©THEBRIGHT 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11:11AM.
GISP Study Exam Questions And Answers
2025 Update.
Georeferencing - Answer✔101- associating a map or image with spatial location
control points - Answer✔101- points come in pairs that match the spatial location with a point
on an unreferenced image or map
Spatial Reference Systems (SRS) - Answer✔101- coordinate based local, regional, or global
system used to location geographical entities (aka Coordinate Reference System (CRS))
Coordinate Reference System (CRS) - Answer✔101- coordinate based local, regional, or global
system used to location geographical entities (aka Spatial Reference Systems (SRS))
International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS) - Answer✔101- a three-dimensional
coordinate system with a well-defined origin (the center of mass of the Earth) and three
orthogonal coordinate axes (X,Y,Z)
Map projection - Answer✔101- transforming coordinated from a curved surface (Earth) to a flat
map
Horizontal datum - Answer✔101- model of the earth as a spheroid (2 components, reference
ellipsoid and a set of survey points both the shape of the spheroid and its position relative to
the earth)
Vertical Datum - Answer✔101- reference point for measuring elevations
NAVD88 - Answer✔101- Gravity based geodetic datum in North America
WGS 84 (World Geodetic System) - Answer✔101- reference coordinate system used by the
Global Positioning System (GPS)
SRID integer - Answer✔101- Spatial reference system id numbers, including EPSG codes defined
by the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers
types of distortion - Answer✔101- Distance, Direction, Shape, Area (sometimes bearing and
scale)
Mercator Projection- distortions - Answer✔101- preserves shape and direction, area gets
distorted
1
, ©THEBRIGHT 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11:11AM.
Mercator Projection - Answer✔101- projecting the Earth onto a cylinder tangent to a meridian
Azimuthal Projection- distortions - Answer✔101- distance from center is true, other properties
distort with distance
Azimuthal Projection - Answer✔101- planar or tangent (meaning they are formed when a flat
piece of paper is placed on top of the globe and a light source projects the surrounding areas on
to a map.) Either the North Pole or the South pole is orientated at the center of the map, giving
the viewer an impression of looking up or down at Earth.
Cylindrical Projection- distortions - Answer✔101- preserve area and shape, distance gets
distorted, especially on upper and lower regions of the map
Cylindrical Projection - Answer✔101- 2 types Tangent (1 intersect) and Secant (2 intersects)
Straight meridians and parallels
meridians are equally spaced while parallels are not
Conical Projection- distortions - Answer✔101- preserves direction and area in limited areas,
distorts distance and scale except along standard parallels
Conic Projections - Answer✔101- mapped to equally spaced lines by projecting a spherical
surface onto a cone
Choosing a Projection- Low LATITUDE, (near Equator) - Answer✔101- use conical projection
Choosing a Projection- High LATITUDE, Polar Regions - Answer✔101- use azimuthal planar
projections
Choosing a Projection- EXTENT, broad East-West (e.g. USA) - Answer✔101- use conical
projection
Choosing a Projection- EXTENT, broad North-South (e.g. Africa) - Answer✔101- use transverse-
case cylindrical projection
Choosing a Projection- THEMATIC, analysis that compares different values in different locations
- Answer✔101- use an equal-area projection
Discrete features - Answer✔102- feature has a definable boundary (think, "vector")
continuous phenomena - Answer✔102- each location is a measure of something, often
temperature or elevation (think "raster", but not always)
Geoid - Answer✔103- the shape that the surface of the oceans would take under the influence
of Earth's gravitation and rotation alone (absent of the influence of wind or tide)
Mean Sea Level (MSL) - Answer✔103- is determined by referencing the geoid model which
registers ocean's water level at coastal places using tide gauges
2
, ©THEBRIGHT 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11:11AM.
Reference Ellipsoid - Answer✔103- is a mathematically defined surface that approximates the
geoid (a truer model of shape that geoid)
oblate ellipsoid - Answer✔103- fits the geiod model to a first order approximation
formed when an ellipse is rotated about its minor axis (The shape of the Earth, slightly bulging
at the Equator.)
sphere - Answer✔103- can be seen from dimensions of the Earth ellipsoid
the semi-major axis (a) and semi-minor axis (b) differ by little more than 21 kilometers
first (direct) geodetic problem - Answer✔103- Given a point (coordinates) and direction
(azimuth) and distance from that point to a second point, determine the coordinates of a
second point
Be prepared for Word Problems like this one
Second (inverse) geodetic problem - Answer✔103- given two points, determine the azimuth
and length of the line that connects them (line may be straight, arc, or geodesic)
Be prepared for Word Problems like this one
Geomatics - Answer✔104- branch of science (and technology) of collection, analysis,
interpretation of geographic information
(includes surveying, mapping, remote sensing, GIS, GPS)
GPS (global positioning system) - Answer✔104- A system that determines the precise position
of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers.
Spatial Modeling - Answer✔201- A methodology or set of analytical procedures used to derive
information about spatial relationships between geographic phenomena.
