PS Cheat Sheet 2026

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

1. Which quality assurance method is most commonly applied in traverse & leveling calculations to verify that PS professional standards are being met? → Structured audits, peer reviews, and performance metrics aligned with industry benchmarks
2. In differential leveling, a backsight (BS) of 8.42 ft is taken on BM-A with elevation 312.65 ft. What is the Height of Instrument (HI)? → 321.07 ft
3. The t-T correction (second term correction) in State Plane coordinate computations accounts for: → The difference between the geodetic azimuth and the grid azimuth for long lines
4. When using a total station for machine control, the instrument continuously tracks a prism mounted on the blade. What is this system called? → Robotic or automatic total station (ATS) machine guidance
5. Which quality assurance method is most commonly applied in legal descriptions & deed interpretation to verify that PS professional standards are being met? → Structured audits, peer reviews, and performance metrics aligned with industry benchmarks
6. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) determines distances by: → Recording the two-way travel time of emitted laser pulses and their returns
7. What is the false easting assigned to the central meridian in each UTM zone to avoid negative easting values? → 500,000 meters
8. A building is to be laid out with corners at known state plane coordinates. The first step after setting up over a control point is to: → Orient the instrument by backsighting another control point of known coordinates
9. In the DMD area method, 2A (double area) for the entire traverse equals: → The absolute value of Σ(Latitude × DMD) for all courses
10. Which quality assurance method is most commonly applied in topographic & contour mapping to verify that PS professional standards are being met? → Structured audits, peer reviews, and performance metrics aligned with industry benchmarks
11. Multispectral remote sensing enables vegetation health assessment primarily through: → Calculation of indices such as NDVI using near-infrared and red band reflectance values
12. Which of the following best describes an orthometric height? → Height above the geoid measured along the plumb line
13. Which quality assurance method is most commonly applied in boundary law & riparian rights to verify that PS professional standards are being met? → Structured audits, peer reviews, and performance metrics aligned with industry benchmarks
14. A PS professional encounters an unfamiliar situation while performing construction layout & staking duties. What is the most appropriate first action? → Consult relevant standards, guidelines, or a qualified supervisor before proceeding
15. A PS professional encounters an unfamiliar situation while performing geodetic datums & coordinate systems duties. What is the most appropriate first action? → Consult relevant standards, guidelines, or a qualified supervisor before proceeding
16. What is leveling in surveying? → Determining the elevation of points using a leveling instrument
17. Which of the following is a fundamental principle of traverse & leveling calculations as it applies to Professional Licensed Surveyor? → Systematic evaluation and adherence to established industry standards
18. What is photogrammetry used for in surveying? → To create maps and models from photographs
19. Which quality assurance method is most commonly applied in gnss & rtk survey technology to verify that PS professional standards are being met? → Structured audits, peer reviews, and performance metrics aligned with industry benchmarks
20. Which datum and ellipsoid are used as the basis for the current North American State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS 83)? → NAD 83 / GRS 80 ellipsoid
21. What is a 'quarter section' in the PLSS, and how many acres does it contain? → One-quarter of a section; 160 acres
22. What is the primary ethical obligation of a PS professional when a conflict of interest arises during geodetic datums & coordinate systems activities? → Disclose the conflict to all relevant parties and recuse from the decision if necessary
23. What is the standard width of a PLSS guide meridian and how often are they established east and west of the principal meridian? → Every 24 miles east and west
24. What is the main advantage of using a total station in surveying? → It measures both angles and distances accurately
25. What does a land surveyor do in boundary determination? → They measure and mark property boundaries
26. What is the approximate semi-major axis (a) of the GRS80/WGS84 ellipsoid? → 6,378,137 m
27. What does the acronym ITRF stand for in the context of global geodetic reference frames? → International Terrestrial Reference Frame
28. In a two-peg test for a dumpy level, the instrument is found to have a collimation error. The correct adjustment is made so that the line of collimation is: → Horizontal when the bubble is centered
29. When running a differential level circuit, the purpose of using equal backsight and foresight distances is to eliminate the effect of: → Curvature of the earth and atmospheric refraction
30. What is triangulation in surveying? → Using known points and angles to calculate distances