PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF
SURVEYING (PS) EXAMINATION
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES
2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. The primary purpose of the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam is
to assess a candidate’s ability to
A. Perform basic field measurements
B. Interpret engineering drawings
C. Apply surveying principles in professional practice
D. Use only electronic surveying equipment
Correct answer rationale: The PS exam evaluates professional-level
judgment and application of surveying principles in real-world practice,
not just basic skills.
2. Boundary surveying primarily involves
A. Topographic mapping
B. Construction staking
C. Determination of property lines and corners
D. Hydrographic measurements
Correct answer rationale: Boundary surveying focuses on establishing and
retracing property boundaries based on legal descriptions and evidence.
3. The most controlling evidence in resolving boundary conflicts is
A. Area
B. Bearing and distance
C. Original monuments
, D. Coordinates
Correct answer rationale: Original monuments placed during the initial
survey generally control over other forms of evidence.
4. A deed that describes land by metes and bounds relies primarily on
A. Coordinates and grids
B. Rectangular survey system
C. Lot and block system
D. Courses and distances
Correct answer rationale: Metes and bounds descriptions use directions
(courses) and lengths (distances) to define property boundaries.
5. The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is based on
A. Triangular networks
B. Rectangular townships and sections
C. Metes and bounds
D. Coordinate geometry
Correct answer rationale: PLSS divides land into rectangular townships
and sections referenced to principal meridians and baselines.
6. A township in the PLSS is typically
A. 3 miles by 3 miles
B. 5 miles by 5 miles
C. 6 miles by 6 miles
D. 10 miles by 10 miles
Correct answer rationale: A standard township is 6 miles on each side,
containing 36 sections.
7. A standard section in the PLSS contains approximately
A. 160 acres
B. 320 acres
C. 640 acres
D. 1,280 acres
Correct answer rationale: Each section is nominally one square mile, equal
to 640 acres.
, 8. The legal doctrine of riparian rights applies to land adjoining
A. Highways
B. Railroads
C. Natural watercourses
D. Political boundaries
Correct answer rationale: Riparian rights relate to properties bordering
rivers, streams, or other natural water bodies.
9. Accretion refers to
A. Sudden loss of land
B. Artificial filling
C. Gradual and imperceptible addition of land by natural forces
D. Erosion by wind
Correct answer rationale: Accretion is the slow buildup of land by
sediment deposits, which can change property boundaries.
10.Avulsion is best described as
A. Gradual land buildup
B. Sudden and perceptible change in land by water
C. Artificial dredging
D. Boundary agreement
Correct answer rationale: Avulsion involves sudden changes, such as a
river changing course abruptly, usually not altering boundaries.
11.The doctrine of junior and senior rights is commonly applied in
A. Construction staking
B. Boundary retracement
C. Topographic surveying
D. GIS mapping
Correct answer rationale: Earlier (senior) conveyances typically have
priority over later (junior) ones in boundary disputes.
12.A benchmark is best defined as
A. A temporary reference point
B. A fixed point of known elevation
SURVEYING (PS) EXAMINATION
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES
2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. The primary purpose of the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam is
to assess a candidate’s ability to
A. Perform basic field measurements
B. Interpret engineering drawings
C. Apply surveying principles in professional practice
D. Use only electronic surveying equipment
Correct answer rationale: The PS exam evaluates professional-level
judgment and application of surveying principles in real-world practice,
not just basic skills.
2. Boundary surveying primarily involves
A. Topographic mapping
B. Construction staking
C. Determination of property lines and corners
D. Hydrographic measurements
Correct answer rationale: Boundary surveying focuses on establishing and
retracing property boundaries based on legal descriptions and evidence.
3. The most controlling evidence in resolving boundary conflicts is
A. Area
B. Bearing and distance
C. Original monuments
, D. Coordinates
Correct answer rationale: Original monuments placed during the initial
survey generally control over other forms of evidence.
4. A deed that describes land by metes and bounds relies primarily on
A. Coordinates and grids
B. Rectangular survey system
C. Lot and block system
D. Courses and distances
Correct answer rationale: Metes and bounds descriptions use directions
(courses) and lengths (distances) to define property boundaries.
5. The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is based on
A. Triangular networks
B. Rectangular townships and sections
C. Metes and bounds
D. Coordinate geometry
Correct answer rationale: PLSS divides land into rectangular townships
and sections referenced to principal meridians and baselines.
6. A township in the PLSS is typically
A. 3 miles by 3 miles
B. 5 miles by 5 miles
C. 6 miles by 6 miles
D. 10 miles by 10 miles
Correct answer rationale: A standard township is 6 miles on each side,
containing 36 sections.
7. A standard section in the PLSS contains approximately
A. 160 acres
B. 320 acres
C. 640 acres
D. 1,280 acres
Correct answer rationale: Each section is nominally one square mile, equal
to 640 acres.
, 8. The legal doctrine of riparian rights applies to land adjoining
A. Highways
B. Railroads
C. Natural watercourses
D. Political boundaries
Correct answer rationale: Riparian rights relate to properties bordering
rivers, streams, or other natural water bodies.
9. Accretion refers to
A. Sudden loss of land
B. Artificial filling
C. Gradual and imperceptible addition of land by natural forces
D. Erosion by wind
Correct answer rationale: Accretion is the slow buildup of land by
sediment deposits, which can change property boundaries.
10.Avulsion is best described as
A. Gradual land buildup
B. Sudden and perceptible change in land by water
C. Artificial dredging
D. Boundary agreement
Correct answer rationale: Avulsion involves sudden changes, such as a
river changing course abruptly, usually not altering boundaries.
11.The doctrine of junior and senior rights is commonly applied in
A. Construction staking
B. Boundary retracement
C. Topographic surveying
D. GIS mapping
Correct answer rationale: Earlier (senior) conveyances typically have
priority over later (junior) ones in boundary disputes.
12.A benchmark is best defined as
A. A temporary reference point
B. A fixed point of known elevation