Types of spatial models - Answer✔201-
Vector
Raster
Pixel
Geodatabase
Grid
TIN
Topological
Hierarchical
Network
3
GISP Study Exam Questions And Answers
2025 Update.
Georeferencing - Answer✔101- associating a map or image with spatial location
control points - Answer✔101- points come in pairs that match the spatial location with a point
on an unreferenced image or map
Spatial Reference Systems (SRS) - Answer✔101- coordinate based local, regional, or global
system used to location geographical entities (aka Coordinate Reference System (CRS))
Coordinate Reference System (CRS) - Answer✔101- coordinate based local, regional, or global
system used to location geographical entities (aka Spatial Reference Systems (SRS))
International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS) - Answer✔101- a three-dimensional
coordinate system with a well-defined origin (the center of mass of the Earth) and three
orthogonal coordinate axes (X,Y,Z)
Map projection - Answer✔101- transforming coordinated from a curved surface (Earth) to a flat
map
Horizontal datum - Answer✔101- model of the earth as a spheroid (2 components, reference
ellipsoid and a set of survey points both the shape of the spheroid and its position relative to
the earth)
Vertical Datum - Answer✔101- reference point for measuring elevations
NAVD88 - Answer✔101- Gravity based geodetic datum in North America
WGS 84 (World Geodetic System) - Answer✔101- reference coordinate system used by the
Global Positioning System (GPS)
SRID integer - Answer✔101- Spatial reference system id numbers, including EPSG codes defined
by the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers
types of distortion - Answer✔101- Distance, Direction, Shape, Area (sometimes bearing and
scale)
Mercator Projection- distortions - Answer✔101- preserves shape and direction, area gets
distorted
1
, ©THEBRIGHT 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11:11AM.
Mercator Projection - Answer✔101- projecting the Earth onto a cylinder tangent to a meridian
Azimuthal Projection- distortions - Answer✔101- distance from center is true, other properties
distort with distance
Azimuthal Projection - Answer✔101- planar or tangent (meaning they are formed when a flat
piece of paper is placed on top of the globe and a light source projects the surrounding areas on
to a map.) Either the North Pole or the South pole is orientated at the center of the map, giving
the viewer an impression of looking up or down at Earth.
Cylindrical Projection- distortions - Answer✔101- preserve area and shape, distance gets
distorted, especially on upper and lower regions of the map
Cylindrical Projection - Answer✔101- 2 types Tangent (1 intersect) and Secant (2 intersects)
Straight meridians and parallels
meridians are equally spaced while parallels are not
Conical Projection- distortions - Answer✔101- preserves direction and area in limited areas,
distorts distance and scale except along standard parallels
Conic Projections - Answer✔101- mapped to equally spaced lines by projecting a spherical
surface onto a cone
Choosing a Projection- Low LATITUDE, (near Equator) - Answer✔101- use conical projection
Choosing a Projection- High LATITUDE, Polar Regions - Answer✔101- use azimuthal planar
projections
Choosing a Projection- EXTENT, broad East-West (e.g. USA) - Answer✔101- use conical
projection
Choosing a Projection- EXTENT, broad North-South (e.g. Africa) - Answer✔101- use transverse-
case cylindrical projection
Choosing a Projection- THEMATIC, analysis that compares different values in different locations
- Answer✔101- use an equal-area projection
Discrete features - Answer✔102- feature has a definable boundary (think, "vector")
continuous phenomena - Answer✔102- each location is a measure of something, often
temperature or elevation (think "raster", but not always)
Geoid - Answer✔103- the shape that the surface of the oceans would take under the influence
of Earth's gravitation and rotation alone (absent of the influence of wind or tide)
Mean Sea Level (MSL) - Answer✔103- is determined by referencing the geoid model which
registers ocean's water level at coastal places using tide gauges
2
, ©THEBRIGHT 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11:11AM.
Reference Ellipsoid - Answer✔103- is a mathematically defined surface that approximates the
geoid (a truer model of shape that geoid)
oblate ellipsoid - Answer✔103- fits the geiod model to a first order approximation
formed when an ellipse is rotated about its minor axis (The shape of the Earth, slightly bulging
at the Equator.)
sphere - Answer✔103- can be seen from dimensions of the Earth ellipsoid
the semi-major axis (a) and semi-minor axis (b) differ by little more than 21 kilometers
first (direct) geodetic problem - Answer✔103- Given a point (coordinates) and direction
(azimuth) and distance from that point to a second point, determine the coordinates of a
second point
Be prepared for Word Problems like this one
Second (inverse) geodetic problem - Answer✔103- given two points, determine the azimuth
and length of the line that connects them (line may be straight, arc, or geodesic)
Be prepared for Word Problems like this one
Geomatics - Answer✔104- branch of science (and technology) of collection, analysis,
interpretation of geographic information
(includes surveying, mapping, remote sensing, GIS, GPS)
GPS (global positioning system) - Answer✔104- A system that determines the precise position
of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers.
Spatial Modeling - Answer✔201- A methodology or set of analytical procedures used to derive
information about spatial relationships between geographic phenomena.
Types of spatial models - Answer✔201-
Vector
Raster
Pixel
Geodatabase
Grid
TIN
Topological
Hierarchical
Network
3
