ILLINOIS NCEES LAND SURVEYOR EXAM | QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS | VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS | EXAM
ALREADY GRADED A+ | LATEST EXAM
1. The purpose of a boundary survey is to:
A) Determine property ownership
B) Create a topographic map
C) Locate underground utilities
D) Establish flood zones
Answer: A) Determine property ownership
Rationale: Boundary surveys are performed primarily to establish the legal
limits of a property.
2. When using a total station, the term “EDM” stands for:
A) Electronic Distance Measurement
B) Earth Distance Metric
C) Elevated Datum Marker
D) Exact Direction Measurement
Answer: A) Electronic Distance Measurement
Rationale: EDM is the technology total stations use to measure distances
electronically.
3. A metes and bounds description begins at:
A) The nearest road
B) A designated point of beginning (POB)
C) The center of the property
D) Any corner of the parcel
,Answer: B) A designated point of beginning (POB)
Rationale: All metes and bounds descriptions start at a POB, which must be
clearly defined.
4. The Illinois Coordinate System is based on which type of projection?
A) Mercator
B) Transverse Mercator
C) Lambert Conformal Conic
D) Polar Stereographic
Answer: C) Lambert Conformal Conic
Rationale: Illinois uses a state plane coordinate system based on the Lambert
Conformal Conic projection.
5. A surveyor notes that a line’s bearing is N45°E. What is the azimuth?
A) 45°
B) 135°
C) 225°
D) 315°
Answer: A) 45°
Rationale: Bearings are converted to azimuths; N45°E corresponds to an
azimuth of 45°.
6. The difference between geoid and ellipsoid is:
A) Geoid is smooth; ellipsoid reflects the earth’s gravity
B) Ellipsoid is a mathematical surface; geoid represents mean sea level
C) Geoid is used in GPS; ellipsoid is not
D) Ellipsoid and geoid are the same
Answer: B) Ellipsoid is a mathematical surface; geoid represents mean sea
level
Rationale: Surveyors use the ellipsoid for calculations and the geoid as a
reference for elevations.
7. A traverse is closed when:
,A) It returns to its starting point
B) All angles are measured correctly
C) All distances are equal
D) Bearings are all north-south
Answer: A) It returns to its starting point
Rationale: A closed traverse must start and end at the same point, either
physically or by coordinates.
8. What is the primary advantage of using GPS in surveying?
A) Does not require calibration
B) Provides precise coordinates anywhere on earth
C) Eliminates the need for boundary research
D) Requires no surveyor knowledge
Answer: B) Provides precise coordinates anywhere on earth
Rationale: GPS allows surveyors to determine accurate positions globally.
9. The Illinois Minimum Standards for Land Surveying require
monuments to be set at:
A) Every 100 feet
B) Property corners
C) Midpoints of lines
D) Road intersections
Answer: B) Property corners
Rationale: Monuments mark the official boundaries as required by Illinois
law.
10. Which instrument is used to measure horizontal and vertical angles
simultaneously?
A) Theodolite
B) Total station
C) Level
D) GPS receiver
, Answer: B) Total station
Rationale: A total station measures both horizontal and vertical angles and
distances electronically.
11. What is a “recorded plat”?
A) A map drawn for presentation only
B) A plat filed with the county recorder
C) A survey completed for a client
D) A topographic survey
Answer: B) A plat filed with the county recorder
Rationale: Recorded plats are legally recognized and show property
subdivisions.
12. In Illinois, surveys must comply with:
A) Illinois Surveying Act
B) Illinois Minimum Standards for Land Surveying
C) NCEES rules only
D) Federal land policies exclusively
Answer: B) Illinois Minimum Standards for Land Surveying
Rationale: Surveys must meet the state-mandated minimum standards for
accuracy and procedures.
13. If a traverse has an error of closure, the surveyor should:
A) Ignore it
B) Adjust it proportionally
C) Re-survey the property
D) Notify the client only
Answer: B) Adjust it proportionally
Rationale: Small errors are corrected using a method like Bowditch
adjustment to maintain accuracy.
