Surveying and Levelling MCQs 2026

Magnetic declination is

1. Adifference between two chain lengths✓
2. Belevation of BM✓
3. Cangle between true north and magnetic north at a location✓
4. Dcontour interval✓

Local attraction affects compass survey by

1. Adeflecting magnetic needle due to nearby iron or ore✓
2. Bincreasing chain length✓
3. Cchanging temperature only✓
4. Deliminating bearings✓

Included angle in compass traverse is

1. Aangle measured clockwise between previous and forward line✓
2. Balways exterior only✓
3. Cvertical angle✓
4. Dslope distance✓

Three-point problem in plane table survey is solved to

1. Ameasure concrete slump✓
2. Btest soil density✓
3. Ccalibrate theodolite circle✓
4. Dorient table when station is not on known points✓

Plane table surveying combines

1. Aonly office computation✓
2. Bdrawing and field measurement simultaneously✓
3. Conly satellite orbit calculation✓
4. Donly lab testing✓

Radiation method in plane table requires

1. Aonly two intersecting lines from unknown✓
2. Binstrument at interior point sighting details radially✓
3. Conly leveling staff readings✓
4. Dno orientation✓

Intersection method locates point by

1. Asighting from two known stations to the point✓
2. Bsingle back sight only✓
3. Conly GPS float solution✓
4. Drandom offset✓

Traversing with plane table is similar to

1. Acompass/theodolite traverse but plotted in field✓
2. Bonly contouring✓
3. Conly triangulation baseline✓
4. Donly barometric height✓

Dumpy level is used for

1. Ameasuring horizontal angles only✓
2. Bsoil classification✓
3. Cmix design✓
4. Ddetermining relative elevations by horizontal line of sight✓

Line of collimation in a level should be

1. Aalways parallel to earth axis✓
2. Binclined 45°✓
3. Chorizontal when instrument is properly adjusted✓
4. Dvertical✓

Height of instrument (H.I.) equals

1. Aforesight only✓
2. Bsum of all staff readings✓
3. Cchain length✓
4. Delevation of benchmark plus backsight reading✓

Fly levelling is used for

1. Aprecise geodetic work only✓
2. Bangle measurement✓
3. Cconcrete curing checks✓
4. Dquick establishment of levels between distant points✓

Differential levelling determines

1. Aonly horizontal distance✓
2. Bdifference in elevation between two points✓
3. Conly magnetic bearing✓
4. Donly wind direction✓

Reciprocal levelling eliminates error due to

1. Achain wear✓
2. Bmagnetic variation✓
3. Ccurvature and refraction and collimation when sights are unequal✓
4. Daggregate grading✓

Collimation error in level causes

1. Arandom angle error only✓
2. Bsystematic error proportional to sight distance difference✓
3. Cno effect if staff is new✓
4. DGPS drift✓

Sensitivity of level bubble is expressed as

1. Aangle of tilt per division of bubble travel✓
2. Blength of staff✓
3. Cchain weight✓
4. Dconcrete grade✓

Benchmark is a

1. Atemporary nail only✓
2. Bmagnetic north marker✓
3. Crelatively permanent reference point of known elevation✓
4. Dconcrete cube test✓

Reduced level (R.L.) is

1. Ahorizontal angle✓
2. Belevation of a point relative to chosen datum✓
3. Cslope in degrees only✓
4. Dchain link count✓

Contour lines on a map connect points of

1. Aequal slope angle✓
2. Bequal rainfall✓
3. Cequal magnetic field✓
4. Dequal elevation✓

Close contours indicate

1. Aflat ground✓
2. Bzero elevation change✓
3. Cwater body always✓
4. Dsteep slope✓

Contour interval depends on

1. Aonly compass bearing✓
2. Bonly cement type✓
3. Cscale of map and nature of terrain✓
4. Dstaff colour✓

Depression contours show

1. Aridge lines✓
2. Blow area closed contours with hachures pointing inward✓
3. Cuniform flat✓
4. Dbuilding corners✓

Gradient between two points is expressed as

1. Aonly bearing in degrees✓
2. Bonly latitude✓
3. Conly chain correction✓
4. Dvertical rise per horizontal distance (1 in n or percent)✓

Tacheometric surveying determines

1. Ahorizontal distance and elevation by stadia readings on staff✓
2. Bonly soil moisture✓
3. Conly steel stress✓
4. Donly slump✓

