NSPS Certified Survey Technician (CST) Level 2 Practice Exam

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• How do you account for local differences in grid vs ground distances?
• To be licensed as a professional surveyor, a candidate must:
• Parcel C would be described as which of the following?
• What is the line of collimation error, and how can it be minimized?
• In order to be certain, horizontal highway curve is missing a potential obstruction, you must determine the external distance for the curve which has a tangent distance of 210.38 and a delta angle of 8 Degrees 24 Minutes. The external distance is:
• What is the Horizontal Control Datum used primarily in North America?
• Four wooden piles in a line, 15 ft apart, have cutoff elevations that decrease by 1 7/8 inches per successive pile. If the instrument elevation is 4320.02 and the rod reading on the first pile is 3.7, what is the elevation of the last pile cutoff?
• Define backsight and its purpose.
• What is a prism pole and its purpose?
• On a map scale of 1 inch = 2000 feet with a contour interval of 20 feet, what is the slope of a feature that measures 2.67 inches between four contour lines?
• What is a resection and when would you use it?
• Why is a check shot important for network integrity?
• A survey line has a bearing of S 21 Degrees 46 Minutes 10 Seconds E. How many Degrees must be turned to go due East?
• Which formula correctly computes the volume of a cylinder with radius r and height h?
• What is a check shot used for in surveying?
• If the pipe is 84 feet long and 48 inches in diameter, how many cubic feet of water can it hold?
• Which statement about line of collimation is accurate?
• In stakeout, what is a lateral offset?
• Which of the following is a main content area assessed on the CST Level 2 examination?
• In field procedures, which statement best describes a backsight?
• The bearing N 0 Degrees 15 Minutes West lies in which quadrant?
• Using the described method, the vertical distance from the line to the roadway surface is?
• The organization tasked with creating standards for geodetic survey work is the
• What is a grade stake and how do you stake it out?
• What does QA/QC stand for in surveying data collection?
• What is a topographic stakeout and what information is needed?
• Which of the following is a safe practice around traffic?
• What is the decimal value of 17 Degrees 25?
• In civil design, a profile view is used to depict changes in elevation along a route.
• In a stakeout, what is the primary purpose of using a grid coordinate system tied to a datum?
• Define foresight and its purpose in field surveying.
• Which statement about EDM corrections for temperature and humidity is correct?
• What is the primary purpose of a plan view in surveying data?
• Contours evenly spaced on a map indicate what?
• In a road cross-section plan, vertical exaggeration is used to emphasize vertical relief. What is the effect of this exaggeration?
• A slope described as 1:1 indicates what relationship between horizontal and vertical distances?
• In land parcel descriptions, NE 1/4 indicates which part of the section?
• What is line of collimation in a total station?
• Which of the following describes offsets in stakeout?
• Which of the following is a first aid treatment for a simple broken arm?
• In curve surveying, delta represents which parameter?
• Which view shows the horizontal layout (X, Y) in surveying?
• The standards governing the horizontal and vertical accuracy of topographic maps are called?
• Which datum is commonly used in CST Level 2 horizontal control?
• Stadia cross hairs are used:
• Which statement correctly distinguishes bearing from a deflection angle in traverse calculations?
• The sum of the interior angles of a pentagon (a closed figure with five sides) would total:
• Level bubble sensitivity is directly affected by which characteristic?
• National Map Accuracy Standards pertain to the accuracy of which type of maps?
• A 2-minute error in reading a horizontal angle will cause what misalignment for a point set 50 feet away?
• To stake the Point of Tangency of a curve in the field you need to calculate the Long Chord of the Curve. What is the calculated length of the Long Chord, if the Radius of the Curve is 1200' and the delta is 20 degrees
• What is a line of sight obstruction and how can you address it in the field?
• The azimuth of BA is 162 Degrees 13 Minutes From B to A. The azimuth of BC is 179 Degrees 38 Minutes From B to C. What is the clockwise angle from A to C to B?
• In leveling, which reading is used to determine the height of the instrument (HI) by adding it to the bench elevation?
• In land descriptions, what does 'Sec' denote?
• Which of the following is an example of a decimal angle measurement?
• A rectangular borrow area on a map with scale 1 inch = 100 feet. If the area measured 5.7 inches by 8.6 inches, how many acres does the area contain?
• Among the three measured interior angles 100 Degrees 45 Minutes 37 Seconds, 92 Degrees 23 Minutes 43 Seconds, and 106 Degrees 16 Minutes 27 Seconds, which is the largest?
• To fill in a scale of 1:10,000 on an 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheet of paper with a 1 inch border, what is the largest area in acres that can be shown?
