GEORGIA (GA) LAND SURVEYOR LICENSE EXAM PRACTICE | STUDY GUIDE |
COMPREHENSIVE TESTBANK WITH PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS | LATEST
UPDATE 2026/2027 | ADVANCED REVIEW
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i. Georgia Land Surveyor Licensing Law and Professional Regulation
ii. Boundary Law, Property Rights, and Legal Descriptions
iii. Surveying Standards, Field Procedures, and Evidence
iv. Geodesy, Coordinate Systems, and Positioning
v. Calculations, Error Analysis, and Adjustment
vi. Subdivision, Easement, Right-of-Way, and Land Development Surveys
vii. Professional Ethics, Records, Liability, and Professional Judgment
INTRODUCTION
This comprehensive Georgia Land Surveyor License practice examination is designed to
assess advanced knowledge and professional judgment expected of candidates
preparing for professional surveying licensure. The questions emphasize boundary
determination, Georgia regulatory requirements, evidence evaluation, legal
descriptions, geodetic and coordinate principles, field procedures, measurement
uncertainty, computations, subdivision and easement issues, documentation, ethics,
and professional liability. Candidates should expect complex scenarios requiring
interpretation rather than simple memorization. Several questions deliberately combine
technical surveying principles with legal or professional considerations, reflecting the
judgment required in actual practice. The examination is intended for advanced review
and should be approached as a professional-level assessment of analytical ability,
technical competence, and regulatory decision-making.
QUESTION 1
Question 1
A Georgia professional land surveyor is retracing a boundary established by an older
recorded plat. The plat contains a mathematical closure error, but occupation along the
boundary has remained consistent with the monument locations shown on the plat for
several decades. A later deed references the plat but does not independently describe
the bearings and distances. Which approach is generally most defensible in a boundary
retracement?
,A. Reject all monuments because the recorded plat does not mathematically close
B. Reconstruct the boundary solely from the deed's mathematical calls
C. Evaluate the original and existing evidence, giving appropriate weight to reliable
monuments and long-standing occupation
D. Replace the existing monuments with newly calculated points based exclusively on
modern GNSS coordinates
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Evaluate the original and existing evidence, giving appropriate
weight to reliable monuments and long-standing occupation.
🔵 Explanation: Boundary retracement is fundamentally an evidence-based process. A
surveyor must evaluate monuments, record evidence, occupation, calls, adjoining
evidence, and other competent evidence rather than automatically subordinating physical
evidence to mathematical closure.
QUESTION 2
Question 2
During a boundary survey, a surveyor discovers that a deed's distance call conflicts with
an undisturbed original monument that can be reliably identified as the monument
controlling the boundary. What is the most appropriate professional response?
A. Move the monument to conform to the deed distance
B. Ignore the monument because recorded distances always control
C. Evaluate the monument's authenticity and the hierarchy of evidence before
determining the boundary
D. Average the monument position and deed position to create a compromise
boundary
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Evaluate the monument's authenticity and the hierarchy of
evidence before determining the boundary.
🔵 Explanation: A professional boundary determination requires evaluation of the quality
and reliability of competing evidence. A surveyor should not mechanically average
conflicting evidence or alter an established monument simply to satisfy a numerical call.
QUESTION 3
Question 3
A surveyor is asked to certify a subdivision plat in Georgia. The surveyor discovers that
several proposed lots depend upon boundary information supplied by another party,
but the surveyor has not independently verified the controlling boundary. What is the
principal professional concern?
,A. The plat may be prepared without any boundary verification if the client accepts
responsibility
B. The surveyor's certification may imply a level of professional investigation that was
not actually performed
C. The surveyor may certify the plat if the subdivision contains fewer than ten lots
D. Boundary verification is unnecessary when the proposed lots are larger than one
acre
🔴 Correct Answer: B. The surveyor's certification may imply a level of professional
investigation that was not actually performed.
🔵 Explanation: Professional certification must accurately reflect the work performed and
the surveyor's professional basis for the conclusions shown. Client acceptance does not
eliminate the surveyor's professional responsibility.
QUESTION 4
Question 4
A surveyor obtains GNSS observations using a coordinate reference system different
from the system used for the county's existing survey control. The resulting boundary
points appear displaced by a nearly constant amount. Which issue should be
investigated first?
