S+SNZ Geodetic Survey study guide
S+SNZ Geodetic Survey · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Survey and Spatial New Zealand (S+SNZ) is a professional association representing members in the survey and spatial sector in New Zealand, and it describes itself as "Measuring success together". Its membership spans people working in land development and urban design, resource management, civil engineering surveying, positioning and measurement, cadastral surveying, hydrographic surveying and the spatial/GIS sector, and it organises those interests into six professional streams. The S+SNZ Geodetic Survey study guide has 6 sections and about 1,726 words.
01Cadastral surveying
Cadastral surveying in the S+SNZ Geodetic Survey exam tests how New Zealand boundaries are defined, reinstated, recorded and checked. The surveyor's job is not to invent coordinates but to locate and document the legally defined boundary within the cadastral survey dataset (CSD), using Landonline and the Cadastral Survey Act 2002 framework.
311 words, about 2 min02Positioning and measurement
This domain tests whether you can obtain, reduce and report positions in New Zealand's geodetic framework. Expect NZGD2000, NZVD2016, NZTM2000, PositioNZ/continuous GNSS, static and RTK GNSS, traverses, levels, least-squares adjustment, and the difference between precision and accuracy.
279 words, about 1 min03Hydrographic surveying
This domain tests hydrographic survey planning, positioning, sounding, tide reduction and data delivery under the IHO S-44 framework and New Zealand hydrographic practice. The aim is a safe, traceable depiction of the seafloor, not merely a dense point cloud.
288 words, about 1 min04Civil engineering surveying
This domain tests survey control, setting out, as-built measurement and earthwork verification for civil works. The surveyor must translate design geometry into physical points, then prove that constructed work matches the design within contractual tolerances.
282 words, about 1 min05Land development and urban design
This domain tests the surveyor's role in subdivision and urban development: interpreting planning rules, preparing survey plans, coordinating infrastructure and showing that lots can be used as intended. It links cadastral surveying with the Resource Management Act 1991, district plans, consent conditions and engineering design.
297 words, about 1 min06Spatial/GIS
This domain tests the management and analysis of spatial data in support of surveying and land information. It covers coordinate reference systems, vector and raster models, metadata, topology, overlay analysis and data governance.
269 words, about 1 min