• How is a horizontal control network typically referenced?
• Which statement best describes licensure for professional surveyors?
• In the culvert invert measurement method described, what is the primary purpose of reading the ceiling with the rod inverted?
• Slope stakes mark on a route survey are the intersections of which two features?
• In grid-to-ground distance conversion, what is the role of a datum?
• Given a survey line with true bearing N 80° 15' E and a magnetic declination of E 8° 30', what magnetic bearing would you use?
• When assisting a builder by setting batter boards, what building feature are you staking?
• In a horizontal control network, what is the role of tie points?
• How do you convert an azimuth to a bearing?
• What is a profile view in civil design drawing?
• In measuring a horizontal angle with a total station, the mean horizontal angle from observed readings is which value?
• Which of the following articles is not the most important when surveying on a roadway?
• NAVD Datum of 1988 is used as a reference datum for which purpose?
• What is a closed traverse and why is it important?
• In leveling, what do the abbreviations BS and FS stand for?
• Assuming equal instrument height and rod height, calculate the elevation difference for a slope distance of 277.55 ft at a zenith angle of 90 Degrees 57 Minutes 50 Seconds.
• On a proposed road cross section plan you measure the area of fill at one station to be 5.67 square inches. The cross section plan has a horizontal scale of 1" = 50' and the vertical scale is 1" = 5" (exaggerated). What is the square feet of fill at this road section?
• What is the grade, in percent, between POT Sta 5+00 Elevation 125.00 and PC Sta 15+00 Elevation 100.00?
• First aid for a severe laceration of the forearm should be to:
• Which statement best describes the relationship between a datum and coordinates?
• In an office where clients and the public see you frequently, the most reasonable rule for dress would be:
• With an instrument elevation of 4320.02 and last pile cutoff 4315.77, what is the difference in height between the instrument elevation and the last cutoff?
• To set a grade of a sewer line at a given station, with a backsight reading on a benchmark and a foresight reading on a hub, what is the required cut reading on the stake?
• Which of the following best describes a horizontal angle measurement?
• The geodetic heights determined by uncorrected GPS measurements refer first to which of the following?
• How do you compute coordinates of a point given a starting point, a horizontal angle, and a distance?
• What is the radius of a pipe with diameter 48 inches?
• What is an offset and how is it used in stakeout?
• What is the difference in elevation (in feet) between points A and B in a level loop with the following data: Point A Elevation = 100.00 Feet; BS = 6.35'; FS = 4.78'; BS = 4.57'; FS on B = 2.90'?
• On a construction site, vertical benchmarks should be checked:
• In raster data models, Resolution is defined by which measurement?
• Which of the following would be the most likely place to obtain a copy of a recent deed to a particular tract of land?
• Define vertical control and how it is established on a project.
• When a tornado warning has been issued, persons in the path of the storm should immediately:
• An apparent measured distance of 848.64 ft is marked off with a 100' long tape that later found to be 0.02 feet too long. What is the actual distance measured?
• The mean of the following distances: 300.56, 300.55, 300.53, 300.42, 300.54 equals:
• How do you perform a simple horizontal angle reading with a theodolite or total station?
• In surveying terms, which statement about elevation and height is true?
• What is the purpose of a control point in surveying?
• Automatic Levels have a self leveling feature that is called the
• What is a common method used to determine distances between points in field surveys?
• What is a sight line in leveling and how is it used?
• What is the purpose of a check line in traverse?
• Which reading provides the elevation of the point ahead of the instrument in leveling?
• A traverse with length 71,392.06 ft closed misclosing 0.37 ft in Northing and 0.53 ft in Easting. What is the relative accuracy of the traverse to the nearest 100 ft?
• A level rod reading 8.00 feet was taken when the rod, due to an obstruction was leaning back 6 inches out of plumb at the 8-ft point. What would the rod reading have been had the rod been plumb?
• Which statement about a total station's capabilities is true?
• What method is described for determining the invert elevation of a culvert when direct floor readings are not possible due to water?
• What does a closure indicate in a traverse?
• A map has contour lines with a 20-foot interval. What does this interval represent?
• What is a foresight intercept?
• Which item is commonly used to evaluate map accuracy under the National Map Accuracy Standards?
• When running a traverse line, which location is most desirable for setting the next control point?
• In a differential level traverse that closes with zero error, if the sum of backsights is less than the sum of foresights, which statement is true?
• To calibrate the optical plummet on a tribrach, what action should be performed?
• What is sight reliability and how can you ensure it?