14. The primary purpose of a benchmark is to:
ANSWERS | VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS | EXAM
ALREADY GRADED A+ | LATEST EXAM
1. The purpose of a boundary survey is to:
A) Determine property ownership
B) Create a topographic map
C) Locate underground utilities
D) Establish flood zones
Answer: A) Determine property ownership
Rationale: Boundary surveys are performed primarily to establish the legal
limits of a property.
2. When using a total station, the term “EDM” stands for:
A) Electronic Distance Measurement
B) Earth Distance Metric
C) Elevated Datum Marker
D) Exact Direction Measurement
Answer: A) Electronic Distance Measurement
Rationale: EDM is the technology total stations use to measure distances
electronically.
3. A metes and bounds description begins at:
A) The nearest road
B) A designated point of beginning (POB)
C) The center of the property
D) Any corner of the parcel
,Answer: B) A designated point of beginning (POB)
Rationale: All metes and bounds descriptions start at a POB, which must be
clearly defined.
4. The Illinois Coordinate System is based on which type of projection?
A) Mercator
B) Transverse Mercator
C) Lambert Conformal Conic
D) Polar Stereographic
Answer: C) Lambert Conformal Conic
Rationale: Illinois uses a state plane coordinate system based on the Lambert
Conformal Conic projection.
5. A surveyor notes that a line’s bearing is N45°E. What is the azimuth?
A) 45°
B) 135°
C) 225°
D) 315°
Answer: A) 45°
Rationale: Bearings are converted to azimuths; N45°E corresponds to an
azimuth of 45°.
6. The difference between geoid and ellipsoid is:
A) Geoid is smooth; ellipsoid reflects the earth’s gravity
B) Ellipsoid is a mathematical surface; geoid represents mean sea level
C) Geoid is used in GPS; ellipsoid is not
D) Ellipsoid and geoid are the same
Answer: B) Ellipsoid is a mathematical surface; geoid represents mean sea
level
Rationale: Surveyors use the ellipsoid for calculations and the geoid as a
reference for elevations.
7. A traverse is closed when:
,A) It returns to its starting point
B) All angles are measured correctly
C) All distances are equal
D) Bearings are all north-south
Answer: A) It returns to its starting point
Rationale: A closed traverse must start and end at the same point, either
physically or by coordinates.
8. What is the primary advantage of using GPS in surveying?
A) Does not require calibration
B) Provides precise coordinates anywhere on earth
C) Eliminates the need for boundary research
D) Requires no surveyor knowledge
Answer: B) Provides precise coordinates anywhere on earth
Rationale: GPS allows surveyors to determine accurate positions globally.
9. The Illinois Minimum Standards for Land Surveying require
monuments to be set at:
A) Every 100 feet
B) Property corners
C) Midpoints of lines
D) Road intersections
Answer: B) Property corners
Rationale: Monuments mark the official boundaries as required by Illinois
law.
10. Which instrument is used to measure horizontal and vertical angles
simultaneously?
A) Theodolite
B) Total station
C) Level
D) GPS receiver
, Answer: B) Total station
Rationale: A total station measures both horizontal and vertical angles and
distances electronically.
11. What is a “recorded plat”?
A) A map drawn for presentation only
B) A plat filed with the county recorder
C) A survey completed for a client
D) A topographic survey
Answer: B) A plat filed with the county recorder
Rationale: Recorded plats are legally recognized and show property
subdivisions.
12. In Illinois, surveys must comply with:
A) Illinois Surveying Act
B) Illinois Minimum Standards for Land Surveying
C) NCEES rules only
D) Federal land policies exclusively
Answer: B) Illinois Minimum Standards for Land Surveying
Rationale: Surveys must meet the state-mandated minimum standards for
accuracy and procedures.
13. If a traverse has an error of closure, the surveyor should:
A) Ignore it
B) Adjust it proportionally
C) Re-survey the property
D) Notify the client only
Answer: B) Adjust it proportionally
Rationale: Small errors are corrected using a method like Bowditch
adjustment to maintain accuracy.
14. The primary purpose of a benchmark is to:
