LSIT Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield LSIT facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. The State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS) uses which map projections? → Lambert Conformal Conic and Transverse Mercator
2. Under the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), who holds legal authority to establish section corners that are lost and cannot be restored by evidence? → The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under federal law
3. A vertical curve connects a +3.5% grade with a -2.5% grade. The algebraic difference of grades (A) equals: → 6.0%
4. What is an easement? → Right to use another persons land for specific purpose without owning it
5. When reading a cadastral map, what does the term "parcel" refer to? → A unit of land that has been surveyed and mapped, often for legal or ownership purposes
6. A random error in surveying measurements is best characterized as: → Unpredictable in sign and magnitude, following a normal distribution
7. A benchmark labeled 'BM 1452.67' on a USGS quadrangle map indicates what? → A vertical control point with an elevation of 1452.67 feet
8. The geoid is best described as: → An equipotential surface of Earth's gravity field approximating mean sea level
9. A surveyor measures a slope distance of 250.00 ft at a vertical angle of +3°30'. What is the approximate horizontal distance? → 249.31 ft
10. In coordinate geometry (COGO), the inverse computation determines: → Distance and bearing between two known coordinate pairs
11. Which of the following best describes the legal effect of recording a subdivision plat in the public records? → It offers the lots for public sale and dedicates shown public areas to the public
12. What is right-of-way? → Land strip designated for transportation or utility purposes
13. What is a bearing in land surveying? → Direction as angle from north or south, measured east or west
14. Orthometric height is defined as the: → Height above the geoid, measured along the plumb line direction
15. Which vertical datum is the official vertical datum for the contiguous United States? → NAVD 88
16. Which curve element represents the distance along the arc from the PC to the PT? → Length of Curve (L)
17. What is the purpose of using "scale" on a map? → To represent the proportion of distance on the map to the actual distance on the ground
18. On a survey map legend, a symbol showing a filled circle at a corner followed by a pipe description typically represents what? → A found or set iron pipe or monument
19. A 'section corner' monument shown on a PLSS-based survey plat represents what? → The corner of a one-mile-square section established by the US Public Land Survey System
20. What ethical obligations do surveyors have? → Competence, integrity, honesty, serving public interest
21. The Elevation Factor (EF) used in geodetic-to-grid distance reduction is calculated as: → R / (R + H), where R is Earth's radius and H is mean elevation above ellipsoid
22. In a court case involving a disputed boundary, survey testimony is most likely to be admitted as which type of evidence? → Expert opinion evidence
23. Which document is typically used to formalize an agreement between a client and a land surveyor for surveying services? → A survey contract or agreement
24. The difference between ellipsoidal height (h) and orthometric height (H) is called: → Geoid undulation (N)
25. What is the effect of atmospheric refraction on a line of sight in leveling? → It bends the line of sight upward, causing the computed elevation to be too high
26. The standard deviation of a single measurement where n repeated observations have a standard deviation of the mean (σm) is: → σ = σm × √n
27. In most U.S. states, a surveyor's signed and sealed plat constitutes which type of professional output? → A legal document that can be recorded in public land records
28. What is a recording statute effect on surveys? → Recorded documents provide constructive notice and priority for property rights
29. On a USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle map, what does the primary contour interval typically represent in moderate terrain? → 40 feet
30. Which of the following best describes a 'deed of trust' in the context of land records research? → A security instrument using real property as collateral for a loan