ILLINOIS JURISDICTIONAL LAND SURVEYOR EXAM COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND 100% VERIFIED ANSWERS || DETAILED RATIONALES
SECTION 1: ILLINOIS PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR ACT OF 1989 –
DEFINITIONS AND FUNDAMENTALS (Questions 1-20)
Question 1
According to the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of 1989, the practice of
land surveying in Illinois is declared to affect:
A. Only private property rights
B. The public health, safety, and welfare
C. Only commercial development
D. Only agricultural land use
Correct Answer: B. The public health, safety, and welfare
Rationale: Section 1 of the Act explicitly declares that the practice of land
surveying affects the public health, safety, and welfare and is subject to regulation
in the public interest. This is the fundamental basis for state regulation of the
profession .
Question 2
Under the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of 1989, "Direct supervision and
control" means:
A. Occasional review of completed surveys
B. Personal review by a licensed professional land surveyor of each survey,
including procurement, research, field work, calculations, and preparation of legal
descriptions and plats
C. Review only of final plats
D. Supervision by any licensed professional, including engineers
,Correct Answer: B. Personal review by a licensed professional land surveyor of
each survey, including procurement, research, field work, calculations, and
preparation of legal descriptions and plats
Rationale: Section 4(d) defines "direct supervision and control" as personal review
by a licensed professional land surveyor of each survey, including all phases from
procurement through final plat preparation. This ensures client that the surveyor
or their firm is the actual provider of services .
Question 3
According to the Act, "Responsible charge" means:
A. Legal liability for survey errors
B. An individual responsible for various components of land survey operations
subject to overall supervision and control of the professional land surveyor
C. The person who signs the plat
D. The person who owns the surveying firm
Correct Answer: B. An individual responsible for various components of land
survey operations subject to overall supervision and control of the professional
land surveyor
Rationale: Section 4(e) defines "responsible charge" as an individual responsible
for the various components of land survey operations subject to the overall
supervision and control of the professional land surveyor. This is distinct from
direct supervision and control .
Question 4
The "Standard of care" for a professional land surveyor in Illinois is defined as:
A. The highest level of perfection achievable
B. The use of the same degree of knowledge, skill, and ability as an ordinarily
careful and reasonable professional land surveyor would exercise under similar
circumstances
,C. Whatever standard the client requests
D. Minimum standards set by local municipalities
Correct Answer: B. The use of the same degree of knowledge, skill, and ability as
an ordinarily careful and reasonable professional land surveyor would exercise
under similar circumstances
Rationale: Section 4(k) defines "standard of care" using the professional
negligence standard—what an ordinarily careful and reasonable professional
would do in similar circumstances, not perfection or minimum standards .
Question 5
According to the Act, "Establishing" means:
A. Any survey of land
B. Performing an original survey that establishes boundary lines within an original
division of land which has theretofore existed as one unit or parcel
C. Replacing old monuments
D. Researching existing records
Correct Answer: B. Performing an original survey that establishes boundary lines
within an original division of land which has theretofore existed as one unit or
parcel
Rationale: Section 4(l) defines "establishing" as performing an original survey that
creates new boundary lines. An original surveyor is the creator of one or more
new boundary lines, which is distinct from retracement .
Question 6
"Reestablishing" or "locating" under the Act means:
A. Creating new boundaries
B. Performing a retracement survey that tracks the footsteps of the original
surveyor, locating boundary lines and corners which have been established by the
, original survey
C. Setting new monuments regardless of original positions
D. Correcting errors in the original survey
Correct Answer: B. Performing a retracement survey that tracks the footsteps of
the original surveyor, locating boundary lines and corners which have been
established by the original survey
Rationale: Section 4(m) defines "reestablishing" or "locating" as retracement. A
retracement survey cannot establish new corners or lines or correct errors of the
original survey—it can only locate what the original surveyor created .
Question 7
"Boundary law principles" means:
A. Federal statutes only
B. Local zoning ordinances
C. Applying the decisions, results, and findings of land boundary cases that
concern the establishment of boundary lines and corners
D. Mathematical formulas for calculating area
Correct Answer: C. Applying the decisions, results, and findings of land boundary
cases that concern the establishment of boundary lines and corners
Rationale: Section 4(n) defines "boundary law principles" as applying case law
(judicial decisions) concerning boundary establishment. This recognizes that
boundary surveying involves legal principles, not just technical measurement .
