MICHIGAN PROFESSIONAL SURVEYOR EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A |LATEST EXAM UPDATE 2026/2027.
Section One: Questions 1–100
Under Michigan law, which of the following is an absolute requirement for a land surveyor to
establish a legal binding boundary line via the doctrine of acquiescence?
A. A formal written agreement signed by both parties and recorded with the register of deeds.
B. Active dispute and litigation between the adjoining landowners lasting at least 5 years.
C. Continuous treatment of a visible line as the boundary by adjoining owners for at least 15 years.
D. Allocation of property taxes based on the surveyed line rather than the occupational line.
🟢 C. Continuous treatment of a visible line as the boundary by adjoining owners for at least 15
years.
🔴 RATIONALE: In Michigan, the doctrine of acquiescence requires that the adjoining landowners
treat a specific visible line (such as a fence, hedge, or wall) as the true boundary line for the
statutory period of 15 years, regardless of whether there was a prior dispute.
When surveying a riparian property on an inland lake in Michigan, where does the private title of
the riparian owner normally extend to?
A. The ordinary high-water mark of the inland lake.
B. The low-water mark during seasonal drought periods.
C. The thread of the natural outlet stream.
D. The bottomland of the lake, usually to the center of the lake.
🟢 D. The bottomland of the lake, usually to the center of the lake.
🔴 RATIONALE: Unlike Great Lakes riparian rights, owners of land riparian to Michigan inland
lakes generally hold title to the bottomland of the lake, traditionally extending to the center of the
water body in a pie-shaped configuration.
,According to the Michigan Land Division Act (Act 288 of 1967), what is the maximum number of
parcels that can be created from a parent parcel of 25 acres without creating a formal subdivision
plat, assuming no bonus splits apply?
A. 4 parcels
B. 7 parcels
C. 10 parcels
D. 11 parcels
🟢 B. 7 parcels
🔴 RATIONALE: Under Act 288, a parent parcel of up to 10 acres is allowed 4 initial splits. For the
first 100 excess acres, 1 additional split is allowed for each whole 10 acres. Thus, a 25-acre parcel
allows 4 initial splits plus 1 extra split for the first 10 acres above the baseline, totaling 7 splits.
A surveyor is executing a retravel of a GLO survey line in Michigan and encounters a lost section
corner. Which method must be utilized to reestablish its position?
A. Single proportionate measurement.
B. Double proportionate measurement.
C. Holding local occupational fences as the original location.
D. Extending the line from the nearest quarter corner on a straight line.
🟢 B. Double proportionate measurement.
🔴 RATIONALE: According to BLM guidelines adopted by Michigan law, a lost interior section
corner must be reestablished using double proportionate measurement, which balances both
north-south and east-west control from the nearest existing official corners.
Under Michigan PA 132 of 1970, as amended, which of the following triggers the mandatory
recording of a Certificate of Survey?
A. Any topographic survey showing elevations and contours for a commercial site plan.
B. A survey made for the purpose of describing or establishing a boundary line of a parcel of land.
,C. A preliminary boundary sketch prepared exclusively for a real estate listing.
D. A construction staking survey for a public utility corridor within an existing easement.
🟢 B. A survey made for the purpose of describing or establishing a boundary line of a parcel of
land.
🔴 RATIONALE: Public Act 132 specifically mandates that a certified copy of a survey must be
recorded whenever a land survey is performed for the purpose of describing or establishing a
boundary line of a parcel of land, subject to specific statutory exemptions.
What is the standard statutory period required to establish a claim of adverse possession against
private land in the State of Michigan?
A. 7 years
B. 10 years
C. 15 years
D. 20 years
🟢 C. 15 years
🔴 RATIONALE: Under Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL 600.5801), the statutory period for the
recovery or possession of land, which dictates the timeline for adverse possession claims against
private entities, is 15 years.
Which state entity manages and acts as the repository for the Michigan Corner Recordation Act
(PA 74 of 1970) filings?
A. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).
B. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
C. The county register of deeds in the county where the corner is located.
D. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Land Management Division.
🟢 C. The county register of deeds in the county where the corner is located.
🔴 RATIONALE: The Corner Recordation Act mandates that the public land survey corner records
, be filed directly with the county register of deeds for the county in which the corner is situated,
making it accessible to local professionals.
When projecting a boundary line into the Great Lakes for a riparian property, which reference
datum is legally recognized under the Michigan Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act?
A. NAVD 88
B. NGVD 29
C. Ordinary High-Water Mark based on International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD)
D. Mean Sea Level (MSL)
🟢 C. Ordinary High-Water Mark based on International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD)
🔴 RATIONALE: The state of Michigan regulates and defines the boundaries of the Great Lakes
public trust and riparian boundaries using the specific elevations of the Ordinary High-Water Mark
as tied to the International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD).
A Professional Surveyor in Michigan discovers a major error in a recorded subdivision plat that they
did not author. What is the appropriate legal mechanism to correct this public record?
A. Recording an uncertified letter with the local zoning board.
B. Filing an Affidavit of Correction or an amended plat in accordance with the Land Division Act.
C. Scratching out the error on the original plat file at the Register of Deeds.
D. Writing a new legal description and recording a standard warranty deed.
🟢 B. Filing an Affidavit of Correction or an amended plat in accordance with the Land Division Act.
🔴 RATIONALE: The Land Division Act provides specific legal processes, including affidavits of
correction signed by a professional surveyor or court-ordered amendments, to rectify typographic,
spatial, or mathematical errors found on recorded plats.
Which of the following is considered an ethical violation under Michigan's Occupational Code (PA
299 of 1980) for a licensed Professional Surveyor?
