IFMP Authorized Surveying Officers Certification study guide
IFMP Authorized Surveying Officers Certification · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The IFMP Authorized Surveying Officers Certification is a professional credential for surveyors who plan, execute, and report hydrographic and boundary-related survey work under a maritime framework. It is aimed at field surveyors, party chiefs, data processors, and technical staff who need to demonstrate competence across the full survey workflow, from positioning and geodesy through data acquisition, quality control, and final deliverables. The IFMP Authorized Surveying Officers Certification study guide has 9 sections and about 2,773 words.
01Survey Fundamentals and Terminology
A candidate must command the vocabulary that underpins every hydrographic and maritime survey: datum (a reference surface, such as a geodetic datum or a tidal datum), benchmark (a fixed physical mark of known elevation), sounding (a measured depth), reduction of soundings (correcting depths to a common reference), position fixing (determining a vessel or feature location), tide and tidal stream , chart datum (typically Lowest Astronomical Tide, LAT), ellipsoid , geoid , and vertical datum . Understand the difference between depth (instantaneous water depth) and reduced depth (depth relative to chart datum).
344 words, about 2 min02Maritime Boundaries and Delimitation Principles
This domain covers the legal and technical principles for delimiting maritime zones under international law, primarily the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) . Candidates must understand: territorial sea (up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline), contiguous zone (up to 24 nm), exclusive economic zone (EEZ) (up to 200 nm), and the continental shelf (up to 200 nm, extendable to 350 nm under certain conditions).
368 words, about 2 min03Survey Planning, Positioning, and Geodesy
Survey planning requires defining survey objectives , area , scale , resolution , and accuracy requirements . Candidates must know how to design a survey grid (parallel lines, zig-zag, or custom) with appropriate line spacing based on the required least depth and feature detection capability.
335 words, about 2 min04Hydrographic and Bathymetric Data Acquisition
This domain focuses on the methods and technologies for acquiring depth and feature data. Candidates must understand single-beam and multibeam echosounders (MBES), side-scan sonar , sub-bottom profilers , LiDAR (topo-bathy), and satellite-derived bathymetry .
315 words, about 2 min05Survey Equipment Operation and Calibration
Candidates must know how to operate and calibrate key survey equipment: echosounders (single and multibeam), GNSS receivers , motion sensors (IMU, MRU), gyrocompasses , sound velocity sensors , tide gauges , and side-scan sonar . Understand calibration procedures : patch test for MBES (roll, pitch, heading, timing), bar check for single-beam echosounders, GNSS antenna offset measurements, and sound velocity calibration .
284 words, about 1 min06Data Processing, Quality Control, and Validation
The data processing workflow includes data cleaning , filtering , sound velocity correction , tide reduction , positioning adjustment , and gridding . Candidates must understand QC procedures: statistical analysis (mean, standard deviation), visual inspection (swath editor, 3D views), cross-line comparison , overlap analysis , and uncertainty estimation .
289 words, about 1 min07Charting, Reporting, and Deliverables
This domain covers the production of nautical charts , survey reports , and digital deliverables . Candidates must understand chart datum , chart projections , symbols and abbreviations (INT1), and chart compilation from survey data.
297 words, about 1 min08Safety, Environmental, and Operational Procedures
Candidates must understand safety management systems (SMS), risk assessments , job safety analyses (JSA), and emergency procedures . Know personal protective equipment (PPE), man overboard (MOB) procedures, fire safety , and survival at sea .
258 words, about 1 min09Regulatory, Legal, and Ethical Responsibilities
This domain covers the legal framework and ethical standards for surveying. Candidates must understand international conventions (UNCLOS, SOLAS, MARPOL), national laws (e.g., hydrographic survey regulations, maritime zones), and IHO standards (S-44, S-57, S-100).
283 words, about 1 min