Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Latest Update
2024-2025 Actual Exam 350 Questions and 100%
Verified Correct Answers Verified by Professor
2-Dimensional Coordinate Transformation (Conformal Transformation) - CORRECT
ANSWER: A 3-parameter
Only when X and Y coordinates are involved (no elevations)
Often times is necessary when going from a local coordinate system to State Plane
(and vice versa)
Three step process (in this order):
1. Rotation
2. Scaling
3. Translation
5 Steps of Construction Surveying - CORRECT ANSWER: 1. Placement of horizontal
and vertical control points
2. Topographical Survey for design purposes
3. Staking out crucial points of the design
4. Periodic checks on the layout of the design to placement purposes
5. A final as-built survey (after everything is built)
Abstract of Title - CORRECT ANSWER: Is a written statement of publicly recorded facts
related to a chain of title. It is not a complete statement of every detail of past title
transfers, rather a summary of ownership history
Accretion - CORRECT ANSWER: The gradual build up of a shoreline (depositing soil)
,BOUNDARY WILL CHANGE
Acquiescence - CORRECT ANSWER: A poorly defined and misunderstood legal term.
Occurs when a mutual disagreement between a boundary line is present, because both
parties are UNSURE of the actual boundary. Once both parties have acquiesced to a
new boundary line, all past records that pertain to the properties in question become
null and void. (It is the process of coming to an agreement)
In the end, there is no written evidence of the terms of agreement that come from
acquiescence. There also may or may not be testimonial evidence of the terms of
agreement
Adverse Possession - CORRECT ANSWER: Requirements for Adverse Possession:
1. The statutory period (differs for each state... for Michigan it is 15 years)
2. Open and visible possession (direct possession)
3. Peaceful possession (any hostility involved shows ill intents... notorious possession is
not allowed... meaning that there can be no effort to conceal the possession)
Paying taxes on property you don't own is a form of adverse possession
Adverse Possession is a "Statue of Limitation" type document
Color of Title is NOT one of the requirements for adverse possession (Color of Title is
where one acts like they own the property, but they technically don't have the title to it)
Affine Transformation - CORRECT ANSWER: A 6-parameter coordinate transformation
,Air Base - CORRECT ANSWER: The line/distance between two air stations where
overlapping photographs were taken
Aliquot Description - CORRECT ANSWER: Example: SW1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section
10....
The more concise the better!
SW1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section 10 (still correct, but not as concise)
SW1/4 NE1/4 Section 10 (preferred)
They are considered to be held in much higher regard than the actual metes and
bounds description. Courts do not expect metes and bounds to be perfect, but aliquot
descriptions are perfect descriptions.
Aliquot Parts and Corners - CORRECT ANSWER: The legal subdivision of sections into
halves and quarters. Any quarter corner or sixteenth corner is an aliquot corner
Allowable angular and distance closure of a section - CORRECT ANSWER: 21 minutes
for angular closure
Must not exceed 25 links in 40 chains for distance
Allowable error of closure for a township - CORRECT ANSWER: 1/4000
Alluvium - CORRECT ANSWER: Land that is formed by the deposition of sediment by
the action of water
Angle and distance Relationshps - CORRECT ANSWER: S=Rtheta
(S is arc distance... R is radius... theta is angle)
, See page 195 Elementary Surveying
This formula gives you an idea of how much a measurement could be off if an
instrument was out of calibration by a minute or a couple of seconds.
Angles to the right - CORRECT ANSWER: Angles measured clockwise from the rear to
the forward station
Deflection angles are the counterclockwise observation made from original angle
measurement (both should add up to equal 360 degrees)
Appurtenant Easement - CORRECT ANSWER: An easement that benefits the
DOMINANT estate. If the land it is attached to is sold, the easement goes with it
Assessors Plat - CORRECT ANSWER: A plat that is NOT a new land development
project. It is a plat of existing land parcels
Used for taxing purposes... usually ordered when legal descriptions are so defective
that the taxing authorities cant tell what various people own
Auxilary Meander Corner - CORRECT ANSWER: An auxiliary meander corner is
established at a suitable point on the meander line of a lake lying entirely within a
quarter section or on the meander line of an island falling entirely within a section and
which is found to be too small to subdivide. A line is run connecting the monument to a
regular corner on the section boundary.
Avulsion - CORRECT ANSWER: Sudden change to a shoreline due to a natural event
Boundary does NOT change
Man-made, artificial changes do not change title either
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