Question 8
The definition of "Professional land surveyor" in the Act is:
A. Any person who performs measurements
B. Any person licensed under Illinois law to practice land surveying as defined by
the Act or its rules
QUESTIONS AND 100% VERIFIED ANSWERS || DETAILED RATIONALES
SECTION 1: ILLINOIS PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR ACT OF 1989 –
DEFINITIONS AND FUNDAMENTALS (Questions 1-20)
Question 1
According to the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of 1989, the practice of
land surveying in Illinois is declared to affect:
A. Only private property rights
B. The public health, safety, and welfare
C. Only commercial development
D. Only agricultural land use
Correct Answer: B. The public health, safety, and welfare
Rationale: Section 1 of the Act explicitly declares that the practice of land
surveying affects the public health, safety, and welfare and is subject to regulation
in the public interest. This is the fundamental basis for state regulation of the
profession .
Question 2
Under the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of 1989, "Direct supervision and
control" means:
A. Occasional review of completed surveys
B. Personal review by a licensed professional land surveyor of each survey,
including procurement, research, field work, calculations, and preparation of legal
descriptions and plats
C. Review only of final plats
D. Supervision by any licensed professional, including engineers
,Correct Answer: B. Personal review by a licensed professional land surveyor of
each survey, including procurement, research, field work, calculations, and
preparation of legal descriptions and plats
Rationale: Section 4(d) defines "direct supervision and control" as personal review
by a licensed professional land surveyor of each survey, including all phases from
procurement through final plat preparation. This ensures client that the surveyor
or their firm is the actual provider of services .
Question 3
According to the Act, "Responsible charge" means:
A. Legal liability for survey errors
B. An individual responsible for various components of land survey operations
subject to overall supervision and control of the professional land surveyor
C. The person who signs the plat
D. The person who owns the surveying firm
Correct Answer: B. An individual responsible for various components of land
survey operations subject to overall supervision and control of the professional
land surveyor
Rationale: Section 4(e) defines "responsible charge" as an individual responsible
for the various components of land survey operations subject to the overall
supervision and control of the professional land surveyor. This is distinct from
direct supervision and control .
Question 4
The "Standard of care" for a professional land surveyor in Illinois is defined as:
A. The highest level of perfection achievable
B. The use of the same degree of knowledge, skill, and ability as an ordinarily
careful and reasonable professional land surveyor would exercise under similar
circumstances
,C. Whatever standard the client requests
D. Minimum standards set by local municipalities
Correct Answer: B. The use of the same degree of knowledge, skill, and ability as
an ordinarily careful and reasonable professional land surveyor would exercise
under similar circumstances
Rationale: Section 4(k) defines "standard of care" using the professional
negligence standard—what an ordinarily careful and reasonable professional
would do in similar circumstances, not perfection or minimum standards .
Question 5
According to the Act, "Establishing" means:
A. Any survey of land
B. Performing an original survey that establishes boundary lines within an original
division of land which has theretofore existed as one unit or parcel
C. Replacing old monuments
D. Researching existing records
Correct Answer: B. Performing an original survey that establishes boundary lines
within an original division of land which has theretofore existed as one unit or
parcel
Rationale: Section 4(l) defines "establishing" as performing an original survey that
creates new boundary lines. An original surveyor is the creator of one or more
new boundary lines, which is distinct from retracement .
Question 6
"Reestablishing" or "locating" under the Act means:
A. Creating new boundaries
B. Performing a retracement survey that tracks the footsteps of the original
surveyor, locating boundary lines and corners which have been established by the
, original survey
C. Setting new monuments regardless of original positions
D. Correcting errors in the original survey
Correct Answer: B. Performing a retracement survey that tracks the footsteps of
the original surveyor, locating boundary lines and corners which have been
established by the original survey
Rationale: Section 4(m) defines "reestablishing" or "locating" as retracement. A
retracement survey cannot establish new corners or lines or correct errors of the
original survey—it can only locate what the original surveyor created .
Question 7
"Boundary law principles" means:
A. Federal statutes only
B. Local zoning ordinances
C. Applying the decisions, results, and findings of land boundary cases that
concern the establishment of boundary lines and corners
D. Mathematical formulas for calculating area
Correct Answer: C. Applying the decisions, results, and findings of land boundary
cases that concern the establishment of boundary lines and corners
Rationale: Section 4(n) defines "boundary law principles" as applying case law
(judicial decisions) concerning boundary establishment. This recognizes that
boundary surveying involves legal principles, not just technical measurement .
Question 8
The definition of "Professional land surveyor" in the Act is:
A. Any person who performs measurements
B. Any person licensed under Illinois law to practice land surveying as defined by
the Act or its rules
