Surveying and Levelling MCQs 2026

RTK GPS can achieve

1. A only 1 km error ✓
2. B no need for satellites ✓
3. C centimetre-level horizontal accuracy in real time ✓
4. D only elevation without horizontal ✓

Scale of a map is the ratio of

1. A map distance to corresponding ground distance ✓
2. B elevation to horizontal distance ✓
3. C area on map to population ✓
4. D chain links to staff divisions ✓

Large scale map shows

1. A smaller detail for larger area ✓
2. B only contours without features ✓
3. C more detail for smaller ground area ✓
4. D only magnetic anomalies ✓

Offset surveying measures

1. A only vertical angles to stars ✓
2. B only laboratory proctor ✓
3. C lateral distances from survey line to features ✓
4. D only w/c ratio ✓

Check line in chain surveying verifies

1. A accuracy of plotted chain lines and offsets ✓
2. B only bench mark stability ✓
3. C only bitumen grade ✓
4. D only cement fineness ✓

Obstacle in chaining is overcome by

1. A ignoring distance ✓
2. B only compass at one end ✓
3. C canceling survey ✓
4. D ranging or offset methods ✓

Well-conditioned triangle has angles preferably

1. A all below 5° ✓
2. B between 30° and 120° ✓
3. C exactly 180° ✓
4. D all 90° only ✓

Station mark in survey should be

1. A erased after each day ✓
2. B only magnetic ✓
3. C stable, identifiable and described in field book ✓
4. D never referenced ✓

Field book records should be

1. A clear, dated and signed with no erasures ✓
2. B rewritten in office from memory ✓
3. C optional for levelling ✓
4. D only sketches without values ✓

Levelling staff is read at

1. A compass needle ✓
2. B theodolite vertical circle only ✓
3. C cross-hairs of level telescope at back and fore sights ✓
4. D chain handle ✓

Prismatic compass measures

1. A exact geographic longitude ✓
2. B concrete strength ✓
3. C magnetic bearing of a line ✓
4. D soil liquid limit ✓

Surveying is defined as the art of

1. A only drawing maps without measurement ✓
2. B determining relative positions of points on or near the earth surface ✓
3. C only soil testing ✓
4. D only concrete batching ✓

Plane surveying assumes

1. A earth is always treated as sphere in all work ✓
2. B earth curvature is negligible for small areas ✓
3. C no instruments are used ✓
4. D only GPS is valid ✓

Geodetic surveying accounts for

1. A curvature of the earth and spheroidal shape ✓
2. B only room interiors ✓
3. C only laboratory specimens ✓
4. D zero angular measurement ✓

Horizontal angle measurement in theodolite surveying uses

1. A only tape length ✓
2. B only barometric pressure ✓
3. C vernier or optical/electronic readout on graduated circle ✓
4. D slump cone ✓

A chain 20 m long with 100 links has each link length of

1. A 2 m ✓
2. B 0.02 m ✓
3. C 1 m ✓
4. D 0.20 m (20 cm) ✓

Arbitrary correction for absolute length of chain is applied when

1. A only for compass bearings ✓
2. B only for contour labels ✓
3. C never in field work ✓
4. D actual chain length differs from nominal due to wear or temperature ✓

Bowditch rule distributes closing error in traverse proportional to

1. A only latitudes ✓
2. B only departures squared ✓
3. C lengths of traverse legs ✓
4. D random choice ✓

Transit rule is preferred when

1. A only for leveling loops ✓
2. B only for GPS baselines ✓
3. C angular errors are considered more significant than linear ✓
4. D chain is exact ✓

Latitude of a traverse line is

1. A projected north-south component of the line ✓
2. B east-west component ✓
3. C elevation difference ✓
4. D magnetic declination ✓

Departure of a traverse line is

1. A north-south component ✓
2. B vertical angle ✓
3. C chain correction ✓
4. D projected east-west component of the line ✓

Closing error in a traverse is obtained from

1. A vector sum of misclosure in latitude and departure ✓
2. B only first angle ✓
3. C only bench mark elevation ✓
4. D slump test ✓

Acceptable traverse accuracy for ordinary land survey may be about

1. A 1 in 3000 to 1 in 5000 depending on purpose ✓
2. B 1 in 10 ✓
3. C 1 in 1 million always ✓
4. D no limit ✓

Magnetic declination is

1. A difference between two chain lengths ✓
2. B elevation of BM ✓
3. C angle between true north and magnetic north at a location ✓
4. D contour interval ✓

