Georgia (GA) Land Surveyor License Practice Exam – Study Guide
& Practice Questions 2026-2027
Comprehensive exam preparation resource for the Georgia Land Surveyor licensing exam.
Covers boundary law, surveying principles, legal descriptions, plats and maps, geodetic and GPS
surveying, construction staking, measurements, coordinate systems, ethics, Georgia surveying
regulations, and professional standards. Includes practice questions and answer explanations to
help candidates prepare for licensure and professional practice in land surveying.
Question 1
A land surveyor is reviewing a property description in Georgia that outlines a boundary
along a non-navigable stream. If the deed calls for the line to run "with the stream,"
where is the legal boundary line located?
A) The mean low water mark on the near bank
B) The ordinary high water mark on the opposite bank
C) The thread or midline of the main channel (filum aquae)
D) The top of the bank on the side of the grantor
Answer: C) The thread or midline of the main channel (filum aquae)
Rationale: Under Georgia common law and statutory construction principles, a
boundary call running along a non-navigable stream extends to the center or thread of
the main current, dividing the stream bed equally between riparian owners.
Question 2
Under the rules of the Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (PELS)
Board, what is the maximum number of continuing education Professional Development
Hours (PDHs) that can be carried over from one biennial renewal cycle to the next?
A) 5 PDHs
B) 10 PDHs
C) 15 PDHs
D) Carryovers are strictly prohibited
Answer: B) 10 PDHs
,Rationale: Board rules state that if a licensee exceeds the required 20 PDHs during a
two-year renewal cycle, a maximum of 10 PDHs may be carried forward into the next
subsequent renewal period.
Question 3
When computing stormwater run-off using the Rational Method (Q = CIA) for a site in
Georgia, what does the parameter "I" represent?
A) Infiltration capacity of the baseline soil profile
B) Rainfall intensity in inches per hour matching the time of concentration
C) Impervious surface ratio expressed as a percentage
D) Inflow velocity head at the culvert throat
Answer: B) Rainfall intensity in inches per hour matching the time of
concentration
Rationale: Within the Rational formula, "I" represents the average rainfall intensity for a
duration equal to the time of concentration of the watershed, derived from localized
Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curve data.
Question 4
During a boundary retracement survey in Georgia, a surveyor finds a conflict between
the bearing and distance calls in a deed and an undisturbed, original stone monument
referenced in that same deed. Which element controls?
A) The bearing call
B) The distance call
C) The original monument
D) A mean average of the measurements and calls
Answer: C) The original monument
Rationale: In the established legal hierarchy of conflicting calls for boundary resolution,
undisturbed original monuments (natural or artificial) always overrule inconsistent linear
distances or angular bearings.
,Question 5
What unique map projection configuration forms the basis for the Georgia State Plane
Coordinate System's North and South zones?
A) Lambert Conformal Conic with two standard parallels
B) Transverse Mercator with a central meridian for each zone
C) Oblique Mercator oriented along the coastline
D) Albers Equal Area Conic with a single baseline parallel
Answer: B) Transverse Mercator with a central meridian for each zone
Rationale: Because Georgia is shaped with a greater north-south elongation, both the
Georgia North (Zone 1001) and Georgia South (Zone 1002) systems utilize the
Transverse Mercator projection to limit scale distortion along their longitudinal axes.
Question 6
Under Georgia law, if an adverse possessor occupies a tract of land without any written
document or written instrument, what is the statutory period of continuous, open, and
hostile possession required to obtain title?
A) 7 years
B) 10 years
C) 15 years
D) 20 years
Answer: D) 20 years
Rationale: Under O.C.G.A. § 44-5-163, prescriptive title via adverse possession without
"color of title" (a written instrument that appears valid but is defective) requires an
uninterrupted statutory timeframe of 20 years.
Question 7
, What type of error is introduced into field data if a surveyor utilizes a total station with a
horizontal crosshair that is slightly misaligned from the true horizontal plane?
A) Random Error
B) Blunder
C) Systematic Instrumental Error
D) Environmental Error
Answer: C) Systematic Instrumental Error
Rationale: Misaligned instrument components introduce systematic errors because the
defect operates consistently in the same direction under identical conditions. These can
be minimized via proper calibration or double-sighting field routines.
Question 8
When calculating a horizontal circular curve for a road layout under the 100-foot arc
definition, what is the approximate radius (R) if the degree of curve (D) is exactly 2
degrees?
A) 1,145.92 feet
B) 2,864.79 feet
C) 5,729.58 feet
D) 11,459.16 feet
Answer: B) 2,864.79 feet
Rationale: The mathematical formula for radius under the arc definition is R = 5729.578
/ D. Dividing 5729.578 by 2 yields approximately 2,864.79 feet.
Question 9
Under the Georgia Minimum Technical Standards, what explicit mathematical disclosure
must be clearly written on the face of an official property boundary plat before
recording?
