ILLINOIS JURISDICTIONAL LAND SURVEYOR LATEST EXAM
2026/2027 & PRACTICE QUESTIONS ACTUAL QUESTIONS WITH
WELL ELABORATED ANSWERS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES
(100% CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS) CURRENTLY UPDATED
VERSION 2026 EDITION | GUARANTEED PASS A+ (BRAND NEW!)
FULL REVISED ILLINOIS JURISDICTIONAL LAND SURVEYOR
APPROVED TEST
A retracement survey in Illinois must primarily rely on which of the following to
reestablish original boundaries?
A) Distances recorded in the original plat
B) Bearing calls as originally measured by magnetic compass
C) Evidence of the original documentation and senior rights
D) GPS coordinates from the current Illinois State Plane Coordinate System
CORRECT ANSWER: C – Evidence of the original documentation and senior rights.
Rationale: In Illinois jurisprudence, the hierarchy of evidence for boundary retracement
places original monuments (if found undisturbed) at the highest priority, followed by
senior rights, then distances/angles, and finally coordinates, per the state’s adoption of
the “monument over measurement” rule.
Under the Illinois Plat Act, a subdivision plat must be recorded to be legally effective.
What is the maximum acreage allowed for a minor subdivision without requiring full
planning commission review?
A) 5 acres
B) 10 acres
C) 20 acres
D) 35 acres
CORRECT ANSWER: B – 10 acres.
Rationale: The Illinois Plat Act (765 ILCS 205) specifies that a minor subdivision, defined
as dividing land into no more than 4 lots with no new streets, is limited to 10 acres or
less to qualify for streamlined review.
A property description reads: “Beginning at a 5/8” iron pin at the NW corner of Section
22, T3N, R2E, then S 89°59’ W 660.00 ft. to a stone, then S 00°01’ E 1320.00 ft. to a 5/8”
rebar…” The surveyor finds the stone is missing. What is the proper next step?
,A) Replace the stone with a new monument at the computed position
B) Accept adjacent property fences as controlling
C) Locate the stone by its original witness ties and reset documentation using
proportionate measurement
D) Ignore the stone call and rely only on distances
CORRECT ANSWER: C – Locate the stone by its original witness ties and reset
documentation using proportionate measurement.
Rationale: When an original monument is lost, Illinois courts require the surveyor to
reconstruct its position using best available evidence (e.g., witness ties, adjoining
original monuments) and then apply proportionate measurement to distribute
excess/deficiency.
Which of the following is NOT a requirement for a corner record filing in Illinois under
the Illinois Geographic Information System (GIS) / Surveyors Act?
A) Name and registration number of the Illinois licensed surveyor
B) Description of monument found or set
C) A full boundary survey of the entire parcel
D) Date of survey and signature of landowner (if applicable)
CORRECT ANSWER: C – A full boundary survey of the entire parcel.
Rationale: A corner record is a shorter filing used to document a monument position,
not a complete boundary survey. The Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of 1989
(225 ILCS 330) does not require full boundary retracement for a corner record.
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) standards require that for right-of-way
surveys, all monuments set must have a cap stamped with which information?
A) “IDOT” and year
B) Surveyor’s license number and “IL”
C) “Property Corner – Do Not Remove”
D) County name and date of survey
CORRECT ANSWER: B – Surveyor’s license number and “IL”.
Rationale: IDOT’s Bureau of Design and Environment (BDE) Manual, Chapter 36,
mandates that all survey monuments set on IDOT projects be capped with the
surveyor’s IL license number and the letters “IL”.
A surveyor is working in the Illinois State Plane Coordinate System, East Zone. Which
projection is used as the mathematical basis for this zone?
A) Lambert Conformal Conic
B) Transverse Mercator
,C) Albers Equal Area
D) Oblique Mercator
CORRECT ANSWER: A – Lambert Conformal Conic.
Rationale: Illinois uses two State Plane zones: East and West, both based on the Lambert
Conformal Conic projection, which minimizes angular distortion along parallels.
In Illinois, the professional land surveyor’s standard of care requires that a survey be:
A) Guaranteed to be free of all errors
B) Based only on recorded deeds and plats
C) That degree of skill and care ordinarily exercised by competent land surveyors in the
same or similar circumstances
D) Completed within 30 days regardless of complexity
CORRECT ANSWER: C – That degree of skill and care ordinarily exercised by competent
land surveyors in the same or similar circumstances.
Rationale: Illinois courts have adopted the standard of care as the level of skill and
diligence commonly possessed and exercised by members of the surveying profession
in good standing under similar conditions.
Under the Illinois Surveyor’s Act, how often must a licensed land surveyor complete
continuing professional competency (CPC) hours to renew their license?
A) 10 hours every year
B) 20 hours every 2 years
C) 30 hours every 2 years
D) 40 hours every 5 years
CORRECT ANSWER: C – 30 hours every 2 years.