Stadia intercept method uses relationship

1. AD = s/K only✓
2. BD = K × s + C where s is staff intercept✓
3. CD = staff height squared✓
4. Dno vertical angle✓

Setting out right angle on ground can use

1. Aonly random walk✓
2. Bonly slump test✓
3. Conly fly ash content✓
4. D3-4-5 triangle method or theodolite✓

Autolevel differs from dumpy level by having

1. Ano telescope✓
2. Bcompensator that automatically maintains horizontal line of sight✓
3. Conly GPS chip✓
4. Dfixed vertical collimation✓

Digital level reads

1. Abar-coded staff automatically reducing reading errors✓
2. Bonly magnetic bearings✓
3. Conly chain length by heat✓
4. Donly concrete cubes✓

Profile levelling along a route gives

1. Alongitudinal ground section for road or pipeline design✓
2. Bonly property boundaries✓
3. Conly building floor levels indoors✓
4. Donly star altitudes✓

Cross-section levelling measures

1. Aonly magnetic declination history✓
2. Bonly cement hydration heat✓
3. Conly timber moisture✓
4. Dground profile perpendicular to centre line✓

Volume of earthwork between contours can be estimated by

1. Aonly compass rule✓
2. Bonly slump cone✓
3. Cprismoidal or trapezoidal formula between cross-sections✓
4. Donly Vicat test✓

Survey datum for a project may be

1. Amean sea level, arbitrary benchmark or national datum✓
2. Bonly magnetic north✓
3. Conly concrete 28-day strength✓
4. Donly slump mm✓

Total station integrates

1. Aonly GPS receiver✓
2. Bangle measurement, EDM and microprocessor for coordinates✓
3. Conly dumpy level✓
4. Donly plane table alidade✓

Trigonometric levelling computes elevation difference using

1. Aonly temperature of chain✓
2. Bslope distance and vertical angle✓
3. Conly magnetic declination✓
4. Donly slump✓

Curvature correction in precise levelling is approximately

1. Anegligible always in all work✓
2. Bequal to refraction only without sign✓
3. Cindependent of distance✓
4. D0.0785 × D² km in metres (D in km)✓

Refraction correction in levelling generally

1. Apartially offsets curvature effect✓
2. Bdoubles curvature error✓
3. Celiminates need for instrument✓
4. Dapplies only to compass✓

Errors in chaining on slope require

1. Ano correction if tape is steel✓
2. Bonly temperature of staff✓
3. Cslope correction to obtain horizontal distance✓
4. Dmagnetic bearing change✓

Sag correction in tape measurement applies when

1. Atape is fully supported on ground✓
2. Btape is supported only at ends and sags under own weight✓
3. Cusing EDM✓
4. Dreading compass✓

Temperature correction for steel tape is

1. Aalways negative✓
2. Bzero for invar always✓
3. Csame as sag✓
4. Dpositive when temperature exceeds standard✓

Invar tape is used for

1. Aordinary building offsets only✓
2. Bconcrete slump✓
3. Cpaint mixing✓
4. Dbaseline measurement with low thermal expansion✓

Triangulation in surveying establishes control using

1. Aonly level loops✓
2. Bonly random offsets✓
3. Conly lab tests✓
4. Dmeasurement of angles in triangle network✓

Trilateration measures

1. Aonly barometric heights✓
2. Bsides of triangles instead of angles primarily✓
3. Conly contours✓
4. Donly magnetic north✓

GPS surveying provides

1. Aonly interior angles✓
2. B3D coordinates relative to WGS84 or local datum✓
3. Conly concrete strength✓
4. Donly soil Atterberg limits✓

Differential GPS improves accuracy by

1. Aignoring all satellites✓
2. Busing corrections from base receiver at known point✓
3. Cusing only compass✓
4. Dmeasuring chain sag✓

RTK GPS can achieve

1. Aonly 1 km error✓
2. Bno need for satellites✓
3. Ccentimetre-level horizontal accuracy in real time✓
4. Donly elevation without horizontal✓

Scale of a map is the ratio of

1. Amap distance to corresponding ground distance✓
2. Belevation to horizontal distance✓
3. Carea on map to population✓
4. Dchain links to staff divisions✓

Large scale map shows

1. Asmaller detail for larger area✓
2. Bonly contours without features✓
3. Cmore detail for smaller ground area✓
4. Donly magnetic anomalies✓

Offset surveying measures

1. Aonly vertical angles to stars✓
2. Bonly laboratory proctor✓
3. Clateral distances from survey line to features✓
4. Donly w/c ratio✓

Check line in chain surveying verifies

1. Aaccuracy of plotted chain lines and offsets✓
2. Bonly bench mark stability✓
3. Conly bitumen grade✓
4. Donly cement fineness✓

