RPLS Cheat Sheet 2026

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

1. Which document type formally defines the accuracy standards that a land survey must meet before being delivered to the client? → The project specifications or scope of work
2. What is the primary purpose of a control survey? → To establish reference points for future surveys.
3. Which federal regulation requires employers in construction to maintain a written safety and health program? → OSHA 29 CFR 1926.20
4. A client requests that a surveyor backdate a survey certificate to a date before a known encroachment existed. The surveyor should: → Refuse, as backdating a certificate is falsification of a professional document
5. A land surveyor discovers that a boundary they established five years ago contains a significant error. What is the ethical obligation? → Notify affected parties and correct the record if possible
6. Which of the following is true about adverse possession as it relates to land boundaries? → The occupation must be open, notorious, and continuous.
7. A surveyor measures an interior angle of a closed polygon traverse to be 540°00'15" total for a 5-sided figure. What is the angular misclosure? → +15"
8. A surveyor licensed in State A is asked to perform a survey in State B where they are not licensed. The ethical course of action is to: → Obtain a State B license or decline the project
9. A surveyor sets up a total station and observes the same direction in both face-left and face-right positions. The primary purpose is to: → Eliminate errors due to horizontal and vertical circle eccentricity and collimation error
10. Under OSHA's multi-employer worksite policy, a land surveyor acting as the 'controlling employer' is required to: → Exercise reasonable care to prevent and detect safety violations on the site
11. On a plane survey, the latitude of a course is defined as: → The northing or southing component of a course
12. Which document is typically prepared to transfer a strip of land to a public agency for road widening and must contain a legal description and exhibit map? → Right-of-way deed with attached exhibit 'A' legal description and plat
13. A title that is held 'in fee simple absolute' is best characterized as: → The most complete form of ownership, unlimited in duration and freely alienable
14. What is the primary purpose of thorough documentation in professional practice? → To create an accurate record for continuity of care and legal protection
15. A state licensing board receives a complaint against a surveyor. The surveyor's best ethical response is to: → Cooperate fully, provide requested records, and respond truthfully
16. The legal doctrine of 'estoppel by deed' prevents a grantor from claiming title to land that: → The grantor did not own at the time of conveyance but subsequently acquired
17. A project manager wants to track whether a survey project is on budget halfway through. Which metric BEST indicates cost performance? → Cost Performance Index (CPI)
18. A surveying firm's project manager is conducting a post-project review ('lessons learned'). The PRIMARY goal of this process is to: → Identify successes and failures to improve future project planning and execution
19. Under the Standards of Practice for Boundary Location (NSPS), which source takes precedence when retracing a boundary? → Original survey calls take precedence over all later derived positions
20. If a surveyor discovers evidence of encroachment by a neighbor's structure during a routine mortgage survey, they should: → Note the encroachment on the plat or survey drawing as observed
21. When a deed conveys land 'to the center of the road,' the grantor is presumed to convey: → Title to the centerline of the road subject to the public easement
22. In route surveying, the tangent length (T) of a simple circular curve is computed as: → T = R × tan(Δ/2)
23. What is the purpose of a work breakdown structure (WBS)? → To decompose the project into smaller, manageable work packages
24. Which type of error is introduced when a surveyor consistently reads a micrometer one division too high on every observation? → Systematic error
25. According to PLSS standards, a standard township contains approximately how many acres? → 23,040 acres
26. Why is root cause analysis important in quality improvement? → It identifies the underlying cause of problems rather than just symptoms
27. When developing a fee proposal for a boundary survey, a surveyor should PRIMARILY base the estimate on: → Historical production rates, anticipated complexity, and required deliverables
28. A surveyor's professional liability (E&O) insurance is MOST relevant to project management because it: → Protects against financial losses from professional errors and omissions in delivered work
29. What document must be completed before entering a permit-required confined space under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146? → A confined space entry permit signed by an authorized entry supervisor
30. Under NSPS ethical standards, when two surveyors disagree on a boundary location, the appropriate first step is to: → Confer professionally to review each other's evidence and methodology