CST CST Survey Documentation & Records 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the standard format for recording an angle in survey field notes?
- Decimal degrees only (e.g., 45.5°)
- Degrees, minutes, seconds (e.g., 45°30'00") (Correct answer)
- Radians (e.g., 0.7854 rad)
- Gradients (e.g., 50 grad)
Correct answer: Degrees, minutes, seconds (e.g., 45°30'00")
Survey angles are recorded in degrees, minutes, and seconds (DMS format) as this is the standard convention in US land surveying practice.
Question 2: What must a survey monument tag or cap typically include to be legally sufficient?
- Only the surveyor's name
- The surveyor's license number and state abbreviation (Correct answer)
- The date of survey only
- The client's name and parcel number
Correct answer: The surveyor's license number and state abbreviation
Survey monument tags must include the licensed surveyor's registration number and state so the monument can be traced to the surveyor legally responsible for it.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a 'turning point' (TP) in differential leveling?
- A point where the traverse changes direction
- A temporary point used to transfer elevation when the instrument must be moved (Correct answer)
- The point where the survey begins
- A control monument for horizontal positioning
Correct answer: A temporary point used to transfer elevation when the instrument must be moved
A turning point is a stable temporary point where both a foresight and backsight are taken, allowing the level instrument to be repositioned without losing elevation reference.
Question 4: In a survey plat, what does a 'legend' provide?
- A historical narrative about the property
- Explanations of symbols, abbreviations, and line types used on the drawing (Correct answer)
- The legal description of the parcel
- The surveyor's certification statement
Correct answer: Explanations of symbols, abbreviations, and line types used on the drawing
A plat legend defines all symbols, abbreviations, and linework conventions used in the drawing so the plat can be correctly interpreted by anyone reading it.
Question 5: What is meant by 'positional accuracy' in a survey report?
- The accuracy of the instrument used
- How closely a surveyed position agrees with its true location (Correct answer)
- The number of decimal places in coordinate values
- The accuracy of the legal description
Correct answer: How closely a surveyed position agrees with its true location
Positional accuracy describes how closely a measured or computed survey point agrees with its true ground position, typically expressed as a linear uncertainty at a given confidence level.
Question 6: What information is recorded in a 'control traverse' field book entry?
- Only the final adjusted coordinates
- Station names, instrument angles, distances, and instrument/target heights (Correct answer)
- Client billing information
- Equipment purchase dates
Correct answer: Station names, instrument angles, distances, and instrument/target heights
A control traverse field book entry records all raw observations including station identifiers, measured horizontal angles, distances, and instrument/prism heights needed for office reduction.
CST CST Survey Documentation & Records 2
What is the standard format for recording an angle in survey field notes?