Rationale: 225 ILCS 330 requires 30 hours of approved CPC activities per two-year
renewal cycle, with a minimum of 1 hour in professional ethics.
A property deed describes a boundary as “thence north along the east line of the
original government survey”. The original government survey monument at the north
end is missing. Which of the following takes precedence?
A) The distance shown on the deed
B) The location of a fence built 50 years ago
C) The original government survey field notes and restoration of lost corner by
proportionate measurement
D) A new GPS coordinate measured by the surveyor
CORRECT ANSWER: C – The original government survey field notes and restoration of
lost corner by proportionate measurement.
, Rationale: For lost government corners, Illinois follows the BLM Manual of Surveying
Instructions, requiring proportionate measurement using original record evidence, not
fences or modern coordinates.
What is the legal effect of recording a plat under the Illinois Plat Act?
A) It establishes public ownership of all streets and easements shown
B) It is only evidence of the landowner’s intent, not binding on third parties
C) It supersedes any prior recorded deed of the same land
D) It must be approved by the local county board of appeals before recording
CORRECT ANSWER: A – It establishes public ownership of all streets and easements
shown.
Rationale: 765 ILCS 205/1 provides that the recording of a plat dedicates all streets,
alleys, and public grounds to the public unless expressly reserved.
When retracing a metes-and-bounds description in Illinois that contains a call to an
“iron pin”, the surveyor finds an iron pin within a few feet of the computed position.
What should the surveyor do?
A) Ignore the pin and use the computed position
B) Accept the pin as the original monument if it matches the description and appears
undisturbed
C) Remove the pin and set a new one at the computed position
D) Use the average of the pin and computed position
CORRECT ANSWER: B – Accept the pin as the original monument if it matches the
description and appears undisturbed.
Rationale: The found original monument, if undisturbed, controls over all measurements,
per the rule of “monument over measurement” in Illinois case law (e.g., Mann v.
Pearson).
Which Illinois statute establishes the requirement for a surveyor to prepare a “corner
record” when setting or finding certain monuments?
A) The Illinois Plat Act (765 ILCS 205)
B) The Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act (225 ILCS 330)
C) The Illinois Geographic Information System Act (20 ILCS 2105)
D) The Illinois Eminent Domain Act
CORRECT ANSWER: B – The Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act (225 ILCS 330).
Rationale: Section 9 of the Surveyor Act mandates that a corner record must be filed
with the county recorder when a surveyor establishes, restores, or finds a corner that is
not currently documented in the public record.
2026/2027 & PRACTICE QUESTIONS ACTUAL QUESTIONS WITH
WELL ELABORATED ANSWERS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES
(100% CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS) CURRENTLY UPDATED
VERSION 2026 EDITION | GUARANTEED PASS A+ (BRAND NEW!)
FULL REVISED ILLINOIS JURISDICTIONAL LAND SURVEYOR
APPROVED TEST
A retracement survey in Illinois must primarily rely on which of the following to
reestablish original boundaries?
A) Distances recorded in the original plat
B) Bearing calls as originally measured by magnetic compass
C) Evidence of the original documentation and senior rights
D) GPS coordinates from the current Illinois State Plane Coordinate System
CORRECT ANSWER: C – Evidence of the original documentation and senior rights.
Rationale: In Illinois jurisprudence, the hierarchy of evidence for boundary retracement
places original monuments (if found undisturbed) at the highest priority, followed by
senior rights, then distances/angles, and finally coordinates, per the state’s adoption of
the “monument over measurement” rule.
Under the Illinois Plat Act, a subdivision plat must be recorded to be legally effective.
What is the maximum acreage allowed for a minor subdivision without requiring full
planning commission review?
A) 5 acres
B) 10 acres
C) 20 acres
D) 35 acres
CORRECT ANSWER: B – 10 acres.
Rationale: The Illinois Plat Act (765 ILCS 205) specifies that a minor subdivision, defined
as dividing land into no more than 4 lots with no new streets, is limited to 10 acres or
less to qualify for streamlined review.
A property description reads: “Beginning at a 5/8” iron pin at the NW corner of Section
22, T3N, R2E, then S 89°59’ W 660.00 ft. to a stone, then S 00°01’ E 1320.00 ft. to a 5/8”
rebar…” The surveyor finds the stone is missing. What is the proper next step?
,A) Replace the stone with a new monument at the computed position
B) Accept adjacent property fences as controlling
C) Locate the stone by its original witness ties and reset documentation using
proportionate measurement
D) Ignore the stone call and rely only on distances
CORRECT ANSWER: C – Locate the stone by its original witness ties and reset
documentation using proportionate measurement.
Rationale: When an original monument is lost, Illinois courts require the surveyor to
reconstruct its position using best available evidence (e.g., witness ties, adjoining
original monuments) and then apply proportionate measurement to distribute
excess/deficiency.
