GISP Certification Exam Study Guide
Questions with All Correct Answers
What happens to shape and distance in cylindrical equal-area projections? - Answer-
Shape and distance get distorted near the upper and lower regions of the map.
How are meridians represented in cylindrical equal-area projections? - Answer-
Meridians are straight and equally spaced.
How are parallels represented in cylindrical equal-area projections? - Answer-Parallels
are straight and unequally spaced.
What do conic projections preserve? - Answer-Directions and areas in limited areas
What do conic projections distort? - Answer-Distances and scale except along standard
parallels
How are conic projections generated? - Answer-By projecting a spherical surface onto a
cone
What type of projection is used for low-latitude areas near the equator? - Answer-
Conical projection
What type of projection is used for polar regions? - Answer-Azimuthal planar projection
What type of projection is typically used for areas broad in East-West extent, such as
the US? - Answer-Conical projection
What type of projection is typically used for areas broad in North-South extent, such as
Africa? - Answer-Transverse-case cylindrical projection
What type of projection is typically used for thematic analysis comparing different values
in different locations? - Answer-Equal-area projection
What are three things to consider when choosing a projection? - Answer-Latitude,
extent, and thematics
What does georeferencing involve in the context of spatial data?
, A) Associating a map (such as a PDF without spatial information) or image (such as an
aerial image without spatial information) with spatial locations.
B) Calculating the area of a geographic feature.
C) Determining the elevation of a point on the Earth's surface.
D) Converting coordinates from a flat map to a curved Earth - Answer-Answer: A)
Associating a map (such as a PDF without spatial information) or image (such as an
aerial image without spatial information) with spatial locations.
Explanation: Georeferencing is the process of linking spatial data (such as maps or
images) to specific geographic locations. It allows us to relate features on a map or
image to their real-world positions on the Earth's surface.
Discrete features - Answer-a feature that has a definable boundary, begins, and ends,
for example a highway or lake
Continuous phenomena - Answer-each location is a measure of something, for example
elevation, concentration levels, or measures of a value in terms of a fixed point (like sea
level)
Which of the following statements accurately describes the distinction between discrete
features and continuous phenomena in GIS?
A) Discrete features have well-defined boundaries, while continuous phenomena lack
clear boundaries.
B) Discrete features are represented using continuous color scales, while continuous
phenomena use distinct colors or symbols.
C) Discrete features are typically represented as points, lines, or areas, while
continuous phenomena are represented as polygons.
D) Continuous phenomena are mainly nouns, whereas discrete features are derived
from fixed registration points. - Answer-Answer: A) Discrete features have well-defined
boundaries, while continuous phenomena lack clear boundaries.
Explanation: Discrete features refer to objects with definite boundaries, such as roads,
buildings, and land parcels. These features are easily represented as points, lines, or
areas on maps.
Continuous phenomena, on the other hand, lack well-defined or relevant boundaries.
Examples include temperature, air quality, and elevation. Continuous data is often
represented using gradients or continuous color scales to visualize patterns across a
range of values.
What is the geoid? - Answer-The geoid is the shape that the surface of the oceans
would take under the influence of Earth's gravitation and rotation alone.
Who first defined the geoid and in what year? - Answer-Carl Friedrich Gauss defined
the geoid in 1828.
Questions with All Correct Answers
What happens to shape and distance in cylindrical equal-area projections? - Answer-
Shape and distance get distorted near the upper and lower regions of the map.
How are meridians represented in cylindrical equal-area projections? - Answer-
Meridians are straight and equally spaced.
How are parallels represented in cylindrical equal-area projections? - Answer-Parallels
are straight and unequally spaced.
What do conic projections preserve? - Answer-Directions and areas in limited areas
What do conic projections distort? - Answer-Distances and scale except along standard
parallels
How are conic projections generated? - Answer-By projecting a spherical surface onto a
cone
What type of projection is used for low-latitude areas near the equator? - Answer-
Conical projection
What type of projection is used for polar regions? - Answer-Azimuthal planar projection
What type of projection is typically used for areas broad in East-West extent, such as
the US? - Answer-Conical projection
What type of projection is typically used for areas broad in North-South extent, such as
Africa? - Answer-Transverse-case cylindrical projection
What type of projection is typically used for thematic analysis comparing different values
in different locations? - Answer-Equal-area projection
What are three things to consider when choosing a projection? - Answer-Latitude,
extent, and thematics
What does georeferencing involve in the context of spatial data?
, A) Associating a map (such as a PDF without spatial information) or image (such as an
aerial image without spatial information) with spatial locations.
B) Calculating the area of a geographic feature.
C) Determining the elevation of a point on the Earth's surface.
D) Converting coordinates from a flat map to a curved Earth - Answer-Answer: A)
Associating a map (such as a PDF without spatial information) or image (such as an
aerial image without spatial information) with spatial locations.
Explanation: Georeferencing is the process of linking spatial data (such as maps or
images) to specific geographic locations. It allows us to relate features on a map or
image to their real-world positions on the Earth's surface.
Discrete features - Answer-a feature that has a definable boundary, begins, and ends,
for example a highway or lake
Continuous phenomena - Answer-each location is a measure of something, for example
elevation, concentration levels, or measures of a value in terms of a fixed point (like sea
level)
Which of the following statements accurately describes the distinction between discrete
features and continuous phenomena in GIS?
A) Discrete features have well-defined boundaries, while continuous phenomena lack
clear boundaries.
B) Discrete features are represented using continuous color scales, while continuous
phenomena use distinct colors or symbols.
C) Discrete features are typically represented as points, lines, or areas, while
continuous phenomena are represented as polygons.
D) Continuous phenomena are mainly nouns, whereas discrete features are derived
from fixed registration points. - Answer-Answer: A) Discrete features have well-defined
boundaries, while continuous phenomena lack clear boundaries.
Explanation: Discrete features refer to objects with definite boundaries, such as roads,
buildings, and land parcels. These features are easily represented as points, lines, or
areas on maps.
Continuous phenomena, on the other hand, lack well-defined or relevant boundaries.
Examples include temperature, air quality, and elevation. Continuous data is often
represented using gradients or continuous color scales to visualize patterns across a
range of values.
What is the geoid? - Answer-The geoid is the shape that the surface of the oceans
would take under the influence of Earth's gravitation and rotation alone.
Who first defined the geoid and in what year? - Answer-Carl Friedrich Gauss defined
the geoid in 1828.
