Texas Land Surveyor Licensing Practice
Exam Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales |2026
Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. What is the primary purpose of a metes and bounds description?
A. Identify tax boundaries
B. Describe land using courses and distances
C. Record land values
D. Establish mineral rights
Metes and bounds describe a parcel by detailing its boundaries with
reference to distances and angles, often starting at a known point.
2. The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
(TBPELS) requires which of the following to be on a surveyor's seal?
A. Surveyor’s employer name
B. License number and full legal name
C. Survey date only
D. County name
,Texas law mandates that the seal include the license number and full legal
name to verify authenticity and accountability.
3. What datum is primarily used in Texas for horizontal control?
A. NAVD 88
B. NAD 83
C. NGVD 29
D. WGS 84
NAD 83 is the most commonly used horizontal datum for land surveys in
Texas.
4. What is a “bearing” in surveying?
A. The speed of rotation
B. The direction from one point to another
C. The weight of the instrument
D. The elevation difference
Bearing indicates the direction of a line relative to a reference meridian,
usually north or south.
5. How many acres are in a quarter-quarter section?
A. 80
B. 40
C. 20
D. 10
,One quarter of a quarter section (1/4 of 1/4 of a section) is 40 acres, since
a full section is 640 acres.
6. What is the purpose of a benchmark?
A. Legal description
B. Reference point for elevation
C. Parcel ownership
D. GPS receiver location
A benchmark is a known elevation point used as a reference in leveling
surveys.
7. Which document governs land surveying laws in Texas?
A. USGS Guidelines
B. Texas Administrative Code (TAC)
C. County Assessor’s Rules
D. BLM Handbook
The Texas Administrative Code outlines the rules and standards for
professional land surveying in Texas.
8. Which agency issues the license for Texas Land Surveyors?
A. Texas Department of Licensing
B. Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS)
C. Texas General Land Office
D. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
The TBPELS is the official licensing authority for land surveyors in Texas.
, 9. A closure error in a traverse must be within what allowable ratio in
Texas?
A. 1:100
B. 1:500
C. 1:10000
D. 1:20000
Texas standards typically require a minimum closure ratio of 1:10000 for
boundary surveys.
10. What is the main purpose of a boundary survey?
A. To calculate taxes
B. To locate mineral rights
C. To determine property lines
D. To place construction markers
A boundary survey establishes the limits of property ownership.
11. The Texas Coordinate System is based on which projection?
A. Lambert Conformal Conic
B. State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS)
C. Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
D. Mercator
Texas uses the State Plane Coordinate System, which in most zones is
based on Lambert Conformal Conic projection.
Exam Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales |2026
Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. What is the primary purpose of a metes and bounds description?
A. Identify tax boundaries
B. Describe land using courses and distances
C. Record land values
D. Establish mineral rights
Metes and bounds describe a parcel by detailing its boundaries with
reference to distances and angles, often starting at a known point.
2. The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
(TBPELS) requires which of the following to be on a surveyor's seal?
A. Surveyor’s employer name
B. License number and full legal name
C. Survey date only
D. County name
,Texas law mandates that the seal include the license number and full legal
name to verify authenticity and accountability.
3. What datum is primarily used in Texas for horizontal control?
A. NAVD 88
B. NAD 83
C. NGVD 29
D. WGS 84
NAD 83 is the most commonly used horizontal datum for land surveys in
Texas.
4. What is a “bearing” in surveying?
A. The speed of rotation
B. The direction from one point to another
C. The weight of the instrument
D. The elevation difference
Bearing indicates the direction of a line relative to a reference meridian,
usually north or south.
5. How many acres are in a quarter-quarter section?
A. 80
B. 40
C. 20
D. 10
,One quarter of a quarter section (1/4 of 1/4 of a section) is 40 acres, since
a full section is 640 acres.
6. What is the purpose of a benchmark?
A. Legal description
B. Reference point for elevation
C. Parcel ownership
D. GPS receiver location
A benchmark is a known elevation point used as a reference in leveling
surveys.
7. Which document governs land surveying laws in Texas?
A. USGS Guidelines
B. Texas Administrative Code (TAC)
C. County Assessor’s Rules
D. BLM Handbook
The Texas Administrative Code outlines the rules and standards for
professional land surveying in Texas.
8. Which agency issues the license for Texas Land Surveyors?
A. Texas Department of Licensing
B. Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS)
C. Texas General Land Office
D. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
The TBPELS is the official licensing authority for land surveyors in Texas.
, 9. A closure error in a traverse must be within what allowable ratio in
Texas?
A. 1:100
B. 1:500
C. 1:10000
D. 1:20000
Texas standards typically require a minimum closure ratio of 1:10000 for
boundary surveys.
10. What is the main purpose of a boundary survey?
A. To calculate taxes
B. To locate mineral rights
C. To determine property lines
D. To place construction markers
A boundary survey establishes the limits of property ownership.
11. The Texas Coordinate System is based on which projection?
A. Lambert Conformal Conic
B. State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS)
C. Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
D. Mercator
Texas uses the State Plane Coordinate System, which in most zones is
based on Lambert Conformal Conic projection.