Which of the following is NOT a requirement for a corner record filing in Illinois under
the Illinois Geographic Information System (GIS) / Surveyors Act?
A) Name and registration number of the Illinois licensed surveyor
B) Description of monument found or set
C) A full boundary survey of the entire parcel
D) Date of survey and signature of landowner (if applicable)
CORRECT ANSWER: C – A full boundary survey of the entire parcel.
Rationale: A corner record is a shorter filing used to document a monument position,
not a complete boundary survey. The Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of 1989
(225 ILCS 330) does not require full boundary retracement for a corner record.
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) standards require that for right-of-way
surveys, all monuments set must have a cap stamped with which information?
A) “IDOT” and year
B) Surveyor’s license number and “IL”
C) “Property Corner – Do Not Remove”
D) County name and date of survey
CORRECT ANSWER: B – Surveyor’s license number and “IL”.
Rationale: IDOT’s Bureau of Design and Environment (BDE) Manual, Chapter 36,
mandates that all survey monuments set on IDOT projects be capped with the
surveyor’s IL license number and the letters “IL”.
A surveyor is working in the Illinois State Plane Coordinate System, East Zone. Which
projection is used as the mathematical basis for this zone?
A) Lambert Conformal Conic
B) Transverse Mercator
,C) Albers Equal Area
D) Oblique Mercator
CORRECT ANSWER: A – Lambert Conformal Conic.
Rationale: Illinois uses two State Plane zones: East and West, both based on the Lambert
Conformal Conic projection, which minimizes angular distortion along parallels.
In Illinois, the professional land surveyor’s standard of care requires that a survey be:
A) Guaranteed to be free of all errors
B) Based only on recorded deeds and plats
C) That degree of skill and care ordinarily exercised by competent land surveyors in the
same or similar circumstances
D) Completed within 30 days regardless of complexity
CORRECT ANSWER: C – That degree of skill and care ordinarily exercised by competent
land surveyors in the same or similar circumstances.
Rationale: Illinois courts have adopted the standard of care as the level of skill and
diligence commonly possessed and exercised by members of the surveying profession
in good standing under similar conditions.
Under the Illinois Surveyor’s Act, how often must a licensed land surveyor complete
continuing professional competency (CPC) hours to renew their license?
A) 10 hours every year
B) 20 hours every 2 years
C) 30 hours every 2 years
D) 40 hours every 5 years
CORRECT ANSWER: C – 30 hours every 2 years.
Rationale: 225 ILCS 330 requires 30 hours of approved CPC activities per two-year
renewal cycle, with a minimum of 1 hour in professional ethics.
A property deed describes a boundary as “thence north along the east line of the
original government survey”. The original government survey monument at the north
end is missing. Which of the following takes precedence?
A) The distance shown on the deed
B) The location of a fence built 50 years ago
C) The original government survey field notes and restoration of lost corner by
proportionate measurement
D) A new GPS coordinate measured by the surveyor
CORRECT ANSWER: C – The original government survey field notes and restoration of
lost corner by proportionate measurement.
, Rationale: For lost government corners, Illinois follows the BLM Manual of Surveying
Instructions, requiring proportionate measurement using original record evidence, not
fences or modern coordinates.
What is the legal effect of recording a plat under the Illinois Plat Act?
A) It establishes public ownership of all streets and easements shown
B) It is only evidence of the landowner’s intent, not binding on third parties
C) It supersedes any prior recorded deed of the same land
D) It must be approved by the local county board of appeals before recording
CORRECT ANSWER: A – It establishes public ownership of all streets and easements
shown.
Rationale: 765 ILCS 205/1 provides that the recording of a plat dedicates all streets,
alleys, and public grounds to the public unless expressly reserved.
When retracing a metes-and-bounds description in Illinois that contains a call to an
“iron pin”, the surveyor finds an iron pin within a few feet of the computed position.
What should the surveyor do?
A) Ignore the pin and use the computed position
B) Accept the pin as the original monument if it matches the description and appears
undisturbed
C) Remove the pin and set a new one at the computed position
D) Use the average of the pin and computed position
CORRECT ANSWER: B – Accept the pin as the original monument if it matches the
description and appears undisturbed.
Rationale: The found original monument, if undisturbed, controls over all measurements,
per the rule of “monument over measurement” in Illinois case law (e.g., Mann v.
Pearson).
Which Illinois statute establishes the requirement for a surveyor to prepare a “corner
record” when setting or finding certain monuments?
A) The Illinois Plat Act (765 ILCS 205)
B) The Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act (225 ILCS 330)
C) The Illinois Geographic Information System Act (20 ILCS 2105)
D) The Illinois Eminent Domain Act
CORRECT ANSWER: B – The Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act (225 ILCS 330).
Rationale: Section 9 of the Surveyor Act mandates that a corner record must be filed
with the county recorder when a surveyor establishes, restores, or finds a corner that is
not currently documented in the public record.
