ALABAMA PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT SOLUTIONS JUST RELEASED
THIS YEAR………...
Core Domains:
1. Alabama Boundary Law and Legal Principles
2. Property Descriptions and Records Research
3. Surveying Mathematics and Computations
4. Field Survey Operations and Instrumentation (GPS, GNSS, Total Station)
5. Alabama Minimum Technical Standards (MTS) and Standards of Practice
6. Real Property Law, Land Tenure, and Conveyances
7. PLSS Systems (Huntsville and St. Stephens Meridians) and History
8. Statutes, Regulations, and Board Rules (Title 34, Chapter 11)
9. Surveying Ethics and Professional Practice
10. ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys and Boundary Retracement
Introduction:
This comprehensive examination is designed to rigorously assess the competencies required for successful licensure
as a Professional Land Surveyor in the state of Alabama. It evaluates a candidate's foundational knowledge of
boundary law and legal principles, applied professional skills in field survey operations and computations, and
critical decision-making abilities in complex real-world scenarios. The assessment is structured using multiple-
choice questions and scenario-based inquiries to gauge not only theoretical understanding but also the practical
application of Alabama's Minimum Technical Standards, board regulations under Title 34, Chapter 11 of the Code
of Alabama, and the Standards of Practice for Surveying. Success in this exam demonstrates a candidate's
readiness to navigate the multifaceted challenges of professional land surveying, prioritizing public safety, legal
compliance, ethical conduct, and professional excellence.
,SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1 – 100
1. In Alabama boundary law, which type of evidence is given the highest priority in boundary resolution?
A. Area
B. Bearings
C. Artificial monuments
D. Natural monuments
🟢 C. Artificial monuments
🔴 RATIONALE: In Alabama, as in most jurisdictions following the hierarchy of evidence, artificial monuments
established by the original surveyor hold the highest priority. They are considered the most reliable evidence of
the intent of the original survey.
2. The Alabama Board that regulates professional land surveyors is the:
A. Alabama Department of Transportation
B. Alabama Real Estate Commission
C. Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
D. Alabama State Bar Association
🟢 C. Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
🔴 RATIONALE: The Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors is the state
regulatory body responsible for licensing and regulating professional land surveyors in Alabama.
,3. The primary purpose of a retracement survey is to:
A. Establish new property boundaries
B. Locate and re-establish existing boundary lines based on evidence
C. Determine the area of a parcel
D. Create a new subdivision plat
🟢 B. Locate and re-establish existing boundary lines based on evidence
🔴 RATIONALE: A retracement survey does not create new boundaries; it searches for and re-establishes the
original boundaries based on evidence from the original survey, such as monuments, bearings, and distances.
4. Most lands in Alabama are surveyed under which system?
A. Metes and Bounds only
B. The Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
C. The Spanish Land Grant System
D. The French Long Lot System
🟢 B. The Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
🔴 RATIONALE: The majority of Alabama is covered by the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), which was
established after the acquisition of the territory. The system uses principal meridians and base lines to divide
land into townships and ranges.
5. In Alabama, professional land surveyor licenses must be renewed:
, A. Annually
B. Every two years
C. Every three years
D. Every five years
🟢 B. Every two years
🔴 RATIONALE: Alabama professional land surveyor licenses are renewed biennially (every two years). Licensees
must complete continuing professional competency (CPC) requirements, including PDH credits, to renew.
6. Which of the following is NOT a required element of a legal description in Alabama?
A. A definite point of beginning
B. A clear and definite description of the boundaries
C. The name of the current property owner
D. A closing course that returns to the point of beginning
🟢 C. The name of the current property owner
🔴 RATIONALE: A legal description must contain a definite point of beginning, a clear description of
boundaries, and a closing course. The name of the owner is not a required element of the legal description
itself; it is part of the deed's granting clause.
7. Under the Alabama Minimum Technical Standards, what is the required Relative Positional Precision (RPP)
for a first-order survey?
