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CALIFORNIA ENGINEERING GEOLOGY EXAM PREP 2026 |
125 PRACTICE QUESTIONS & DETAILED RATIONALES
(CEG STUDY GUIDE)
Engineering Geology & Geotechnical Engineering / Laws & Professional Practice
Exam coverage:-
✓ Section A (Q1–Q35): Project planning, regulatory
framework, Alquist-Priolo Act, Seismic Hazards Mapping
Act, CGS Note 48, and California geology.
✓ Section B (Q36–Q70): Data collection, subsurface
exploration, geophysical methods, sampling, field testing,
and laboratory testing.
✓ Section C (Q71–Q110): Interpretation and reporting,
seismic hazard analysis, liquefaction, landslides, rockfall,
and fault rupture.
✓ Section D (Q111–Q125): Construction oversight, safety
hazards, verification of geologic conditions, and
professional practice.
SECTION A: PROJECT PLANNING & REGULATORY
FRAMEWORK (Q1–Q35)
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1. Under the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act, a fault
is classified as "active" if it has experienced surface
displacement within which timeframe?
A) The last 500 years
B) Holocene time (approximately the last 11,700 years)
C) The last 1.6 million years
D) The last 10,000 years
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Holocene time (approximately the
last 11,700 years)
RATIONALE: Option B is correct because the Alquist-Priolo Act
defines an active fault as one that has had surface
displacement within Holocene time, which is approximately the
last 11,700 years. Option A is incorrect because 500 years is too
short a period. Option C is incorrect because 1.6 million years
defines the Quaternary period, not Holocene. Option D is
incorrect because 10,000 years is a rounded approximation but
not the precise Holocene boundary used in California
regulations.
2. Which California regulation is most directly applicable to
engineering geologic investigations at a proposed school site?
A) California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
B) CGS Note 48 and the California Field Act
C) The Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act
D) The Subdivision Map Act
CORRECT ANSWER: B) CGS Note 48 and the California Field
Act
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RATIONALE: Option B is correct because CGS Note 48 provides
guidelines for investigating and siting schools, hospitals, and
essential services buildings, while the California Field Act
establishes standards for the design and construction of public
school buildings. Option A is incorrect because CEQA is a broad
environmental review statute, not specific to school site
geology. Option C is incorrect because the Alquist-Priolo Act
addresses fault rupture hazards, not school siting specifically.
Option D is incorrect because the Subdivision Map Act governs
land division, not school construction.
3. A geologist observes a linear topographic scarp cutting
across Holocene alluvial deposits. What is the most likely
classification of this feature?
A) Active fault
B) Potentially active fault
C) Inactive fault
D) Landslide headscarp
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Active fault
RATIONALE: Option A is correct because under the Alquist-
Priolo Act, a fault is classified as active if it shows evidence of
surface displacement during Holocene time. Offset in Holocene
alluvium is a definitive indicator of an active fault. Option B is
incorrect because potentially active faults show displacement
during the Quaternary but not during Holocene. Option C is
incorrect because inactive faults show no evidence of
Quaternary displacement. Option D is incorrect because
landslide headscarps are not fault features and would not
typically cut linearly across alluvial deposits in this manner.
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4. Which California geomorphic province is dominated by active
strike-slip faulting and transpressional ridges?
A) Coast Ranges
B) Great Valley
C) Mojave Desert
D) Basin and Range
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Coast Ranges
RATIONALE: Option A is correct because the Coast Ranges are
shaped by the San Andreas transform system, producing strike-
slip faults and transpressional uplifts like the Diablo Range.
Option B is incorrect because the Great Valley is a structural
trough with relatively flat topography. Option C is incorrect
because the Mojave Desert is characterized by extensional
tectonics and block faulting. Option D is incorrect because the
Basin and Range is dominated by normal faulting and
extensional tectonics.
5. A project site is underlain by Franciscan Complex mélange.
Which of the following is the most significant concern for
engineering geologic investigation planning?
