NEW YORK LAND SURVEYOR LICENSING EXAM –
PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES
2025|2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. The New York Education Law defines “practice of land surveying” as work
involving
A. Measuring only property boundaries
B. Topographic mapping only
C. Determination or establishment of property lines, boundaries, and
geodetic control
D. Architectural design
It includes measurement, analysis, and interpretation to define property
boundaries and mapping control.
2. The coordinate system used by licensed surveyors in New York State is
A. NAD 27
B. NAD 83 (State Plane Coordinate System)
C. UTM Zone 17
D. WGS 84 Ellipsoid
NAD 83 SPCS is the legal reference frame for official surveys in NY.
3. A monument set to mark a property corner must be
A. Temporary and painted
B. Durable and permanently marked with the surveyor’s identification
C. Hidden underground
D. Wooden stake only
Professional standards require permanence and identification to prevent
future disputes.
,4. Leveling in surveying primarily determines
A. Azimuth
B. Magnetic declination
C. Differences in elevation between points
D. True north direction
Leveling is the process used to measure vertical differences for contours and
benchmarks.
5. The closure ratio in a traverse indicates
A. Map scale accuracy
B. Precision of angular and distance measurements
C. Compass variation
D. Total station range
A smaller misclosure ratio signifies higher precision.
6. According to New York Education Law § 7204-a, a land surveying license
may be suspended for
A. Charging high fees
B. Misconduct or negligence in practice
C. Practicing out of state
D. Refusing small projects
Ethical and technical violations may lead to disciplinary action.
7. The surveyor’s signature and seal on a map represent
A. Ownership of the land
B. Permission for construction
C. Certification that the work was performed under direct supervision
D. Title insurance
The seal is a professional certification of responsibility for accuracy.
8. “Bearing” is defined as
A. Slope between two points
B. Horizontal angle from a reference meridian
C. Vertical angle
, D. Elevation difference
Bearings indicate direction relative to north or south meridians.
9. When computing area of a parcel from a closed traverse, the most common
method is
A. Compass rule
B. Transit rule
C. Coordinate method (Shoelace formula)
D. Parallelogram rule
The coordinate method is efficient for rectangular coordinates.
10.An error of closure of 1 in 10,000 means
A. 1 foot error in 10,000 acres
B. 10,000 feet error in 1 mile
C. 1 foot error for every 10,000 feet measured
D. 1 inch per mile
Indicates the precision ratio between actual distance and misclosure.
11.A “benchmark” in surveying is
A. A magnetic reference line
B. A permanent elevation reference point
C. A traverse line
D. A base line for triangulation
Benchmarks provide known elevations for vertical control networks.
12.A plat is primarily used for
A. Construction scheduling
B. Subdivision mapping and legal descriptions
C. Soil sampling
D. Flood analysis
Plats show legal boundaries, easements, and subdivision layouts.
13.The “point of beginning” (POB) on a survey map is
A. The highest elevation point
PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES
2025|2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. The New York Education Law defines “practice of land surveying” as work
involving
A. Measuring only property boundaries
B. Topographic mapping only
C. Determination or establishment of property lines, boundaries, and
geodetic control
D. Architectural design
It includes measurement, analysis, and interpretation to define property
boundaries and mapping control.
2. The coordinate system used by licensed surveyors in New York State is
A. NAD 27
B. NAD 83 (State Plane Coordinate System)
C. UTM Zone 17
D. WGS 84 Ellipsoid
NAD 83 SPCS is the legal reference frame for official surveys in NY.
3. A monument set to mark a property corner must be
A. Temporary and painted
B. Durable and permanently marked with the surveyor’s identification
C. Hidden underground
D. Wooden stake only
Professional standards require permanence and identification to prevent
future disputes.
,4. Leveling in surveying primarily determines
A. Azimuth
B. Magnetic declination
C. Differences in elevation between points
D. True north direction
Leveling is the process used to measure vertical differences for contours and
benchmarks.
5. The closure ratio in a traverse indicates
A. Map scale accuracy
B. Precision of angular and distance measurements
C. Compass variation
D. Total station range
A smaller misclosure ratio signifies higher precision.
6. According to New York Education Law § 7204-a, a land surveying license
may be suspended for
A. Charging high fees
B. Misconduct or negligence in practice
C. Practicing out of state
D. Refusing small projects
Ethical and technical violations may lead to disciplinary action.
7. The surveyor’s signature and seal on a map represent
A. Ownership of the land
B. Permission for construction
C. Certification that the work was performed under direct supervision
D. Title insurance
The seal is a professional certification of responsibility for accuracy.
8. “Bearing” is defined as
A. Slope between two points
B. Horizontal angle from a reference meridian
C. Vertical angle
, D. Elevation difference
Bearings indicate direction relative to north or south meridians.
9. When computing area of a parcel from a closed traverse, the most common
method is
A. Compass rule
B. Transit rule
C. Coordinate method (Shoelace formula)
D. Parallelogram rule
The coordinate method is efficient for rectangular coordinates.
10.An error of closure of 1 in 10,000 means
A. 1 foot error in 10,000 acres
B. 10,000 feet error in 1 mile
C. 1 foot error for every 10,000 feet measured
D. 1 inch per mile
Indicates the precision ratio between actual distance and misclosure.
11.A “benchmark” in surveying is
A. A magnetic reference line
B. A permanent elevation reference point
C. A traverse line
D. A base line for triangulation
Benchmarks provide known elevations for vertical control networks.
12.A plat is primarily used for
A. Construction scheduling
B. Subdivision mapping and legal descriptions
C. Soil sampling
D. Flood analysis
Plats show legal boundaries, easements, and subdivision layouts.
13.The “point of beginning” (POB) on a survey map is
A. The highest elevation point
