KENTUCKY LAND SURVEYOR LICENSING EXAMINATION PRACTICE TEST EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A |LATEST EXAM
UPDATE 2026/2027..
Core Domains:
Boundary Retracement and Public Land Survey System
Kentucky Property Law and Deed Descriptions
Easements, Riparian Rights, and Water Boundaries
Professional Ethics and Kentucky Board Standards
Error Analysis, Least Squares, and Geodesy
Subdivision Design and Plats
Evidence of Boundary Location and Monuments
Horizontal and Vertical Control Networks
Introduction:The Kentucky Land Surveyor Licensing Examination is designed to evaluate the
competency, technical proficiency, and legal knowledge of candidates seeking professional licensure
within the Commonwealth. The assessment covers fundamental theory, boundary law specific to
Kentucky jurisprudence, measurement sciences, and professional ethics. Utilizing a comprehensive
multiple-choice and scenario-based structure, the evaluation emphasizes real-world application, critical
thinking, and ethical decision-making in complex property disputes. Candidates must demonstrate the
ability to analyze historical records, reconcile conflicting physical and written evidence, and apply precise
geodetic principles to protect public welfare and property rights.
When retracing a section corner originally established during the federal public land survey system
in Kentucky, physical evidence of the original monument is recovered. How should this evidence be
treated relative to subsequent dependent resurveys or junior descriptions?
,A. Subordinate to the record distances in the original field notes
B. Controlling over conflicting calls for distance and course in the field notes
C. Ignored if it disagrees with modern GPS coordinate transformations
D. Treated as secondary to the bearing tree evidence alone
🟢 Controlling over conflicting calls for distance and course in the field notes
🔴 RATIONALE: Original monument evidence recovered on the ground supersedes conflicting calls for
course and distance in the original field notes, as physical footsteps of the original surveyor govern the
true location of the boundary.
A landowner in Kentucky conveys the northern half of a rectangular parcel by deed describing the
tract as containing 50 acres, more or less. A subsequent survey reveals the total tract contains 120
acres. What is the legal effect of the "more or less" phrase in this conveyance?
A. It transforms the conveyance into a sale strictly by the acre with mandatory proportional adjustment.
B. It voids the deed due to mutual mistake of the total area.
C. It indicates the conveyance is of a tract by specific boundaries rather than a guaranteed quantity,
barring minor discrepancies.
D. It grants the grantee an automatic right to reform the deed to exactly 60 acres.
🟢 It indicates the conveyance is of a tract by specific boundaries rather than a guaranteed quantity,
barring minor discrepancies.
🔴 RATIONALE: The phrase "more or less" denotes that the acreage is an estimate rather than a
precise warranty of quantity, meaning the boundaries described control the extent of the property
transferred.
Under Kentucky law governing adverse possession, which of the following elements must be
continuous for the statutory period of 15 years to successfully claim title?
A. Permissive use granted by the record title holder
B. Actual, open, notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous possession
C. Seasonal occupancy without notice to the adjacent owner
D. Good faith color of title coupled with tax payment alone
,🟢 Actual, open, notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous possession
🔴 RATIONALE: Adverse possession in Kentucky requires clear proof of possession that is actual, open,
notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous for the full statutory duration of 15 years.
A surveyor is measuring an angle using a total station and performs a direct and reverse
observation to eliminate which type of error?
A. Random error
B. Natural refraction
C. Instrumental collimation error
D. Centering error of the prism
🟢 Instrumental collimation error
🔴 RATIONALE: Measuring an angle in both face-left (direct) and face-right (reverse) positions
effectively cancels out instrumental errors such as line of sight and horizontal axis collimation.
Which of the following riparian rights principles applies to non-navigable streams in Kentucky when
determining property boundaries under common law?
A. The boundary extends to the absolute center thread of the main channel.
B. Ownership stops at the ordinary high water mark on the bank.
C. The entire streambed belongs exclusively to the senior riparian landowner.
D. Boundaries shift instantly regardless of the rate of erosion.
🟢 The boundary extends to the absolute center thread of the main channel.
🔴 RATIONALE: Under Kentucky common law, ownership of land bordering a non-navigable stream
extends to the thread, or center line, of the stream bed.
A professional land surveyor licensed in Kentucky signs and seals a plat prepared by an
unlicensed technician under their nominal supervision without personally reviewing the field data or
calculations. According to the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land
Surveyors, this practice constitutes:
, A. Standard delegation of administrative tasks
B. Permissible remote project management
C. Unethical and illegal sealing of unverified work
D. Acceptable mentorship under board rules
🟢 Unethical and illegal sealing of unverified work
🔴 RATIONALE: A surveyor may only seal documents prepared under their direct supervision and
personal professional oversight, making the sealing of unreviewed work a violation of board rules.
When balancing a closed traverse using the Compass Rule (Bowditch method), the adjustments
applied to the latitudes and departures are proportional to which factor?
A. The square root of the distance of each side
B. The total number of angles in the traverse
C. The length of each side relative to the total perimeter length
D. The inverse of the elevation differences
🟢 The length of each side relative to the total perimeter length
🔴 RATIONALE: The Compass Rule assumes that linear misclosure errors are directly proportional to
the length of each traverse course relative to the total perimeter.
In Kentucky, an easement by necessity typically arises under which of the following real estate
transactions?
A. When a property is landlocked by a voluntary subdivision dividing a single tract into two or more
parcels
B. When the public expresses a general desire for a recreational pathway across private property
C. When a utility company installs overhead power lines without permission
D. When an adjoining owner uses a driveway for 2 years with verbal consent
🟢 When a property is landlocked by a voluntary subdivision dividing a single tract into two or more
parcels
AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A |LATEST EXAM
UPDATE 2026/2027..