A) High variability in material properties and the presence of
sheared, clay-rich gouge zones
B) Uniform bedrock conditions requiring minimal investigation
C) High permeability and abundant groundwater
D) Lack of seismic activity in the region
CORRECT ANSWER: A) High variability in material properties
and the presence of sheared, clay-rich gouge zones
CALIFORNIA ENGINEERING GEOLOGY EXAM PREP 2026 |
125 PRACTICE QUESTIONS & DETAILED RATIONALES
(CEG STUDY GUIDE)
Engineering Geology & Geotechnical Engineering / Laws & Professional Practice
Exam coverage:-
✓ Section A (Q1–Q35): Project planning, regulatory
framework, Alquist-Priolo Act, Seismic Hazards Mapping
Act, CGS Note 48, and California geology.
✓ Section B (Q36–Q70): Data collection, subsurface
exploration, geophysical methods, sampling, field testing,
and laboratory testing.
✓ Section C (Q71–Q110): Interpretation and reporting,
seismic hazard analysis, liquefaction, landslides, rockfall,
and fault rupture.
✓ Section D (Q111–Q125): Construction oversight, safety
hazards, verification of geologic conditions, and
professional practice.
SECTION A: PROJECT PLANNING & REGULATORY
FRAMEWORK (Q1–Q35)
, Page 2 of 69
1. Under the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act, a fault
is classified as "active" if it has experienced surface
displacement within which timeframe?
A) The last 500 years
B) Holocene time (approximately the last 11,700 years)
C) The last 1.6 million years
D) The last 10,000 years
CORRECT ANSWER: B) Holocene time (approximately the
last 11,700 years)
RATIONALE: Option B is correct because the Alquist-Priolo Act
defines an active fault as one that has had surface
displacement within Holocene time, which is approximately the
last 11,700 years. Option A is incorrect because 500 years is too
short a period. Option C is incorrect because 1.6 million years
defines the Quaternary period, not Holocene. Option D is
incorrect because 10,000 years is a rounded approximation but
not the precise Holocene boundary used in California
regulations.
2. Which California regulation is most directly applicable to
engineering geologic investigations at a proposed school site?
A) California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
B) CGS Note 48 and the California Field Act
C) The Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act
D) The Subdivision Map Act
CORRECT ANSWER: B) CGS Note 48 and the California Field
Act
, Page 3 of 69
RATIONALE: Option B is correct because CGS Note 48 provides
guidelines for investigating and siting schools, hospitals, and
essential services buildings, while the California Field Act
establishes standards for the design and construction of public
school buildings. Option A is incorrect because CEQA is a broad
environmental review statute, not specific to school site
geology. Option C is incorrect because the Alquist-Priolo Act
addresses fault rupture hazards, not school siting specifically.
Option D is incorrect because the Subdivision Map Act governs
land division, not school construction.
3. A geologist observes a linear topographic scarp cutting
across Holocene alluvial deposits. What is the most likely
classification of this feature?
A) Active fault
B) Potentially active fault
C) Inactive fault
D) Landslide headscarp
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Active fault
RATIONALE: Option A is correct because under the Alquist-
Priolo Act, a fault is classified as active if it shows evidence of
surface displacement during Holocene time. Offset in Holocene
alluvium is a definitive indicator of an active fault. Option B is
incorrect because potentially active faults show displacement
during the Quaternary but not during Holocene. Option C is
incorrect because inactive faults show no evidence of
Quaternary displacement. Option D is incorrect because
landslide headscarps are not fault features and would not
typically cut linearly across alluvial deposits in this manner.
, Page 4 of 69
4. Which California geomorphic province is dominated by active
strike-slip faulting and transpressional ridges?
A) Coast Ranges
B) Great Valley
C) Mojave Desert
D) Basin and Range
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Coast Ranges
RATIONALE: Option A is correct because the Coast Ranges are
shaped by the San Andreas transform system, producing strike-
slip faults and transpressional uplifts like the Diablo Range.
Option B is incorrect because the Great Valley is a structural
trough with relatively flat topography. Option C is incorrect
because the Mojave Desert is characterized by extensional
tectonics and block faulting. Option D is incorrect because the
Basin and Range is dominated by normal faulting and
extensional tectonics.
5. A project site is underlain by Franciscan Complex mélange.
Which of the following is the most significant concern for
engineering geologic investigation planning?
A) High variability in material properties and the presence of
sheared, clay-rich gouge zones
B) Uniform bedrock conditions requiring minimal investigation
C) High permeability and abundant groundwater
D) Lack of seismic activity in the region
CORRECT ANSWER: A) High variability in material properties
and the presence of sheared, clay-rich gouge zones