• For a non-right triangle, if two interior angles total 159 Degrees 10 Minutes 20 Seconds, what is the measure of the third angle?
• Which statement best describes the relationship between the National Map Accuracy Standards and map accuracy?
• Which standard unit conversions should CST Level 2 technicians be comfortable with?
• Which of the following best describes the long chord in curve staking?
• In the United States, what is the reference datum commonly used for leveling?
• What would you primarily measure with a staff in leveling?
• What is coordinate geometry in surveying?
• Which entity specifically develops standards and specifications for geodetic surveys?
• In level surveying, what is the purpose of a backsight reading?
• Which unit is used for the vertical scale in the cross-section plan when it is described as exaggerated?
• Which organization is most closely associated with setting geodetic survey standards?
• What is a stakeout in surveying?
• See figure 30. If the elevation of the 60' road is 70.00' and the slope from the outlet to the edge of the road is 1:1, what is the horizontal dimension from the road centerline to the outlet elevation point?
• What is an azimuth and how is it different from a bearing?
• A double rodded line of levels means which of the following?
• What is a total station and what functions does it combine?
• National Map Accuracy Standards apply to which map type?
• What is a traverse interval and why is it important for accuracy?
• Four piles are spaced 15 ft apart. What is the total horizontal distance from the first to the fourth pile?
• The angular error of closure for a closed four-sided traverse is measured as:
• Which of the following is a true licensure requirement for professional surveyors?
• What is the role of ethics in CST Level 2 practice?
• Which term denotes the lowest interior elevation of a sewer line pipe at a station?
• Which formula gives the long chord length for a curve with radius R and central angle Δ?
• On a vertical highway curve with a grade in of +2% and a grade out of -3%, which point is the crew setting out?
• What was one of the first developments in the 1960s that led to the growth and development of GIS?
• In a four sided traverse, the sum of the three given interior angles is 299 Degrees 25 Minutes 47 Seconds. What is the measure of the fourth angle?
• In a client-facing office setting, which dress guideline is most appropriate?
• If the elevation difference between points A and B is +3.24 feet, which point is higher?
• How do you determine the instrument height (HI) when setting up a total station?
• Features located horizontally by stadia at a distance of 400 ft have an accuracy of plus or minus:
• Which two cardinal directions are indicated by bearing notation 'N 71 Degrees 45 Minutes E'?
• What is site calibration in GNSS or total station workflows?
• Why is it important to tie your measured locations to known control points?
• How do you document field calculations for QA?
• Which instrument component is used to determine the horizontal angle in a standard total station setup?
• Which reference frames are commonly used to define coordinates and elevations in surveying?
• A closed contour line with hachures on the inside indicates what feature on the landscape?
• What is a horizontal angle and how is it measured with a total station?
• If three gaps between four piles produce a total drop of 5.625 Inches from the first to the fourth, what is the total drop in inches?
• What does datum mean in surveying?
• Which measurements are essential to determine coordinates from a known point?
• When laying out a horizontal curve by deflections, to facilitate turning to the next station you backsight the previous station with which value?
• What is a likely consequence of not tying measured locations to known control points?
• In the standard section of the rectangular survey system, which description corresponds to area 5?
• The backsight at a station is south 0 Degrees East. Projecting forward you turn the following deflection angles 30 Degrees 30 Minutes right; 29 degrees 21 Minutes 15 Seconds left; 46 Degrees 31 Minutes right. What is the forward bearing of your last line?
• What is the effect of temperature and humidity on EDM readings?
• Contours on a map show elevations at 20 foot intervals and the scale of the map is 1" = 400'. A measured distance between two contours is 1/2 inch. What percent of slope is that ground at that point?
• Name two common surveying instruments used by CST Level 2 technicians.
• Which statement about instrument height (HI) is correct when setting up a total station?
• Using a map scale of 1 inch = 100 feet, how many feet on the ground correspond to 7.2 inches on the plan?
• Why is QA/QC critical when transferring field data to the office?
• When staking a grade, what information is required to determine the stake location?
• Which factor is most directly addressed by site calibration?
• What is the primary function of the Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee?
• What is differential leveling and what equipment is used?
• What is a bench mark (BM) in surveying?
• How do you convert a bearing to an azimuth?
• Convert the Zenith angle 90 Degrees 57 Minutes 50 Seconds to decimal degrees.
• Which of the following is NOT a common mistake in angle measurement work?
• The peg method is used to:
• Licensing for professional surveyors requires which of the following?
• What is the importance of safety in surveying fieldwork?
• What is the formula for height of instrument (HI) given a bench elevation and a backsight reading?
• What is the bearing of the centerline of the north south James Road?