Obstacle in chaining is overcome by

1. Aignoring distance✓
2. Bonly compass at one end✓
3. Ccanceling survey✓
4. Dranging or offset methods✓

Well-conditioned triangle has angles preferably

1. Aall below 5°✓
2. Bbetween 30° and 120°✓
3. Cexactly 180°✓
4. Dall 90° only✓

Station mark in survey should be

1. Aerased after each day✓
2. Bonly magnetic✓
3. Cstable, identifiable and described in field book✓
4. Dnever referenced✓

Field book records should be

1. Aclear, dated and signed with no erasures✓
2. Brewritten in office from memory✓
3. Coptional for levelling✓
4. Donly sketches without values✓

Levelling staff is read at

1. Acompass needle✓
2. Btheodolite vertical circle only✓
3. Ccross-hairs of level telescope at back and fore sights✓
4. Dchain handle✓

Pegging out transfers

1. Aonly lab samples to site✓
2. Bdesign coordinates from plan to ground with stakes✓
3. Conly rainfall data✓
4. Donly paint colour✓

Reciprocal levelling eliminates error due to

1. Achain wear✓
2. Bmagnetic variation✓
3. Ccurvature and refraction and collimation when sights are unequal✓
4. Daggregate grading✓

Collimation error in level causes

1. Arandom angle error only✓
2. Bsystematic error proportional to sight distance difference✓
3. Cno effect if staff is new✓
4. DGPS drift✓

Sensitivity of level bubble is expressed as

1. Aangle of tilt per division of bubble travel✓
2. Blength of staff✓
3. Cchain weight✓
4. Dconcrete grade✓

Benchmark is a

1. Atemporary nail only✓
2. Bmagnetic north marker✓
3. Crelatively permanent reference point of known elevation✓
4. Dconcrete cube test✓

Reduced level (R.L.) is

1. Ahorizontal angle✓
2. Belevation of a point relative to chosen datum✓
3. Cslope in degrees only✓
4. Dchain link count✓

Contour lines on a map connect points of

1. Aequal slope angle✓
2. Bequal rainfall✓
3. Cequal magnetic field✓
4. Dequal elevation✓

Close contours indicate

1. Aflat ground✓
2. Bzero elevation change✓
3. Cwater body always✓
4. Dsteep slope✓

Contour interval depends on

1. Aonly compass bearing✓
2. Bonly cement type✓
3. Cscale of map and nature of terrain✓
4. Dstaff colour✓

Depression contours show

1. Aridge lines✓
2. Blow area closed contours with hachures pointing inward✓
3. Cuniform flat✓
4. Dbuilding corners✓

Gradient between two points is expressed as

1. Aonly bearing in degrees✓
2. Bonly latitude✓
3. Conly chain correction✓
4. Dvertical rise per horizontal distance (1 in n or percent)✓

Tacheometric surveying determines

1. Ahorizontal distance and elevation by stadia readings on staff✓
2. Bonly soil moisture✓
3. Conly steel stress✓
4. Donly slump✓

Stadia intercept method uses relationship

1. AD = s/K only✓
2. BD = K × s + C where s is staff intercept✓
3. CD = staff height squared✓
4. Dno vertical angle✓

Setting out right angle on ground can use

1. Aonly random walk✓
2. Bonly slump test✓
3. Conly fly ash content✓
4. D3-4-5 triangle method or theodolite✓

Autolevel differs from dumpy level by having

1. Ano telescope✓
2. Bcompensator that automatically maintains horizontal line of sight✓
3. Conly GPS chip✓
4. Dfixed vertical collimation✓

Digital level reads

1. Abar-coded staff automatically reducing reading errors✓
2. Bonly magnetic bearings✓
3. Conly chain length by heat✓
4. Donly concrete cubes✓

Profile levelling along a route gives

1. Alongitudinal ground section for road or pipeline design✓
2. Bonly property boundaries✓
3. Conly building floor levels indoors✓
4. Donly star altitudes✓

Cross-section levelling measures

1. Aonly magnetic declination history✓
2. Bonly cement hydration heat✓
3. Conly timber moisture✓
4. Dground profile perpendicular to centre line✓

Volume of earthwork between contours can be estimated by

1. Aonly compass rule✓
2. Bonly slump cone✓
3. Cprismoidal or trapezoidal formula between cross-sections✓
4. Donly Vicat test✓

Survey datum for a project may be

1. Amean sea level, arbitrary benchmark or national datum✓
2. Bonly magnetic north✓
3. Conly concrete 28-day strength✓
4. Donly slump mm✓