Core Domains:
Boundary Retracement and Public Land Survey System
Kentucky Property Law and Deed Descriptions
Easements, Riparian Rights, and Water Boundaries
Professional Ethics and Kentucky Board Standards
Error Analysis, Least Squares, and Geodesy
Subdivision Design and Plats
Evidence of Boundary Location and Monuments
Horizontal and Vertical Control Networks
Introduction:The Kentucky Land Surveyor Licensing Examination is designed to evaluate the
competency, technical proficiency, and legal knowledge of candidates seeking professional licensure
within the Commonwealth. The assessment covers fundamental theory, boundary law specific to
Kentucky jurisprudence, measurement sciences, and professional ethics. Utilizing a comprehensive
multiple-choice and scenario-based structure, the evaluation emphasizes real-world application, critical
thinking, and ethical decision-making in complex property disputes. Candidates must demonstrate the
ability to analyze historical records, reconcile conflicting physical and written evidence, and apply precise
geodetic principles to protect public welfare and property rights.
When retracing a section corner originally established during the federal public land survey system
in Kentucky, physical evidence of the original monument is recovered. How should this evidence be
treated relative to subsequent dependent resurveys or junior descriptions?
,A. Subordinate to the record distances in the original field notes
B. Controlling over conflicting calls for distance and course in the field notes
C. Ignored if it disagrees with modern GPS coordinate transformations
D. Treated as secondary to the bearing tree evidence alone
🟢 Controlling over conflicting calls for distance and course in the field notes
🔴 RATIONALE: Original monument evidence recovered on the ground supersedes conflicting calls for
course and distance in the original field notes, as physical footsteps of the original surveyor govern the
true location of the boundary.
A landowner in Kentucky conveys the northern half of a rectangular parcel by deed describing the
tract as containing 50 acres, more or less. A subsequent survey reveals the total tract contains 120
acres. What is the legal effect of the "more or less" phrase in this conveyance?
A. It transforms the conveyance into a sale strictly by the acre with mandatory proportional adjustment.
B. It voids the deed due to mutual mistake of the total area.
C. It indicates the conveyance is of a tract by specific boundaries rather than a guaranteed quantity,
barring minor discrepancies.
D. It grants the grantee an automatic right to reform the deed to exactly 60 acres.
🟢 It indicates the conveyance is of a tract by specific boundaries rather than a guaranteed quantity,
barring minor discrepancies.
🔴 RATIONALE: The phrase "more or less" denotes that the acreage is an estimate rather than a
precise warranty of quantity, meaning the boundaries described control the extent of the property
transferred.
Under Kentucky law governing adverse possession, which of the following elements must be
continuous for the statutory period of 15 years to successfully claim title?
A. Permissive use granted by the record title holder
B. Actual, open, notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous possession
C. Seasonal occupancy without notice to the adjacent owner
D. Good faith color of title coupled with tax payment alone
,🟢 Actual, open, notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous possession
🔴 RATIONALE: Adverse possession in Kentucky requires clear proof of possession that is actual, open,
notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous for the full statutory duration of 15 years.
A surveyor is measuring an angle using a total station and performs a direct and reverse
observation to eliminate which type of error?
A. Random error
B. Natural refraction
C. Instrumental collimation error
D. Centering error of the prism
🟢 Instrumental collimation error
🔴 RATIONALE: Measuring an angle in both face-left (direct) and face-right (reverse) positions
effectively cancels out instrumental errors such as line of sight and horizontal axis collimation.
Which of the following riparian rights principles applies to non-navigable streams in Kentucky when
determining property boundaries under common law?
A. The boundary extends to the absolute center thread of the main channel.
B. Ownership stops at the ordinary high water mark on the bank.
C. The entire streambed belongs exclusively to the senior riparian landowner.
D. Boundaries shift instantly regardless of the rate of erosion.
🟢 The boundary extends to the absolute center thread of the main channel.
🔴 RATIONALE: Under Kentucky common law, ownership of land bordering a non-navigable stream
extends to the thread, or center line, of the stream bed.
A professional land surveyor licensed in Kentucky signs and seals a plat prepared by an
unlicensed technician under their nominal supervision without personally reviewing the field data or
calculations. According to the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land
Surveyors, this practice constitutes:
, A. Standard delegation of administrative tasks
B. Permissible remote project management
C. Unethical and illegal sealing of unverified work
D. Acceptable mentorship under board rules
🟢 Unethical and illegal sealing of unverified work
🔴 RATIONALE: A surveyor may only seal documents prepared under their direct supervision and
personal professional oversight, making the sealing of unreviewed work a violation of board rules.
When balancing a closed traverse using the Compass Rule (Bowditch method), the adjustments
applied to the latitudes and departures are proportional to which factor?
A. The square root of the distance of each side
B. The total number of angles in the traverse
C. The length of each side relative to the total perimeter length
D. The inverse of the elevation differences
🟢 The length of each side relative to the total perimeter length
🔴 RATIONALE: The Compass Rule assumes that linear misclosure errors are directly proportional to
the length of each traverse course relative to the total perimeter.
In Kentucky, an easement by necessity typically arises under which of the following real estate
transactions?
A. When a property is landlocked by a voluntary subdivision dividing a single tract into two or more
parcels
B. When the public expresses a general desire for a recreational pathway across private property
C. When a utility company installs overhead power lines without permission
D. When an adjoining owner uses a driveway for 2 years with verbal consent
🟢 When a property is landlocked by a voluntary subdivision dividing a single tract into two or more
parcels