Local attraction affects compass survey by

1. A deflecting magnetic needle due to nearby iron or ore ✓
2. B increasing chain length ✓
3. C changing temperature only ✓
4. D eliminating bearings ✓

Included angle in compass traverse is

1. A angle measured clockwise between previous and forward line ✓
2. B always exterior only ✓
3. C vertical angle ✓
4. D slope distance ✓

Three-point problem in plane table survey is solved to

1. A measure concrete slump ✓
2. B test soil density ✓
3. C calibrate theodolite circle ✓
4. D orient table when station is not on known points ✓

Plane table surveying combines

1. A only office computation ✓
2. B drawing and field measurement simultaneously ✓
3. C only satellite orbit calculation ✓
4. D only lab testing ✓

Radiation method in plane table requires

1. A only two intersecting lines from unknown ✓
2. B instrument at interior point sighting details radially ✓
3. C only leveling staff readings ✓
4. D no orientation ✓

Intersection method locates point by

1. A sighting from two known stations to the point ✓
2. B single back sight only ✓
3. C only GPS float solution ✓
4. D random offset ✓

Traversing with plane table is similar to

1. A compass/theodolite traverse but plotted in field ✓
2. B only contouring ✓
3. C only triangulation baseline ✓
4. D only barometric height ✓

Dumpy level is used for

1. A measuring horizontal angles only ✓
2. B soil classification ✓
3. C mix design ✓
4. D determining relative elevations by horizontal line of sight ✓

Line of collimation in a level should be

1. A always parallel to earth axis ✓
2. B inclined 45° ✓
3. C horizontal when instrument is properly adjusted ✓
4. D vertical ✓

Height of instrument (H.I.) equals

1. A foresight only ✓
2. B sum of all staff readings ✓
3. C chain length ✓
4. D elevation of benchmark plus backsight reading ✓

Fly levelling is used for

1. A precise geodetic work only ✓
2. B angle measurement ✓
3. C concrete curing checks ✓
4. D quick establishment of levels between distant points ✓

Differential levelling determines

1. A only horizontal distance ✓
2. B difference in elevation between two points ✓
3. C only magnetic bearing ✓
4. D only wind direction ✓

Reciprocal levelling eliminates error due to

1. A chain wear ✓
2. B magnetic variation ✓
3. C curvature and refraction and collimation when sights are unequal ✓
4. D aggregate grading ✓

Collimation error in level causes

1. A random angle error only ✓
2. B systematic error proportional to sight distance difference ✓
3. C no effect if staff is new ✓
4. D GPS drift ✓

Sensitivity of level bubble is expressed as

1. A angle of tilt per division of bubble travel ✓
2. B length of staff ✓
3. C chain weight ✓
4. D concrete grade ✓

Benchmark is a

1. A temporary nail only ✓
2. B magnetic north marker ✓
3. C relatively permanent reference point of known elevation ✓
4. D concrete cube test ✓

Reduced level (R.L.) is

1. A horizontal angle ✓
2. B elevation of a point relative to chosen datum ✓
3. C slope in degrees only ✓
4. D chain link count ✓

Contour lines on a map connect points of

1. A equal slope angle ✓
2. B equal rainfall ✓
3. C equal magnetic field ✓
4. D equal elevation ✓

Close contours indicate

1. A flat ground ✓
2. B zero elevation change ✓
3. C water body always ✓
4. D steep slope ✓

Contour interval depends on

1. A only compass bearing ✓
2. B only cement type ✓
3. C scale of map and nature of terrain ✓
4. D staff colour ✓

Depression contours show

1. A ridge lines ✓
2. B low area closed contours with hachures pointing inward ✓
3. C uniform flat ✓
4. D building corners ✓

Gradient between two points is expressed as

1. A only bearing in degrees ✓
2. B only latitude ✓
3. C only chain correction ✓
4. D vertical rise per horizontal distance (1 in n or percent) ✓

Tacheometric surveying determines

1. A horizontal distance and elevation by stadia readings on staff ✓
2. B only soil moisture ✓
3. C only steel stress ✓
4. D only slump ✓

