Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Practice Exam

The specifications for a survey require that the boundaries of a subdivision be referenced to the state plane coordinate system. You can obtain a list of control monuments and coordinates from the?

1. National Society of Professional Surveyors

2. National Bureau of Standards

3. National Geodetic Survey

4. Bureau of Land Management

The correct answer is: National Geodetic Survey

The correct answer is C. The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is the entity responsible for maintaining the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), which includes the state plane coordinate system. The NGS provides access to a comprehensive database of physical control points, which consists of horizontal and vertical control monuments along with their precise geographic coordinates. When a survey requires boundaries to be established based on the state plane coordinate system, the NGS offers the official data necessary to reference and validate these coordinates accurately. The other organizations, while involved in professional surveying in various ways, do not specifically maintain the control monument information associated with the state plane coordinate system. For example, the National Society of Professional Surveyors primarily serves as a professional organization for surveyors, not as a repository for geodetic data. The National Bureau of Standards, now known as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), focuses on standards and measurements across various fields but does not specialize in geodetic control. The Bureau of Land Management manages public lands and resource management, which includes land surveys but does not maintain the state plane coordinate control monuments data. Thus, the National Geodetic Survey is the authoritative source for the required control monuments and coordinates.