A. Random prism centering error
B. Datum, epoch, projection, and coordinate-reference compatibility
C. Rod height alone
D. Atmospheric refraction affecting the entire network
🔴 Correct Answer: B. Datum, epoch, projection, and coordinate-reference
compatibility.
🔵 Explanation: A systematic displacement affecting otherwise consistent GNSS results
commonly indicates a reference-frame or coordinate-system mismatch. Datum,
realization, epoch, projection, and units must be reconciled before interpreting the
coordinates as evidence of a physical boundary displacement.
QUESTION 5
Question 5
A traverse contains several angular and distance observations. After adjustment, the
surveyor discovers that one observation has a substantially larger standardized residual
than the others. What should the surveyor do before accepting the adjustment?
, A. Automatically delete the observation
B. Increase its weight so it has less influence on the solution
C. Investigate the observation for blunder, instrument, setup, transcription, or
environmental causes
D. Ignore the residual because least-squares adjustment automatically corrects all
errors
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Investigate the observation for blunder, instrument, setup,
transcription, or environmental causes.
🔵 Explanation: A large residual is an indicator requiring investigation, not an automatic
justification for deleting or down-weighting an observation. Least-squares adjustment
distributes random error but does not make gross errors disappear.
QUESTION 6
Question 6
A deed describes a parcel as running along a creek "to a point opposite the beginning,"
while the creek has migrated significantly since the deed was created. Which principle
should receive particular consideration?
A. The current creek centerline must always control regardless of the original boundary
evidence
B. The surveyor should determine whether the boundary was intended to follow the
watercourse and analyze applicable riparian principles
C. The original deed becomes void because the creek moved
D. The parcel must automatically be recalculated using the nearest straight-line bearing
🔴 Correct Answer: B. The surveyor should determine whether the boundary was
intended to follow the watercourse and analyze applicable riparian principles.
🔵 Explanation: Water boundaries can involve specialized doctrines concerning accretion,
avulsion, gradual change, and the parties' original intent. The surveyor must distinguish
factual surveying evidence from legal conclusions requiring appropriate legal authority.
QUESTION 7
Question 7
Two adjacent deeds contain overlapping descriptions. The physical occupation differs
from both descriptions, and no reliable original corner monument has been located.
What should the surveyor do?
COMPREHENSIVE TESTBANK WITH PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS | LATEST
UPDATE 2026/2027 | ADVANCED REVIEW
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i. Georgia Land Surveyor Licensing Law and Professional Regulation
ii. Boundary Law, Property Rights, and Legal Descriptions
iii. Surveying Standards, Field Procedures, and Evidence
iv. Geodesy, Coordinate Systems, and Positioning
v. Calculations, Error Analysis, and Adjustment
vi. Subdivision, Easement, Right-of-Way, and Land Development Surveys
vii. Professional Ethics, Records, Liability, and Professional Judgment
INTRODUCTION
This comprehensive Georgia Land Surveyor License practice examination is designed to
assess advanced knowledge and professional judgment expected of candidates
preparing for professional surveying licensure. The questions emphasize boundary
determination, Georgia regulatory requirements, evidence evaluation, legal
descriptions, geodetic and coordinate principles, field procedures, measurement
uncertainty, computations, subdivision and easement issues, documentation, ethics,
and professional liability. Candidates should expect complex scenarios requiring
interpretation rather than simple memorization. Several questions deliberately combine
technical surveying principles with legal or professional considerations, reflecting the
judgment required in actual practice. The examination is intended for advanced review
and should be approached as a professional-level assessment of analytical ability,
technical competence, and regulatory decision-making.
QUESTION 1
Question 1
A Georgia professional land surveyor is retracing a boundary established by an older
recorded plat. The plat contains a mathematical closure error, but occupation along the
boundary has remained consistent with the monument locations shown on the plat for
several decades. A later deed references the plat but does not independently describe
the bearings and distances. Which approach is generally most defensible in a boundary
retracement?
,A. Reject all monuments because the recorded plat does not mathematically close
B. Reconstruct the boundary solely from the deed's mathematical calls
C. Evaluate the original and existing evidence, giving appropriate weight to reliable
monuments and long-standing occupation
D. Replace the existing monuments with newly calculated points based exclusively on
modern GNSS coordinates
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Evaluate the original and existing evidence, giving appropriate
weight to reliable monuments and long-standing occupation.
