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Real estate glossaryNational exam concept

Rectangular survey system

The rectangular survey system, also called the government survey system, describes land through principal meridians, baselines, townships, ranges, sections, and fractional parts of sections.

Exam area: Property Ownership

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What does “rectangular survey system” mean in real estate?

The rectangular survey system, also called the government survey system, describes land through principal meridians, baselines, townships, ranges, sections, and fractional parts of sections.

How is “rectangular survey system” different from the closest wrong answer?

The system creates a grid. Metes and bounds follows boundary calls, and lot and block refers to a recorded subdivision plat.

What is the Georgia-specific rule?

Georgia is not a federal rectangular-survey state, but the method remains part of the national property-ownership curriculum tested on the Georgia examination.

Worked exam example

Scenario

A description identifies the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of a numbered section in a stated township and range.

What is the most common exam trap?

Trap correction

Do not reject the term merely because the property in the stem is outside Georgia. The national exam can test all three description systems.

Original exam check

Apply the definition

A description reads “the NE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 14, Township 3 North, Range 2 West.” A section is 640 acres. How many acres does it describe?

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Continue with Property Ownership complete lesson. It places this term inside the full rule, worked examples, exam traps, and mixed practice required for mastery.