I85PREP
⌘ K
SURCON Professional study materials
SURCON Professional study resources

SURCON Professional practice questions

One question at a time. Build your SURCON Professional understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Under the Land Use Act 1978, all land within a state is vested in the:

  1. Governor of the state Correct answer.
  2. local government council
  3. Federal Surveyor-General
  4. traditional council

Explanation

Section 1 of the Land Use Act vests all land in each state in the Governor, who holds it in trust for the people. The Act replaced absolute private ownership with rights of occupancy granted by the state. The Governor is therefore the authority that grants statutory rights of occupancy.

Question 2Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

In a Torrens title system, the register is intended to be:

  1. a list of adjoining owners
  2. a record of unregistered deeds
  3. conclusive evidence of title Correct answer.
  4. an index of land taxes

Explanation

The Torrens system makes the register the authoritative statement of title, so a person registered as proprietor holds title according to the register. Registration confers and evidences title rather than merely recording a private instrument. Unregistered deeds do not have the same conclusive effect.

Question 3Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

The primary purpose of a cadastral map is to:

  1. map parcels and identifiers Correct answer.
  2. show vegetation and climate
  3. display topographic contours
  4. record population density

Explanation

A cadastral map portrays land parcels, their boundaries and unique parcel identifiers for land administration. It is not a general topographic or thematic map, although it may be overlaid on such data. Its core function is to link spatial parcels to registry records.

Question 4Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

A survey beacon in cadastral work is placed to:

  1. measure slope angle
  2. indicate a road reserve
  3. mark a parcel corner Correct answer.
  4. locate groundwater

Explanation

Beacons are durable marks set at parcel corners so that boundaries can be identified and re-established. They provide physical evidence of the surveyed boundary. Other instruments are used for angular and groundwater measurements.

Question 5Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

In Nigeria, a Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the:

  1. Governor Correct answer.
  2. Surveyor-General
  3. High Court
  4. Local Government

Explanation

The Governor grants statutory rights of occupancy and issues a Certificate of Occupancy as formal evidence of that grant. The certificate is a land administration instrument, not a judicial order. Survey and local government offices may support the process but do not issue the certificate.

Question 6Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Cadastral surveying is chiefly concerned with:

  1. predicting tidal changes
  2. mapping mineral deposits
  3. designing highway pavements
  4. defining and measuring land parcels Correct answer.

Explanation

Cadastral surveying establishes the location, size and boundaries of land parcels for registration and land administration. It provides the spatial framework for rights and interests in land. Mineral mapping, tides and pavement design belong to other specialisms.

Question 7Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

A system in which boundaries are defined by surveyed coordinates and marked on the ground is called a:

  1. general boundary system
  2. fiscal cadastre
  3. deeds registration system
  4. fixed boundary system Correct answer.

Explanation

In a fixed boundary system the boundary position is determined by survey measurements and monumentation, so it can be re-established precisely. The coordinates and marks together define the legal boundary. A general boundary system, by contrast, does not fix the line precisely.

Question 8Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

The main function of a land registry is to:

  1. settle criminal disputes
  2. maintain public records of land rights Correct answer.
  3. collect crop taxes
  4. construct access roads

Explanation

A land registry maintains the public record of ownership and interests in land so that dealings can be registered and searched. It supports certainty of title and priority among competing interests. Tax collection, road construction and criminal adjudication are functions of other agencies.

Question 9Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

The mirror principle of title registration means that the register should:

  1. hide minor interests from buyers
  2. reflect all interests affecting the land Correct answer.
  3. replace the need for surveys
  4. list only the first owner

Explanation

The mirror principle states that the register should accurately mirror the totality of rights and interests affecting a parcel. A purchaser can therefore rely on the register as the complete picture, subject to recognised exceptions. It does not remove the need for a spatial survey.

Question 10Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Indefeasibility of title means that a registered proprietor's title:

  1. expires after ten years
  2. cannot be set aside except on limited grounds Correct answer.
  3. can be challenged by any neighbour
  4. applies only to Crown land

Explanation

Indefeasibility protects a registered title against most prior unregistered claims once registration has occurred. It is not absolute, because fraud and statutory exceptions can defeat it. This protection is central to the security offered by Torrens registration.

Question 11Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Where two registrable dealings affect the same land, priority is generally determined by:

  1. the age of the parties
  2. the value of each dealing
  3. the date of registration Correct answer.
  4. the date of the survey

Explanation

Registration systems give priority according to the order in which dealings are entered in the register. The first interest to be registered generally prevails over later registered interests. Survey dates and personal factors do not determine priority in a title register.