& Practice Questions 2026-2027
Comprehensive exam preparation resource for the Georgia Land Surveyor licensing exam.
Covers boundary law, surveying principles, legal descriptions, plats and maps, geodetic and GPS
surveying, construction staking, measurements, coordinate systems, ethics, Georgia surveying
regulations, and professional standards. Includes practice questions and answer explanations to
help candidates prepare for licensure and professional practice in land surveying.
Question 1
A land surveyor is reviewing a property description in Georgia that outlines a boundary
along a non-navigable stream. If the deed calls for the line to run "with the stream,"
where is the legal boundary line located?
A) The mean low water mark on the near bank
B) The ordinary high water mark on the opposite bank
C) The thread or midline of the main channel (filum aquae)
D) The top of the bank on the side of the grantor
Answer: C) The thread or midline of the main channel (filum aquae)
Rationale: Under Georgia common law and statutory construction principles, a
boundary call running along a non-navigable stream extends to the center or thread of
the main current, dividing the stream bed equally between riparian owners.
Question 2
Under the rules of the Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (PELS)
Board, what is the maximum number of continuing education Professional Development
Hours (PDHs) that can be carried over from one biennial renewal cycle to the next?
A) 5 PDHs
B) 10 PDHs
C) 15 PDHs
D) Carryovers are strictly prohibited
Answer: B) 10 PDHs
,Rationale: Board rules state that if a licensee exceeds the required 20 PDHs during a
two-year renewal cycle, a maximum of 10 PDHs may be carried forward into the next
subsequent renewal period.
Question 3
When computing stormwater run-off using the Rational Method (Q = CIA) for a site in
Georgia, what does the parameter "I" represent?
A) Infiltration capacity of the baseline soil profile
B) Rainfall intensity in inches per hour matching the time of concentration
C) Impervious surface ratio expressed as a percentage
D) Inflow velocity head at the culvert throat
Answer: B) Rainfall intensity in inches per hour matching the time of
concentration
Rationale: Within the Rational formula, "I" represents the average rainfall intensity for a
duration equal to the time of concentration of the watershed, derived from localized
Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curve data.
Question 4
During a boundary retracement survey in Georgia, a surveyor finds a conflict between
the bearing and distance calls in a deed and an undisturbed, original stone monument
referenced in that same deed. Which element controls?
A) The bearing call
B) The distance call
C) The original monument
D) A mean average of the measurements and calls
Answer: C) The original monument
Rationale: In the established legal hierarchy of conflicting calls for boundary resolution,
undisturbed original monuments (natural or artificial) always overrule inconsistent linear
distances or angular bearings.
,Question 5
What unique map projection configuration forms the basis for the Georgia State Plane
Coordinate System's North and South zones?
A) Lambert Conformal Conic with two standard parallels
B) Transverse Mercator with a central meridian for each zone
C) Oblique Mercator oriented along the coastline
D) Albers Equal Area Conic with a single baseline parallel
Answer: B) Transverse Mercator with a central meridian for each zone
Rationale: Because Georgia is shaped with a greater north-south elongation, both the
Georgia North (Zone 1001) and Georgia South (Zone 1002) systems utilize the
Transverse Mercator projection to limit scale distortion along their longitudinal axes.
Question 6
Under Georgia law, if an adverse possessor occupies a tract of land without any written
document or written instrument, what is the statutory period of continuous, open, and
hostile possession required to obtain title?
A) 7 years
B) 10 years
C) 15 years
D) 20 years
Answer: D) 20 years
Rationale: Under O.C.G.A. § 44-5-163, prescriptive title via adverse possession without
"color of title" (a written instrument that appears valid but is defective) requires an
uninterrupted statutory timeframe of 20 years.
Question 7
, What type of error is introduced into field data if a surveyor utilizes a total station with a
horizontal crosshair that is slightly misaligned from the true horizontal plane?
A) Random Error
B) Blunder
C) Systematic Instrumental Error
D) Environmental Error
Answer: C) Systematic Instrumental Error
Rationale: Misaligned instrument components introduce systematic errors because the
defect operates consistently in the same direction under identical conditions. These can
be minimized via proper calibration or double-sighting field routines.
Question 8
When calculating a horizontal circular curve for a road layout under the 100-foot arc
definition, what is the approximate radius (R) if the degree of curve (D) is exactly 2
degrees?
A) 1,145.92 feet
B) 2,864.79 feet
C) 5,729.58 feet
D) 11,459.16 feet
Answer: B) 2,864.79 feet
Rationale: The mathematical formula for radius under the arc definition is R = 5729.578
/ D. Dividing 5729.578 by 2 yields approximately 2,864.79 feet.
Question 9
Under the Georgia Minimum Technical Standards, what explicit mathematical disclosure
must be clearly written on the face of an official property boundary plat before
recording?