A. Submitting a competitive price proposal for a public boundary mapping project.
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A |LATEST EXAM UPDATE 2026/2027.
Section One: Questions 1–100
Under Michigan law, which of the following is an absolute requirement for a land surveyor to
establish a legal binding boundary line via the doctrine of acquiescence?
A. A formal written agreement signed by both parties and recorded with the register of deeds.
B. Active dispute and litigation between the adjoining landowners lasting at least 5 years.
C. Continuous treatment of a visible line as the boundary by adjoining owners for at least 15 years.
D. Allocation of property taxes based on the surveyed line rather than the occupational line.
🟢 C. Continuous treatment of a visible line as the boundary by adjoining owners for at least 15
years.
🔴 RATIONALE: In Michigan, the doctrine of acquiescence requires that the adjoining landowners
treat a specific visible line (such as a fence, hedge, or wall) as the true boundary line for the
statutory period of 15 years, regardless of whether there was a prior dispute.
When surveying a riparian property on an inland lake in Michigan, where does the private title of
the riparian owner normally extend to?
A. The ordinary high-water mark of the inland lake.
B. The low-water mark during seasonal drought periods.
C. The thread of the natural outlet stream.
D. The bottomland of the lake, usually to the center of the lake.
🟢 D. The bottomland of the lake, usually to the center of the lake.
🔴 RATIONALE: Unlike Great Lakes riparian rights, owners of land riparian to Michigan inland
lakes generally hold title to the bottomland of the lake, traditionally extending to the center of the
water body in a pie-shaped configuration.
,According to the Michigan Land Division Act (Act 288 of 1967), what is the maximum number of
parcels that can be created from a parent parcel of 25 acres without creating a formal subdivision
plat, assuming no bonus splits apply?
A. 4 parcels
B. 7 parcels
C. 10 parcels
D. 11 parcels
🟢 B. 7 parcels
🔴 RATIONALE: Under Act 288, a parent parcel of up to 10 acres is allowed 4 initial splits. For the
first 100 excess acres, 1 additional split is allowed for each whole 10 acres. Thus, a 25-acre parcel
allows 4 initial splits plus 1 extra split for the first 10 acres above the baseline, totaling 7 splits.
A surveyor is executing a retravel of a GLO survey line in Michigan and encounters a lost section
corner. Which method must be utilized to reestablish its position?
A. Single proportionate measurement.
B. Double proportionate measurement.
C. Holding local occupational fences as the original location.
D. Extending the line from the nearest quarter corner on a straight line.
🟢 B. Double proportionate measurement.
🔴 RATIONALE: According to BLM guidelines adopted by Michigan law, a lost interior section
corner must be reestablished using double proportionate measurement, which balances both
north-south and east-west control from the nearest existing official corners.
Under Michigan PA 132 of 1970, as amended, which of the following triggers the mandatory
recording of a Certificate of Survey?
A. Any topographic survey showing elevations and contours for a commercial site plan.
B. A survey made for the purpose of describing or establishing a boundary line of a parcel of land.
,C. A preliminary boundary sketch prepared exclusively for a real estate listing.
D. A construction staking survey for a public utility corridor within an existing easement.
🟢 B. A survey made for the purpose of describing or establishing a boundary line of a parcel of
land.
🔴 RATIONALE: Public Act 132 specifically mandates that a certified copy of a survey must be
recorded whenever a land survey is performed for the purpose of describing or establishing a
boundary line of a parcel of land, subject to specific statutory exemptions.
What is the standard statutory period required to establish a claim of adverse possession against
private land in the State of Michigan?
A. 7 years
B. 10 years
C. 15 years
D. 20 years
🟢 C. 15 years
🔴 RATIONALE: Under Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL 600.5801), the statutory period for the
recovery or possession of land, which dictates the timeline for adverse possession claims against
private entities, is 15 years.
Which state entity manages and acts as the repository for the Michigan Corner Recordation Act
(PA 74 of 1970) filings?
A. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).
B. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
C. The county register of deeds in the county where the corner is located.
D. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Land Management Division.
🟢 C. The county register of deeds in the county where the corner is located.
🔴 RATIONALE: The Corner Recordation Act mandates that the public land survey corner records
, be filed directly with the county register of deeds for the county in which the corner is situated,
making it accessible to local professionals.
When projecting a boundary line into the Great Lakes for a riparian property, which reference
datum is legally recognized under the Michigan Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act?
A. NAVD 88
B. NGVD 29
C. Ordinary High-Water Mark based on International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD)
D. Mean Sea Level (MSL)
🟢 C. Ordinary High-Water Mark based on International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD)
🔴 RATIONALE: The state of Michigan regulates and defines the boundaries of the Great Lakes
public trust and riparian boundaries using the specific elevations of the Ordinary High-Water Mark
as tied to the International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD).
A Professional Surveyor in Michigan discovers a major error in a recorded subdivision plat that they
did not author. What is the appropriate legal mechanism to correct this public record?
A. Recording an uncertified letter with the local zoning board.
B. Filing an Affidavit of Correction or an amended plat in accordance with the Land Division Act.
C. Scratching out the error on the original plat file at the Register of Deeds.
D. Writing a new legal description and recording a standard warranty deed.
🟢 B. Filing an Affidavit of Correction or an amended plat in accordance with the Land Division Act.
🔴 RATIONALE: The Land Division Act provides specific legal processes, including affidavits of
correction signed by a professional surveyor or court-ordered amendments, to rectify typographic,
spatial, or mathematical errors found on recorded plats.
Which of the following is considered an ethical violation under Michigan's Occupational Code (PA
299 of 1980) for a licensed Professional Surveyor?
A. Submitting a competitive price proposal for a public boundary mapping project.