Question 12Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

An overriding interest is one that:

  1. appears only on the cadastral map
  2. binds the land even if unregistered Correct answer.
  3. must be registered to exist
  4. is held by the surveyor

Explanation

Overriding interests bind a purchaser or new proprietor even though they do not appear on the register. They are recognised exceptions to the mirror principle and typically include certain statutory or customary rights. Registration is not required for them to have effect.

Question 13Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

A cadastral parcel identifier should be:

  1. unique within the jurisdiction Correct answer.
  2. identical to the postal address
  3. changed at every transfer
  4. based on the owner's name

Explanation

A parcel identifier must uniquely distinguish each parcel so that spatial and textual records can be linked reliably. It should remain stable when ownership changes. Identifiers based on owners or addresses create confusion when those details change.

Question 14Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

In a general boundaries system, the exact boundary line is:

  1. left uncertain and shown by features Correct answer.
  2. fixed by coordinate values
  3. stated in the title deed
  4. marked only by survey beacons

Explanation

A general boundaries system does not fix the precise mathematical line; the boundary is indicated by physical features such as hedges, walls or ditches. The exact position may require later determination if disputed. This contrasts with a fixed boundary system.

Question 15Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Under a Torrens title system, a claim based on long adverse possession is generally:

  1. automatically successful
  2. recorded on the cadastral map
  3. decided by the surveyor
  4. restricted or abolished by statute Correct answer.

Explanation

Torrens registration protects the registered proprietor, so most statutes restrict or abolish title by long possession against registered land. Any surviving claim depends on specific statutory conditions and procedures. A surveyor cannot create or extinguish title by mapping possession.

Question 16Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

A sectional or strata title typically gives an owner:

  1. exclusive rights to the entire building
  2. ownership of the land only
  3. a unit plus a share of common property Correct answer.
  4. a lease for one year

Explanation

Strata or sectional title divides a building into individual units while treating common areas as shared property. The owner holds the unit and an undivided share in the common elements. This allows separate dealing with units in a multi-occupancy development.

Question 17Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

A typical scale for a detailed urban cadastral survey plan is:

  1. 1:1 000 000
  2. 1:250 000
  3. 1:1 000 Correct answer.
  4. 1:50 000

Explanation

Urban cadastral plans require large scales, commonly around 1:500 to 1:2 000, so that parcel boundaries and beacons can be shown clearly. Small scales such as 1:50 000 are used for topographic or regional mapping. The choice of scale reflects the level of detail needed.

Question 18Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

The classical geodetic datum used for Nigerian survey coordinates is known as the:

  1. Airy datum
  2. Everest datum
  3. Clarke datum
  4. Minna datum Correct answer.

Explanation

The Nigerian geodetic framework has historically been referenced to the Minna datum, with its origin at Minna. The Clarke 1880 ellipsoid is associated with that datum. Other datums named in the options belong to different countries or systems.

Question 19Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

GNSS RTK observations are normally referenced to a global frame, so cadastral coordinates derived from them must be:

  1. transformed to the local datum Correct answer.
  2. plotted without projection
  3. rounded to the nearest metre
  4. left in latitude and longitude

Explanation

GNSS positions are obtained in a global geocentric reference frame, whereas cadastral records usually use a local datum and map projection. A datum transformation and projection step is therefore needed. Leaving coordinates in global latitude and longitude would not match the local registry framework.

Question 20Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

An easement over registered land is best protected against later purchasers by:

  1. registering the easement Correct answer.
  2. informing the neighbour
  3. placing a sign on site
  4. verbal agreement

Explanation

An easement is an interest in land and should be entered in the register so that it binds subsequent purchasers. Registration gives public notice and supports priority. Informal notice such as words or signs is unreliable against a later registered dealing.

Question 21Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

The curtain principle in title registration means that a purchaser:

  1. cannot rely on the register
  2. must obtain neighbours' consent
  3. must inspect all previous deeds
  4. need not investigate title beyond the register Correct answer.

Explanation

The curtain principle allows a purchaser to rely on the current register without investigating the history of previous dealings. The register is treated as drawing a curtain over past transactions. This reduces the cost and uncertainty of conveyancing.

Question 22Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

The international standard that provides a model for land administration is:

  1. ISO 14001
  2. ISO 45001
  3. ISO 9001
  4. ISO 19152 Correct answer.

Explanation

ISO 19152 defines the Land Administration Domain Model, which provides a conceptual schema for land administration data. It supports the organisation of rights, responsibilities, restrictions and spatial units. The other standards address quality management, environmental management and occupational health and safety.

