New York Land Surveyor Licensing
Exam With Actual Questions &
Verified Answers,Plus
Rationales/Expert Verified For
Guaranteed Pass Graded A+/2026
/Latest Update/Instant Download Pdf
New York Land Surveyor Licensing Exam
1. The primary purpose of a land survey is to
A. Estimate land value
B. Determine soil composition
C. Establish property boundaries
D. Identify land usage
Rationale: The goal of a survey is to define and document legal
property boundaries accurately for ownership and development.
2. The New York State Education Department regulates land surveyors
under which law?
A. Article 135
B. Article 142
C. Article 145
D. Article 150
Rationale: Land surveying in New York is regulated under Article 145 of
the Education Law, which governs engineering and land surveying
professions.
3. A metes and bounds description begins at a
A. Random point
B. Point of beginning (POB)
, C. Boundary midpoint
D. Monument corner
Rationale: A metes and bounds description always starts and ends at
the Point of Beginning to form a closed boundary.
4. A benchmark is used to establish
A. Magnetic declination
B. Azimuth direction
C. Elevation reference
D. Slope grade
Rationale: Benchmarks are fixed reference points used to determine
elevations during topographic or leveling surveys.
5. In New York, which of the following professionals can legally perform
boundary surveys?
A. Engineers
B. Licensed Land Surveyors
C. Architects
D. Real estate appraisers
Rationale: Only licensed land surveyors are authorized to establish or
determine property boundaries.
6. The difference between true north and magnetic north is called
A. Refraction
B. Inclination
C. Magnetic declination
D. Azimuth
Rationale: Magnetic declination is the angular difference between
magnetic north and true north at a specific location.
7. The Public Lands Survey System (PLSS) primarily applies to
A. States other than the original 13 colonies
B. New York State
C. All U.S. territories
D. Urban city limits
Rationale: PLSS was used to survey lands outside the original 13
colonies; New York uses metes and bounds.
, 8. A traverse that does not close mathematically is corrected using
A. Direct leveling
B. Compass rule or transit rule
C. Triangulation
D. Azimuth adjustment
Rationale: The compass or transit rule distributes closure error
proportionally among measured angles and distances.
9. A bearing of N45°E describes a direction
A. Northwest
B. Northeast
C. Southwest
D. Southeast
Rationale: Bearings are measured from north or south toward east or
west; N45°E points to the northeast quadrant.
10.What is the minimum education required for licensure as a land surveyor
in New York?
A. High school diploma
B. Associate degree
C. Bachelor’s degree in surveying or related field
D. Master’s degree
Rationale: A bachelor’s degree in land surveying or an equivalent field
is the minimum educational qualification.
11.Leveling rods are typically graduated in
A. Degrees
B. Feet and hundredths of a foot
C. Meters only
D. Inches only
Rationale: U.S. surveys typically use feet and hundredths of a foot for
precision in leveling.
12.Which instrument is used to measure horizontal and vertical angles?
A. Level
B. Theodolite or Total Station
C. Compass
Exam With Actual Questions &
Verified Answers,Plus
Rationales/Expert Verified For
Guaranteed Pass Graded A+/2026
/Latest Update/Instant Download Pdf
New York Land Surveyor Licensing Exam
1. The primary purpose of a land survey is to
A. Estimate land value
B. Determine soil composition
C. Establish property boundaries
D. Identify land usage
Rationale: The goal of a survey is to define and document legal
property boundaries accurately for ownership and development.
2. The New York State Education Department regulates land surveyors
under which law?
A. Article 135
B. Article 142
C. Article 145
D. Article 150
Rationale: Land surveying in New York is regulated under Article 145 of
the Education Law, which governs engineering and land surveying
professions.
3. A metes and bounds description begins at a
A. Random point
B. Point of beginning (POB)
, C. Boundary midpoint
D. Monument corner
Rationale: A metes and bounds description always starts and ends at
the Point of Beginning to form a closed boundary.
4. A benchmark is used to establish
A. Magnetic declination
B. Azimuth direction
C. Elevation reference
D. Slope grade
Rationale: Benchmarks are fixed reference points used to determine
elevations during topographic or leveling surveys.
5. In New York, which of the following professionals can legally perform
boundary surveys?
A. Engineers
B. Licensed Land Surveyors
C. Architects
D. Real estate appraisers
Rationale: Only licensed land surveyors are authorized to establish or
determine property boundaries.
6. The difference between true north and magnetic north is called
A. Refraction
B. Inclination
C. Magnetic declination
D. Azimuth
Rationale: Magnetic declination is the angular difference between
magnetic north and true north at a specific location.
7. The Public Lands Survey System (PLSS) primarily applies to
A. States other than the original 13 colonies
B. New York State
C. All U.S. territories
D. Urban city limits
Rationale: PLSS was used to survey lands outside the original 13
colonies; New York uses metes and bounds.
, 8. A traverse that does not close mathematically is corrected using
A. Direct leveling
B. Compass rule or transit rule
C. Triangulation
D. Azimuth adjustment
Rationale: The compass or transit rule distributes closure error
proportionally among measured angles and distances.
9. A bearing of N45°E describes a direction
A. Northwest
B. Northeast
C. Southwest
D. Southeast
Rationale: Bearings are measured from north or south toward east or
west; N45°E points to the northeast quadrant.
10.What is the minimum education required for licensure as a land surveyor
in New York?
A. High school diploma
B. Associate degree
C. Bachelor’s degree in surveying or related field
D. Master’s degree
Rationale: A bachelor’s degree in land surveying or an equivalent field
is the minimum educational qualification.
11.Leveling rods are typically graduated in
A. Degrees
B. Feet and hundredths of a foot
C. Meters only
D. Inches only
Rationale: U.S. surveys typically use feet and hundredths of a foot for
precision in leveling.
12.Which instrument is used to measure horizontal and vertical angles?
A. Level
B. Theodolite or Total Station
C. Compass
