Free Surveying MCQs with Answers
77 Surveying MCQs from Civil Engineering, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
Surveying covers measurement of distances, angles and elevations, traversing, levelling, contouring, plane table work, theodolites, total stations and basic photogrammetry. It includes error adjustment, coordinate calculations, area and volume determination, and the distinction between accuracy and precision, as well as between temporary and permanent adjustments.
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- A. Work from whole to part
- B. Work from part to whole
- C. Measure angles before distances
- D. Begin with contour intervals
Explanation: Surveying normally establishes the larger control framework first and then fills in smaller details.
Correct answer: Work from whole to part- A. Accuracy is repeatability, while precision is closeness to truth
- B. Accuracy is closeness to truth, while precision is repeatability
- C. Accuracy concerns angles, while precision concerns distances
- D. Accuracy concerns maps, while precision concerns instruments
Explanation: Accuracy describes how close a measured value is to the true value. Precision describes how closely repeated measurements agree with one…
Correct answer: Accuracy is closeness to truth, while precision is repeatability- A. 124.350 m
- B. 125.600 m
- C. 126.850 m
- D. 127.100 m
Explanation: The height of instrument equals the reduced level of the benchmark plus the backsight. Therefore, HI = 125.600 + 1.250 = 126.850 m.
Correct answer: 126.850 m- A. The included angles
- B. The number of observed bearings
- C. The elevations of stations
- D. The lengths of the traverse sides
Explanation: The Bowditch rule distributes latitude and departure corrections according to the lengths of the respective traverse sides.
Correct answer: The lengths of the traverse sides- A. Centering the instrument
- B. Focusing the objective lens
- C. Measuring the vertical angle
- D. Reading the horizontal circle
Explanation: The instrument is first centered approximately over the station so that subsequent levelling is performed at the correct position.
Correct answer: Centering the instrument- A. They always intersect at right angles
- B. They normally do not intersect one another
- C. They are equally spaced on every slope
- D. They always form straight parallel lines
Explanation: Contour lines representing different elevations normally do not intersect.
Correct answer: They normally do not intersect one another- A. The elevation of a benchmark
- B. The magnetic declination of a compass
- C. The position of the instrument station
- D. The area of a plotted polygon
Explanation: Resection locates the occupied plane table station by sighting to points whose positions are already known.
Correct answer: The position of the instrument station- A. It eliminates the need for any control points
- B. It requires no centering or levelling
- C. It works without line of sight to the target
- D. It electronically measures distances and angles
Explanation: A total station combines electronic angle measurement with electronic distance measurement and data processing.
Correct answer: It electronically measures distances and angles- A. 5,000 square metres
- B. 3,000 square metres
- C. 1,500 square metres
- D. 10,000 square metres
Explanation: The plot has a length of 100 m and a width of 50 m. Its area is therefore 100 × 50 = 5,000 square metres.
Correct answer: 5,000 square metres- A. It levels the instrument at each station
- B. It establishes the required relation between instrument axes
- C. It focuses the telescope on a particular staff
- D. It sets the initial reading of the horizontal circle
Explanation: Permanent adjustment establishes and maintains the correct geometric relationships among the theodolite axes.
Correct answer: It establishes the required relation between instrument axes- A. 208.675 m
- B. 209.125 m
- C. 213.025 m
- D. 213.675 m
Explanation: Reduced level is found by subtracting the foresight from the height of instrument: 210.850 minus 2.175 equals 208.675 m.
Correct answer: 208.675 m- A. To determine magnetic declination
- B. To calculate the traverse bearing
- C. To increase the contour interval
- D. To eliminate errors from unequal sight lengths
Explanation: Reciprocal levelling uses observations from both sides of an obstacle, so errors caused by collimation, curvature and refraction are…
Correct answer: To eliminate errors from unequal sight lengths13. A line has a whole-circle bearing of 128°20′. What is the whole-circle bearing of its back bearing?
- A. 308°20′
- B. 128°20′
- C. 231°40′
- D. 51°40′
Explanation: The back bearing is obtained by adding 180 degrees when the fore bearing is less than 180 degrees. Thus, 128°20′ plus 180° equals 308°20′.
Correct answer: 308°20′- A. 50.0 m north and 86.6 m east
- B. 86.6 m north and 50.0 m east
- C. 86.6 m south and 50.0 m east
- D. 50.0 m south and 86.6 m west
Explanation: For a bearing measured from north, latitude equals L cos 30 degrees and departure equals L sin 30 degrees.
Correct answer: 86.6 m north and 50.0 m east- A. Random error
- B. Gross error
- C. Systematic error
- D. Personal accidental error
Explanation: A consistent instrument constant produces a systematic error because its effect follows a regular pattern and can often be determined or…
Correct answer: Systematic error- A. Horizontal equivalent
- B. Reduced distance
- C. Contour gradient
- D. Vertical interval
Explanation: The difference in elevation between consecutive contour lines is called the contour interval or vertical interval.
Correct answer: Vertical interval- A. Around one accessible station
- B. Only on the opposite side of an obstacle
- C. Along a long closed traverse
- D. At points with unknown magnetic declination
Explanation: In radiation, rays are drawn from one occupied plane table station to the detail points, and distances are measured from that station.
Correct answer: Around one accessible station- A. To make the vertical axis exactly vertical
- B. To place the instrument over the survey station
- C. To remove error of eccentricity permanently
- D. To set the telescope line perpendicular to the horizontal axis
Explanation: Centring places the vertical axis of the theodolite directly over the ground station.
Correct answer: To place the instrument over the survey station- A. Magnetic bearing
- B. Atmospheric pressure
- C. Relative elevation or height difference
- D. Instrument bubble sensitivity
Explanation: The change in apparent position of an image between overlapping photographs is parallax, and its magnitude is related to the relative…
Correct answer: Relative elevation or height difference- A. Increasing the difference between sight lengths
- B. Using a shorter staff at each point
- C. Taking several foresights at one point
- D. Taking equal sight lengths on both sides
Explanation: Equal backsight and foresight distances make the collimation error equal in both readings, so it cancels in the difference.
Correct answer: Taking equal sight lengths on both sidesSurveying MCQs: common questions
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There are 77 Surveying MCQs in the Civil Engineering bank, shown 20 to a page with the correct answer and an explanation on each.
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