Stadia intercept method uses relationship

1. A D = s/K only ✓
2. B D = K × s + C where s is staff intercept ✓
3. C D = staff height squared ✓
4. D no vertical angle ✓

Pegging out transfers

1. A only lab samples to site ✓
2. B design coordinates from plan to ground with stakes ✓
3. C only rainfall data ✓
4. D only paint colour ✓

Vertical angle in tacheometry is measured with

1. A vertical circle of theodolite or tacheometer ✓
2. B chain only ✓
3. C prism compass only ✓
4. D thermometer ✓

Electronic distance measurement (EDM) determines distance using

1. A only steel tape ✓
2. B only barometer ✓
3. C modulated electromagnetic waves and phase/time measurement ✓
4. D only compass ✓

Total station integrates

1. A only GPS receiver ✓
2. B angle measurement, EDM and microprocessor for coordinates ✓
3. C only dumpy level ✓
4. D only plane table alidade ✓

Trigonometric levelling computes elevation difference using

1. A only temperature of chain ✓
2. B slope distance and vertical angle ✓
3. C only magnetic declination ✓
4. D only slump ✓

Curvature correction in precise levelling is approximately

1. A negligible always in all work ✓
2. B equal to refraction only without sign ✓
3. C independent of distance ✓
4. D 0.0785 × D² km in metres (D in km) ✓

Refraction correction in levelling generally

1. A partially offsets curvature effect ✓
2. B doubles curvature error ✓
3. C eliminates need for instrument ✓
4. D applies only to compass ✓

Errors in chaining on slope require

1. A no correction if tape is steel ✓
2. B only temperature of staff ✓
3. C slope correction to obtain horizontal distance ✓
4. D magnetic bearing change ✓

Sag correction in tape measurement applies when

1. A tape is fully supported on ground ✓
2. B tape is supported only at ends and sags under own weight ✓
3. C using EDM ✓
4. D reading compass ✓

Temperature correction for steel tape is

1. A always negative ✓
2. B zero for invar always ✓
3. C same as sag ✓
4. D positive when temperature exceeds standard ✓

Invar tape is used for

1. A ordinary building offsets only ✓
2. B concrete slump ✓
3. C paint mixing ✓
4. D baseline measurement with low thermal expansion ✓

Triangulation in surveying establishes control using

1. A only level loops ✓
2. B only random offsets ✓
3. C only lab tests ✓
4. D measurement of angles in triangle network ✓

Trilateration measures

1. A only barometric heights ✓
2. B sides of triangles instead of angles primarily ✓
3. C only contours ✓
4. D only magnetic north ✓

GPS surveying provides

1. A only interior angles ✓
2. B 3D coordinates relative to WGS84 or local datum ✓
3. C only concrete strength ✓
4. D only soil Atterberg limits ✓

Setting out right angle on ground can use

1. A only random walk ✓
2. B only slump test ✓
3. C only fly ash content ✓
4. D 3-4-5 triangle method or theodolite ✓

Autolevel differs from dumpy level by having

1. A no telescope ✓
2. B compensator that automatically maintains horizontal line of sight ✓
3. C only GPS chip ✓
4. D fixed vertical collimation ✓

Digital level reads

1. A bar-coded staff automatically reducing reading errors ✓
2. B only magnetic bearings ✓
3. C only chain length by heat ✓
4. D only concrete cubes ✓

Profile levelling along a route gives

1. A longitudinal ground section for road or pipeline design ✓
2. B only property boundaries ✓
3. C only building floor levels indoors ✓
4. D only star altitudes ✓

Cross-section levelling measures

1. A only magnetic declination history ✓
2. B only cement hydration heat ✓
3. C only timber moisture ✓
4. D ground profile perpendicular to centre line ✓

Volume of earthwork between contours can be estimated by

1. A only compass rule ✓
2. B only slump cone ✓
3. C prismoidal or trapezoidal formula between cross-sections ✓
4. D only Vicat test ✓

Survey datum for a project may be

1. A mean sea level, arbitrary benchmark or national datum ✓
2. B only magnetic north ✓
3. C only concrete 28-day strength ✓
4. D only slump mm ✓

Differential GPS improves accuracy by

1. A ignoring all satellites ✓
2. B using corrections from base receiver at known point ✓
3. C using only compass ✓
4. D measuring chain sag ✓