originals removes the best evidence of the fieldwork. These habits also matter if the notes are ever produced in litigation.

Question 34Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is researching a parcel and finds that the deed calls for the boundary to run to "a stone marked X" but the stone cannot be found. Which principle should guide the retracement?

  1. Establish a new corner at the nearest convenient fence post
  2. Average the deed distance with the distance to the nearest utility pole
  3. Ignore the call entirely and hold the deed distance alone
  4. Seek other evidence of the original corner, such as the calls to adjoiners, field notes, or traces of the monument Correct answer.

Explanation

When a called monument is lost, the surveyor must weigh all available evidence, including calls to adjoiners, the original surveyor's notes, and physical traces, to reestablish its original position. Simply holding the distance disregards the hierarchy of calls and the intent of the original survey. Selecting a random object as the corner has no evidentiary basis.

Question 35Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is preparing a plat for recording and must show the basis of bearings. Which statement correctly describes a common and acceptable basis?

  1. An assumed bearing with no notation on the plat
  2. The magnetic bearing observed at the moment the plat is signed
  3. The bearing of the nearest state highway centerline without further identification
  4. The record bearing between two found monuments, with the source of that bearing stated Correct answer.

Explanation

A defensible basis of bearings is one that can be traced to a stated source, such as the record bearing between two found monuments or a published control line. Stating the source lets any reader reproduce the orientation. An unlabeled assumed bearing or an unidentified highway line cannot be verified.

Question 36Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A survey crew measures a horizontal distance with a total station and obtains a slope distance of 500.00 ft with a zenith angle of 60°00'00". What is the horizontal distance, to the nearest 0.01 ft?

  1. 433.01 ft
  2. 500.00 ft
  3. 250.00 ft Correct answer.
  4. 577.35 ft

Explanation

Horizontal distance equals slope distance times the sine of the zenith angle, so 500.00 × sin 60° = 500.00 × 0.86603 = 433.01 ft. The value 250.00 ft results from using the cosine instead of the sine. The slope distance itself and the cosecant result are not horizontal distances.

Question 37Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is evaluating whether an occupation line along a parcel should be treated as the boundary. Which factor carries the most weight in a Delaware boundary analysis?

  1. The occupation line is straighter and easier to fence than the record line
  2. The occupation line has been open, notorious, and continuous for the statutory period and is consistent with the record boundary Correct answer.
  3. The occupation line matches the line shown on the county tax map
  4. The occupation line was established by an unrecorded agreement between the current owners last year

Explanation

Adverse possession and practical location depend on open, notorious, continuous possession for the statutory period, and a claim consistent with the record boundary strengthens the case. A recent unrecorded agreement, fence convenience, or a tax map depiction does not establish a legal boundary. The surveyor should weigh the duration and character of possession, not aesthetics or assessment maps.

Question 38Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor discovers a discrepancy between the distance stated in a deed and the distance measured between two accepted monuments that the deed calls for. Which principle generally governs?

  1. The monuments control because they are the best evidence of the original survey Correct answer.
  2. The discrepancy must be resolved by averaging the two distances
  3. The stated distance controls because it is written in the deed
  4. The shorter of the two distances controls by default

Explanation

A long-standing rule of boundary construction gives priority to natural and artificial monuments over courses and distances, because monuments are the physical evidence of where the original survey went. Distances are more susceptible to transcription and measurement error. Averaging or defaulting to the shorter distance has no basis in that hierarchy.

Question 39Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is asked to certify a boundary survey for a lender. Which statement about the surveyor's certification is accurate?

  1. The certification guarantees that no future encroachment will occur
  2. The certification transfers liability for the boundary to the lender
  3. The certification should identify the standards and scope of work on which the opinion is based Correct answer.
  4. The certification may be issued without field verification if a prior plat exists

Explanation

A certification is a professional opinion limited to a stated scope and standard, and it should make those limits explicit so reliance is informed. It cannot guarantee future conditions or eliminate the need for field verification. Liability for the surveyor's work remains with the surveyor and is not transferred by the certificate.

Question 40Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is establishing horizontal control and must decide whether to use a geodetic datum or an assumed local system. Which consideration is most relevant?

  1. Whether the coordinates must be consistent with other mapping and GIS data over a wide area Correct answer.
  2. Whether the project can be completed without any control points
  3. Whether the parcel is smaller than one acre
  4. Whether the surveyor prefers round coordinate values

Explanation

A geodetic datum such as the State Plane Coordinate System provides a common reference that lets the survey tie into regional mapping, GIS, and other projects. An assumed system is internally consistent but cannot be related to outside data without transformation. Coordinate aesthetics and parcel size do not determine the choice.

Question 41Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor finds an original monument that conflicts with a later-set monument of unknown origin at the same corner. How should the surveyor treat the two?

  1. Reject both and set a new monument at the computed position
  2. Accept the later monument because it is in better condition
  3. Accept whichever monument yields a boundary matching the client's expectation
  4. Accept the original monument and document the conflict and the reasoning Correct answer.

Explanation

An original monument set by the survey that created the parcel carries greater weight than a later monument of unknown provenance. The surveyor should rely on the original evidence and record the conflict and the reasoning so the decision is transparent. Setting a computed position or favoring a client's expectation ignores the hierarchy of evidence.

Question 42Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is preparing a topographic survey for site design and must decide how to represent vertical data. Which practice is most appropriate?