Question 23Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

When original beacons are missing in a cadastral resurvey, the surveyor should first:

  1. search for and assess original evidence Correct answer.
  2. ask the adjoining owner to decide
  3. adopt the nearest road centreline
  4. set new beacons from computed coordinates

Explanation

Boundary reinstatement requires the surveyor to gather the best available evidence of the original boundary before placing new marks. Original plans, field notes, adjacent marks and physical traces should be evaluated. Simply resetting coordinates or accepting an owner's preference may perpetuate error.

Question 24Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Under Torrens registration, the indefeasibility of a registered title is most commonly defeated by:

  1. payment of land tax
  2. preparation of a new plan
  3. fraud by the registered proprietor Correct answer.
  4. a change of owner's address

Explanation

Fraud is a recognised exception to indefeasibility, so a title obtained by fraud may be set aside in favour of the defrauded party. The exception is interpreted strictly and requires actual dishonesty. Administrative changes and tax payments do not affect the validity of title.

Question 25Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

The insurance principle in Torrens registration means that:

  1. owners must buy private insurance
  2. surveyors insure their equipment
  3. the state guarantees title against loss Correct answer.
  4. the registrar insures all buildings

Explanation

The insurance principle means that the state backs the register and provides compensation for persons who suffer loss through reliance on it. It reinforces confidence in registered title. It does not require landowners to purchase private title insurance.

Question 26Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

A cadastre differs from a land registry mainly in that a cadastre:

  1. guarantees the title of every registered proprietor
  2. collects land taxes on behalf of the central government
  3. records the location and extent of parcels on maps Correct answer.
  4. records ownership, charges and other interests in text form

Explanation

A cadastre is a systematically arranged inventory of land parcels showing their location, extent and often their value, usually in map form. The registry is the legal record of who holds which rights and encumbrances. The two are complementary but serve different purposes.

Question 27Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

In cadastral surveying, a beacon is best described as:

  1. an instrument used for measuring horizontal angles in the field
  2. a permanent mark fixing a parcel corner on the ground Correct answer.
  3. a temporary peg removed once the survey has been completed
  4. a written description of a boundary recorded in the survey plan

Explanation

A beacon is a durable monument placed at a parcel corner so that the boundary can be relocated long after the survey. Its permanence and its physical relation to the corner are what give it evidential value in boundary disputes.

Question 28Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

A cadastral parcel is:

  1. any plot of land on which a permanent building has been erected
  2. a uniquely identified area of land under one tenure Correct answer.
  3. a group of adjoining plots held under a family arrangement
  4. the whole of the land described in a single deed of transfer

Explanation

A parcel is the basic unit of the cadastre: a contiguous area held under a single tenure and carrying its own unique identifier. Buildings and deeds do not define it, since a parcel may be vacant and may pass under many deeds over time.

Question 29Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

The Torrens system of title registration was first introduced in:

  1. Nigeria, under the Land Registration Act 1962
  2. the United States, under the Homestead Acts
  3. England and Wales, under the Land Registration Act 1925
  4. South Australia, under the Real Property Act 1858 Correct answer.

Explanation

The Torrens system takes its name from Robert Torrens and was enacted in South Australia in 1858. Its central device is that title is conferred by registration itself rather than by the deed. Other jurisdictions later adopted versions of the model.

Question 30Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Under a deeds registration system, the register primarily records:

  1. the state's guarantee that all encumbrances are cleared
  2. the surveyed coordinates of every parcel corner
  3. the title of the registered proprietor against all claims
  4. instruments affecting land, without guaranteeing title Correct answer.

Explanation

A deeds registry is essentially a public archive of documents, indexed so that later parties can trace the chain of dealings. It preserves the instrument but does not investigate or warrant the validity of the title it evidences. Security depends on the purchaser's own investigation of the chain.

Question 31Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

A caveat lodged against a registered title has the effect of:

  1. extinguishing every registered interest that ranks after the caveat
  2. blocking registration of dealings without notice to the caveator Correct answer.
  3. transferring the legal estate from the proprietor to the caveator
  4. converting a qualified or possessory title into an absolute title

Explanation

A caveat is a protective entry: it stops the registrar from registering a subsequent dealing until the caveator has been given notice and an opportunity to justify the claimed interest. It preserves the status quo; it does not create or enlarge any estate.