A. 1:5,000
B. 1:10,000
THIS YEAR………...
Core Domains:
1. Alabama Boundary Law and Legal Principles
2. Property Descriptions and Records Research
3. Surveying Mathematics and Computations
4. Field Survey Operations and Instrumentation (GPS, GNSS, Total Station)
5. Alabama Minimum Technical Standards (MTS) and Standards of Practice
6. Real Property Law, Land Tenure, and Conveyances
7. PLSS Systems (Huntsville and St. Stephens Meridians) and History
8. Statutes, Regulations, and Board Rules (Title 34, Chapter 11)
9. Surveying Ethics and Professional Practice
10. ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys and Boundary Retracement
Introduction:
This comprehensive examination is designed to rigorously assess the competencies required for successful licensure
as a Professional Land Surveyor in the state of Alabama. It evaluates a candidate's foundational knowledge of
boundary law and legal principles, applied professional skills in field survey operations and computations, and
critical decision-making abilities in complex real-world scenarios. The assessment is structured using multiple-
choice questions and scenario-based inquiries to gauge not only theoretical understanding but also the practical
application of Alabama's Minimum Technical Standards, board regulations under Title 34, Chapter 11 of the Code
of Alabama, and the Standards of Practice for Surveying. Success in this exam demonstrates a candidate's
readiness to navigate the multifaceted challenges of professional land surveying, prioritizing public safety, legal
compliance, ethical conduct, and professional excellence.
,SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1 – 100
1. In Alabama boundary law, which type of evidence is given the highest priority in boundary resolution?
A. Area
B. Bearings
C. Artificial monuments
D. Natural monuments
🟢 C. Artificial monuments
🔴 RATIONALE: In Alabama, as in most jurisdictions following the hierarchy of evidence, artificial monuments
established by the original surveyor hold the highest priority. They are considered the most reliable evidence of
the intent of the original survey.
2. The Alabama Board that regulates professional land surveyors is the:
A. Alabama Department of Transportation
B. Alabama Real Estate Commission
C. Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
D. Alabama State Bar Association
🟢 C. Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
🔴 RATIONALE: The Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors is the state
regulatory body responsible for licensing and regulating professional land surveyors in Alabama.
,3. The primary purpose of a retracement survey is to:
A. Establish new property boundaries
B. Locate and re-establish existing boundary lines based on evidence
C. Determine the area of a parcel
D. Create a new subdivision plat
🟢 B. Locate and re-establish existing boundary lines based on evidence
🔴 RATIONALE: A retracement survey does not create new boundaries; it searches for and re-establishes the
original boundaries based on evidence from the original survey, such as monuments, bearings, and distances.
4. Most lands in Alabama are surveyed under which system?
A. Metes and Bounds only
B. The Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
C. The Spanish Land Grant System
D. The French Long Lot System
🟢 B. The Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
🔴 RATIONALE: The majority of Alabama is covered by the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), which was
established after the acquisition of the territory. The system uses principal meridians and base lines to divide
land into townships and ranges.
5. In Alabama, professional land surveyor licenses must be renewed:
, A. Annually
B. Every two years
C. Every three years
D. Every five years
🟢 B. Every two years
🔴 RATIONALE: Alabama professional land surveyor licenses are renewed biennially (every two years). Licensees
must complete continuing professional competency (CPC) requirements, including PDH credits, to renew.
6. Which of the following is NOT a required element of a legal description in Alabama?
A. A definite point of beginning
B. A clear and definite description of the boundaries
C. The name of the current property owner
D. A closing course that returns to the point of beginning
🟢 C. The name of the current property owner
🔴 RATIONALE: A legal description must contain a definite point of beginning, a clear description of
boundaries, and a closing course. The name of the owner is not a required element of the legal description
itself; it is part of the deed's granting clause.
7. Under the Alabama Minimum Technical Standards, what is the required Relative Positional Precision (RPP)
for a first-order survey?
A. 1:5,000
B. 1:10,000