  1. Report elevations on a stated vertical datum and identify the datum on the drawing Correct answer.
  2. Report elevations relative to the lowest point on the site with no datum note
  3. Omit elevations and rely on the contour lines alone
  4. Report elevations in a mix of feet and meters as convenient

Explanation

Elevations are meaningful only when the vertical datum is stated, so the drawing must identify the datum used, such as NAVD 88 or an assumed datum. Unlabeled relative elevations or contour lines alone cannot support design or construction. Mixing units invites costly errors.

Question 43Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is reviewing a subdivision plat and notices that the plat shows lot lines but omits the required monumentation notes. What is the most appropriate professional response?

  1. Return the plat for correction so it complies with applicable plat requirements before sealing Correct answer.
  2. Record the plat and correct the omission on a later revision
  3. Sign the plat, since monumentation notes are optional
  4. Add a note that monuments will be set at the surveyor's discretion

Explanation

A plat that omits required monumentation information does not meet applicable requirements, and sealing it would misrepresent compliance. The surveyor should have the deficiency corrected before signing. Monumentation is not discretionary where regulations require it, and recording a noncompliant plat then fixing it later is poor practice.

Question 44Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is asked to locate a utility easement that is described only by reference to a recorded instrument. Which step is most important before staking the easement on the ground?

  1. Assume the easement follows the property line
  2. Obtain and interpret the recorded instrument to determine the easement's location, width, and terms Correct answer.
  3. Ask the utility company where it prefers the easement to run
  4. Locate the nearest visible utility and center the easement on it

Explanation

The recorded instrument defines the easement's location, width, and rights, and the surveyor must interpret it before any field staking. Assuming it follows the property line or centering on a visible facility can misplace it. A utility's preference does not override the recorded terms.

Question 45Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor must decide whether to accept a boundary line established by a prior surveyor that conflicts with the surveyor's own measurements. Which approach best reflects professional responsibility?

  1. Silently adopt the prior line to avoid conflict
  2. Refuse to perform the survey because a prior survey exists
  3. Report the discrepancy only if the client requests it
  4. Independently evaluate the evidence and document any departure from the prior line with reasons Correct answer.

Explanation

The surveyor owes independent professional judgment based on the evidence and should document the reasoning when departing from a prior survey. Silently following a prior line or withholding a known discrepancy conceals relevant information from the client. A prior survey does not relieve the surveyor of the duty to evaluate the boundary.

Question 46Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is computing the area of a parcel from adjusted coordinates using the coordinate method. Which statement about this computation is correct?

  1. The computed area is independent of the coordinate datum and origin chosen Correct answer.
  2. The computed area must be divided by two for any closed figure
  3. The coordinate method cannot be used for parcels with more than four sides
  4. The computed area changes whenever the coordinate origin is shifted

Explanation

The coordinate (shoelace) method yields an area that is invariant under translation of the coordinate origin, because only coordinate differences enter the computation. Shifting the origin therefore does not change the result. The method applies to any closed polygon, and the factor of one-half is already built into the formula.

Question 47Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is preparing a report for a boundary dispute and must present an opinion about a disputed line. Which practice best supports the credibility of that opinion?

  1. Describe the evidence, the hierarchy of calls applied, and the reasoning that leads to the conclusion Correct answer.
  2. State the conclusion without describing the evidence considered
  3. Rely solely on the surveyor's many years of experience
  4. Adopt the conclusion most favorable to the paying client

Explanation

A credible professional opinion shows the evidence relied on, how the rules of boundary construction were applied, and how the conclusion follows. An unsupported conclusion or an appeal to experience alone cannot be tested. Advocacy for the paying client compromises the surveyor's role as an independent expert.

Question 48Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor discovers that a deed description closes with a large error and that the calls to adjoiners are inconsistent with the distances. Which approach best reflects sound boundary analysis?

  1. Hold the distances strictly because they are numerical
  2. Declare the deed void and refuse to survey the parcel
  3. Weigh the calls to adjoiners and other evidence of intent, since they often control over inconsistent distances Correct answer.
  4. Set the corners at the centroid of the described figure

Explanation

Calls to adjoiners describe the intent of the grantor and generally rank above courses and distances when the two conflict. Blindly holding distances or declaring the deed void ignores the interpretive rules courts apply. A centroid has no relationship to the original survey and would fabricate a boundary.

Question 49Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is evaluating the reliability of a set of field observations before adjustment. Which indicator most directly signals a systematic error rather than random error?

  1. A consistent bias in residuals that varies with distance or instrument setup Correct answer.
  2. Differences that disappear when the observations are averaged
  3. Small, randomly distributed residuals around the mean
  4. A single large outlier among otherwise tight observations

Explanation

Systematic error produces a consistent bias, such as a scale error that grows with distance or a misleveled instrument, so residuals trend rather than scatter. Random error produces small residuals distributed around the mean. A single outlier suggests a blunder, and averaging reduces random effects rather than revealing a systematic bias.

Question 50Land Surveying Practice and Professional Competency

A surveyor is asked to sign a plat that was prepared under the responsible charge of another licensee who has since become unavailable. Which action is consistent with professional ethics and Delaware practice?

  1. Decline to sign unless the surveyor can exercise responsible charge and verify the work Correct answer.
  2. Sign the plat but add a note disclaiming all responsibility
  3. Sign the plat as if the work were the surveyor's own
  4. Sign the plat because the original licensee's seal is already on it

Explanation

A licensee may seal only work performed under their responsible charge, so signing another licensee's plat requires the ability to review and take responsibility for it. Signing as one's own or with a blanket disclaimer misrepresents responsibility. The presence of another seal does not authorize a second signature without review.