Question 32Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Where a river forming a parcel boundary shifts gradually and imperceptibly by natural accretion, the legal boundary generally:

  1. moves with the gradual shift of the water's edge Correct answer.
  2. stays fixed at the coordinates shown on the original survey plan
  3. becomes an overriding interest held by the state
  4. moves only after a resurvey and re-registration of the parcel

Explanation

Gradual and imperceptible accretion operates by law, so the riparian boundary follows the new position of the water's edge without any fresh survey or registration. A sudden change, such as avulsion during a flood, leaves the old boundary unchanged.

Question 33Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Before observing parcel boundaries over a large area, a cadastral surveyor should first:

  1. place beacons at all parcel corners and compute the areas
  2. tie control points to the national geodetic network Correct answer.
  3. obtain copies of all existing deed plans for the area
  4. measure every parcel boundary by RTK and average the results

Explanation

Cadastral observations must hang on a framework of control that is connected to the national geodetic network so that every parcel is expressed in one consistent coordinate system. Detailing and area computation follow only after that framework exists.

Question 34Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Before new parcels created by subdivision of registered land can themselves be registered, the survey plan must:

  1. be signed by every adjoining landowner
  2. be registered as a deed of assignment
  3. be approved by the survey authority and lodged with the registry Correct answer.
  4. be published in the national gazette for three consecutive months

Explanation

Subdivision creates new legal parcels, so the plan defining them must be approved by the statutory surveying authority and then lodged with the land registry to support registration of the new titles. The registry cannot open new folios for parcels it cannot see on an approved plan.

Question 35Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

A cadastral index map is primarily used to:

  1. record the history of every transfer affecting a parcel
  2. compute the property tax payable on each parcel
  3. show parcel arrangement and their unique identifiers Correct answer.
  4. certify the ownership of each parcel shown on it

Explanation

An index map displays the parcel fabric and the identifiers that link each parcel to its record in the registry. It is a spatial finding aid, not a source of title or of valuation.

Question 36Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Coordinates computed on a local survey grid can be converted to the national grid only when the:

  1. scale factor of the survey is exactly unity
  2. parcel areas have already been computed
  3. beacons have been replaced by permanent monuments
  4. parameters linking the two systems are known Correct answer.

Explanation

Transforming coordinates from one grid to another requires a defined mathematical relationship, such as translation, rotation and scale parameters between the two systems. Without those parameters the two coordinate sets cannot be tied together.

Question 37Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Under a registration-of-title system, the transferee acquires the legal title only when the transfer is:

  1. signed and delivered by the transferor
  2. entered on the register Correct answer.
  3. stamped and assessed for duty
  4. witnessed by two independent persons

Explanation

In a Torrens-style system the act of registration itself confers the legal estate, so execution alone passes no more than an equitable interest. This is the practical expression of the principle that the register is the source of title.

Question 38Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

During the interval between execution of a transfer and its registration, the transferee's interest is best described as:

  1. an overriding interest binding every later purchaser of the land
  2. void until the transfer instrument has been stamped
  3. equitable, and vulnerable to a later registered dealing Correct answer.
  4. legal and indefeasible from the moment of execution

Explanation

Until the transfer is entered on the register the transferee holds an equitable interest only, which can be defeated by a subsequent dealing that is registered first. This interval is commonly called the registration gap and is why prompt lodgement matters.

Question 39Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

Grid convergence must be applied when:

  1. reducing slope distances to the horizontal
  2. converting a grid bearing to a true bearing Correct answer.
  3. computing the area of a parcel from plane coordinates
  4. adjusting a closed traverse for misclosure

Explanation

Grid convergence is the angle between grid north and true north at a point, and it grows with distance from the central meridian. It is therefore applied when relating a bearing taken on the projection to a true or astronomic bearing, and vice versa.

Question 40Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration

In a jurisdiction that permits subdivision of airspace, a cadastral parcel is defined by:

  1. the centre line of the walls of the building
  2. the volume of the building shown on architectural drawings
  3. three-dimensional limits referenced to a height datum Correct answer.
  4. the footprint of the building at ground level only

Explanation

A three-dimensional parcel requires its upper and lower limits to be fixed relative to a stated height datum so that separate volumes can be held and registered independently. Ground footprints and drawing volumes cannot express those legal limits.

Question 41Geodesy and Geodetic Positioning

Geodesy is principally concerned with which of the following?

  1. Compiling cadastral records for land title registration purposes
  2. Designing highway vertical curves and estimating earthworks
  3. Assessing the market value of landed property for taxation
  4. Measuring and mapping the Earth's size, shape and gravity field Correct answer.

Explanation

Geodesy determines the figure of the Earth, its gravity field and the reference frames on which all surveying and mapping rests. Cadastral, engineering and valuation tasks are professional applications that consume geodetic control rather than define it.