🔵 Explanation: Boundary retracement is fundamentally an evidence-based process. A
surveyor must evaluate monuments, record evidence, occupation, calls, adjoining
evidence, and other competent evidence rather than automatically subordinating physical
evidence to mathematical closure.
QUESTION 2
Question 2
During a boundary survey, a surveyor discovers that a deed's distance call conflicts with
an undisturbed original monument that can be reliably identified as the monument
controlling the boundary. What is the most appropriate professional response?
A. Move the monument to conform to the deed distance
B. Ignore the monument because recorded distances always control
C. Evaluate the monument's authenticity and the hierarchy of evidence before
determining the boundary
D. Average the monument position and deed position to create a compromise
boundary
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Evaluate the monument's authenticity and the hierarchy of
evidence before determining the boundary.
🔵 Explanation: A professional boundary determination requires evaluation of the quality
and reliability of competing evidence. A surveyor should not mechanically average
conflicting evidence or alter an established monument simply to satisfy a numerical call.
QUESTION 3
Question 3
A surveyor is asked to certify a subdivision plat in Georgia. The surveyor discovers that
several proposed lots depend upon boundary information supplied by another party,
but the surveyor has not independently verified the controlling boundary. What is the
principal professional concern?
,A. The plat may be prepared without any boundary verification if the client accepts
responsibility
B. The surveyor's certification may imply a level of professional investigation that was
not actually performed
C. The surveyor may certify the plat if the subdivision contains fewer than ten lots
D. Boundary verification is unnecessary when the proposed lots are larger than one
acre
🔴 Correct Answer: B. The surveyor's certification may imply a level of professional
investigation that was not actually performed.
🔵 Explanation: Professional certification must accurately reflect the work performed and
the surveyor's professional basis for the conclusions shown. Client acceptance does not
eliminate the surveyor's professional responsibility.
QUESTION 4
Question 4
A surveyor obtains GNSS observations using a coordinate reference system different
from the system used for the county's existing survey control. The resulting boundary
points appear displaced by a nearly constant amount. Which issue should be
investigated first?
A. Random prism centering error
B. Datum, epoch, projection, and coordinate-reference compatibility
C. Rod height alone
D. Atmospheric refraction affecting the entire network
🔴 Correct Answer: B. Datum, epoch, projection, and coordinate-reference
compatibility.
🔵 Explanation: A systematic displacement affecting otherwise consistent GNSS results
commonly indicates a reference-frame or coordinate-system mismatch. Datum,
realization, epoch, projection, and units must be reconciled before interpreting the
coordinates as evidence of a physical boundary displacement.
QUESTION 5
Question 5
A traverse contains several angular and distance observations. After adjustment, the
surveyor discovers that one observation has a substantially larger standardized residual
than the others. What should the surveyor do before accepting the adjustment?
, A. Automatically delete the observation
B. Increase its weight so it has less influence on the solution
C. Investigate the observation for blunder, instrument, setup, transcription, or
environmental causes
D. Ignore the residual because least-squares adjustment automatically corrects all
errors
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Investigate the observation for blunder, instrument, setup,
transcription, or environmental causes.
🔵 Explanation: A large residual is an indicator requiring investigation, not an automatic
justification for deleting or down-weighting an observation. Least-squares adjustment
distributes random error but does not make gross errors disappear.
QUESTION 6
Question 6
A deed describes a parcel as running along a creek "to a point opposite the beginning,"
while the creek has migrated significantly since the deed was created. Which principle
should receive particular consideration?
A. The current creek centerline must always control regardless of the original boundary
evidence
B. The surveyor should determine whether the boundary was intended to follow the
watercourse and analyze applicable riparian principles
C. The original deed becomes void because the creek moved
D. The parcel must automatically be recalculated using the nearest straight-line bearing
🔴 Correct Answer: B. The surveyor should determine whether the boundary was
intended to follow the watercourse and analyze applicable riparian principles.
🔵 Explanation: Water boundaries can involve specialized doctrines concerning accretion,
avulsion, gradual change, and the parties' original intent. The surveyor must distinguish
factual surveying evidence from legal conclusions requiring appropriate legal authority.
QUESTION 7
Question 7
Two adjacent deeds contain overlapping descriptions. The physical occupation differs
from both descriptions, and no reliable original corner monument has been located.
What should the surveyor do?
