What is the exam-ready distinction?
| Official syllabus topic | Valuation and Market Analysis: Principles of Value; Assemblage and Plottage |
|---|---|
| Official PSI area | Valuation and Market Analysis |
| Published weight | 8% of the 100-question national portion |
| Source edition | PSI Georgia Candidate Information Bulletin dated July 1, 2026 |
The Rule
PSI publishes a weight for the complete official area, not a guaranteed count for this individual comparison. Use the source, document, actor, event, and timing stated in the question before applying a memorized definition.
Side-by-side comparison
Read across each row. The terms are deliberately compared on identical dimensions so the difference remains clear when the exam hides the vocabulary inside a scenario.
| Decision dimension | Assemblage | Plottage |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Act of combining adjacent parcels into one ownership or site | Increase in value created by the combined site's greater utility |
| Sequence | Occurs first | May result after assemblage |
| Value requirement | Combination can occur without an increase | Exists only if combined value exceeds separate values |
| Exam clue | What was done | What value effect resulted |
Decision rule
Georgia-specific distinction
Worked example
Scenario. Two lots worth $90,000 each separately become a single development site worth $225,000 after acquisition by one owner.
Reason it through. Combining the lots is assemblage. The $45,000 amount above their separate total is the value increment.
Answer. Assemblage occurred, producing $45,000 of plottage value.
Common exam traps
- Reversing act and result
- Assuming every combination raises value
- Ignoring development feasibility
- Calling a legal parcel split assemblage
Original practice questions with detailed explanations
These are original instructional questions mapped to the July 1, 2026 PSI outline. They are not copied from PSI or any live examination. Choose an answer before opening the explanation.
Question 1Two adjacent lots are worth $90,000 each on their own. After one owner acquires both, the combined site is worth $225,000. What is the plottage value?
- A. $45,000
- B. $135,000
- C. $180,000
- D. $225,000
Show answer and explanation →
Answer: A. $45,000
Plottage is the increase above the separate parcels' total: $225,000 minus $180,000 (two lots at $90,000) equals $45,000. Choosing $180,000 or $225,000 confuses the parcels' values with the increment, and $135,000 subtracts only one lot.
Question 2A developer buys three adjoining parcels and combines them into one site. Which term describes the act of combining them?
- A. Plottage
- B. Assemblage
- C. Subdivision
- D. Partition
Show answer and explanation →
Answer: B. Assemblage
Assemblage is the act of combining adjacent parcels into one ownership or site. Plottage is the value increase that may follow, so it names the result, not the act. Subdivision and partition run the other way, splitting land rather than joining it.
Question 3An investor combines two adjacent lots, but zoning and access limits mean the combined site is worth no more than the two lots were separately. Which statement is correct?
- A. Plottage occurred, because the lots became one site
- B. Neither occurred, because the value did not increase
- C. Assemblage occurred, but no plottage value was created
- D. Plottage occurred, but no assemblage took place
Show answer and explanation →
Answer: C. Assemblage occurred, but no plottage value was created
Assemblage is the act of combining, and it happened here. Plottage exists only when the combined value exceeds the separate values, so with no increase there is none. Assuming every combination creates plottage is the trap this question targets.
Ready to move on?
You have this distinction down when all of these are true.
- Define every compared term without using the other term as the definition.
- Rebuild the comparison table from memory.
- State the decision rule and Georgia distinction without notes.
- Solve the worked example after changing one key fact.
- Explain the rule or fact that makes each distractor wrong.
- Answer all three original questions correctly in mixed practice on a later day.
Recommended next lesson
Continue with Mortgage Versus Security Deed Versus Promissory Note. After valuing a combined site, the next page turns to how land is financed, separating the promissory note that proves the debt from the mortgage and the Georgia security deed that pledge the property.
Return to the complete exam-concept library or the Valuation and Market Analysis hub.