Question 42Geodesy and Geodetic Positioning

The geoid is best described as:

  1. The equipotential surface of gravity that coincides with mean sea level Correct answer.
  2. The physical topographic surface of the terrain in continental land areas
  3. The mathematical surface of a reference ellipsoid of revolution used for computation
  4. The plane of the celestial horizon through a chosen observing station

Explanation

The geoid is the particular equipotential surface of the Earth's gravity field that best fits mean sea level and is extended mathematically beneath the continents. Ellipsoids are approximations to the geoid, and terrain and horizon planes are unrelated surfaces.

Question 43Geodesy and Geodetic Positioning

A station has an ellipsoidal height of 250.000 m and a geoid undulation of −32.000 m at its location. Its orthometric height is:

  1. 250.000 m
  2. 32.000 m
  3. 218.000 m
  4. 282.000 m Correct answer.

Explanation

The relation between the three heights is H = h − N, so the orthometric height equals 250.000 − (−32.000) = 282.000 m. A negative undulation means the geoid lies below the ellipsoid there, so the orthometric height exceeds the ellipsoidal height.

Question 44Geodesy and Geodetic Positioning

A geodetic datum is defined by:

  1. The ellipsoid together with its position and orientation relative to the Earth Correct answer.
  2. The instrument calibration constants maintained by a national survey organisation
  3. The set of projection parameters used to flatten the ellipsoid onto a chart
  4. The gravity observations reduced to mean sea level across a whole network

Explanation

A datum fixes the reference ellipsoid and its placement, that is its origin and orientation, with respect to the Earth so that coordinates have a unique meaning. Projection parameters, instrument constants and gravity reductions are separate auxiliary matters.

Question 45Geodesy and Geodetic Positioning

The flattening f of an ellipsoid of revolution with semi-major axis a and semi-minor axis b is given by:

  1. (a − b)/a Correct answer.
  2. (a + b)/a
  3. (b − a)/b
  4. b/a

Explanation

Flattening expresses the polar compression as f = (a − b)/a, which for the WGS 84 ellipsoid is about 1/298.257223563. The ratio b/a equals 1 − f and is sometimes called the axis ratio.

Question 46Geodesy and Geodetic Positioning

The scale factor applied on the central meridian of a Universal Transverse Mercator zone is:

  1. 1.0004
  2. 0.9990
  3. 1.0000
  4. 0.9996 Correct answer.

Explanation

A central-meridian scale factor of 0.9996 is imposed so that scale equals unity on two secant lines within the zone. This keeps the maximum scale error within about one part in a thousand across the zone.

Question 47Geodesy and Geodetic Positioning

A station lies at longitude 7°30′E. In which UTM zone does it fall?

  1. Zone 31
  2. Zone 30
  3. Zone 33 Correct answer.
  4. Zone 32

Explanation

UTM zones are 6° wide and numbered from the 180° meridian, giving zone number = floor((λ + 180)/6) + 1 for east longitude. For 7.5°E this is floor(187.5/6) + 1 = 31 + 1 = 32, whose central meridian is 9°E.

Question 48Geodesy and Geodetic Positioning

A seven-parameter (Helmert) transformation between two geocentric datums uses:

  1. Three ellipsoidal parameters and four projection terms
  2. Two translations, two rotations and three scale factors
  3. Three translations, three rotations and one scale factor Correct answer.
  4. Three scale factors and four rotation angles

Explanation

The Helmert transformation consists of three translations of the origin, three small rotations about the axes and a single scale difference. This is why it is often called the Bursa-Wolf seven-parameter model.

Question 49Geodesy and Geodetic Positioning

A single GNSS receiver computing its position from broadcast ephemerides alone is carrying out:

  1. Static baseline vector processing
  2. Absolute, or single-point, positioning Correct answer.
  3. Network real-time kinematic positioning
  4. Relative, or differential, positioning

Explanation

Absolute positioning determines the antenna coordinates directly in the satellite reference frame from code or phase observations to the satellites. Differential, baseline and network techniques all require one or more reference receivers at known points.

Question 50Geodesy and Geodetic Positioning

In real-time kinematic GNSS surveying, the base station serves to:

  1. Increase the satellite signal strength reaching the rover
  2. Provide carrier-phase corrections referenced to a known point Correct answer.
  3. Compute the final coordinates and store the survey database
  4. Broadcast almanac data to the rover for satellite acquisition

Explanation

The base occupies a point whose coordinates are already known and streams observations or corrections so that the rover can resolve ambiguities relative to it. The rover, not the base, computes and stores the final coordinates.