Where this fits on the exam
| Official syllabus topic | Government Survey System |
|---|---|
| Official PSI area | Property Ownership |
| Published area weight | 10% of the national portion |
| Exam portion | National salesperson portion |
| Source edition | PSI Georgia Candidate Information Bulletin dated July 1, 2026 |
The Rule
PSI publishes the weight for the complete content area, not a fixed question count for this lesson. Learn the rule well enough to apply it when PSI changes names, numbers, or parties in a new scenario.
The lesson
Principal meridian and baseline
North-south meridians and east-west baselines create the reference framework from which township and range positions are counted.
Township and range
Township tiers run north or south of a baseline. Ranges run east or west of a principal meridian. Their intersection identifies a survey township.
Sections
A standard township contains 36 numbered sections. Each standard section is one square mile or 640 acres, subject to survey corrections.
Fractional descriptions
Work from the section inward. The NW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 is 1/4 × 1/4 × 640, or 40 acres.
Decision rule
Georgia-specific distinction
Worked example
Scenario. Find the acreage in the E 1/2 of the NW 1/4 of a standard section.
Reason it through. Start with 640 acres, multiply by one-fourth, then by one-half: 640 × 1/4 × 1/2.
Answer. The parcel contains 80 acres.
Common exam traps
- Treating a township as one square mile
- Adding fractions instead of multiplying
- Forgetting range is east or west
- Assuming every surveyed section is perfectly regular
Original practice questions with detailed explanations
These questions were written for instruction and mapped to the current outline. They are not copied from PSI or any live examination. Choose an answer before opening the explanation.
Question 1How many acres are in the N 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of a standard section?
- A. 40
- B. 160
- C. 320
- D. 80
Show answer and explanation →
Answer: D. 80
Start with 640 acres and multiply every fraction named: 640 x 1/4 x 1/2 = 80 acres. 160 is the wrong answer for stopping at the SE 1/4 and forgetting the half.
- A. Incorrect. Forty acres would be one-quarter of a quarter-section, not one-half.
- B. Incorrect. A quarter-section is 160 acres, but the buyer receives only half of it.
- C. Incorrect. Three hundred twenty acres is half of a whole section.
- D. Correct. 640 ÷ 4 ÷ 2 = 80 acres; work through both fractions.
Question 2A title examiner sees a standard township on a government-survey grid. Before applying any fractional section description, how many sections does the township contain, and how large is each standard section?
- A. 36 sections, each one mile square
- B. 36 sections, each six miles square
- C. 24 sections, each one mile square
- D. 6 sections, each six miles square
Show answer and explanation →
Answer: A. 36 sections, each one mile square
A standard township is six miles by six miles and holds 36 sections, each one square mile, or 640 acres. The six-miles-square option describes the township itself, not a section.
- A. Correct. A standard township contains 36 sections, each nominally one mile square.
- B. Incorrect. Six miles square describes the township, not each section.
- C. Incorrect. A standard township has 36 sections, not 24.
- D. Incorrect. The number six describes the miles along a township side, not its section count.
Question 3In the rectangular survey system, what do range numbers locate?
- A. Distance north or south of a baseline
- B. Elevation measured from a benchmark
- C. Distance east or west of a principal meridian
- D. Distance from a monument along a boundary
Show answer and explanation →
Answer: C. Distance east or west of a principal meridian
Ranges are counted east or west of a principal meridian, while township tiers are counted north or south of a baseline. Swapping those directions reverses the reference lines; measuring from a monument belongs to metes and bounds.
- A. Incorrect. Township tiers are measured north or south of the baseline.
- B. Incorrect. Elevation uses a vertical reference such as a benchmark, not a range designation.
- C. Correct. Ranges identify positions east or west of the principal meridian.
- D. Incorrect. Distances between monuments belong to boundary descriptions, not the township-range grid.
Ready to move on?
You are ready for the next lesson when all of these are true.
- Explain Government Survey System in one clear answer without notes.
- Separate Principal meridian and baseline from Township and range using a fresh example.
- Apply the decision rule to a new fact pattern and name the fact that controls the result.
- State the Georgia-specific point or explain why the national rule applies unchanged.
- Answer every practice question and explain the rule each rejected option misapplies.
- Revisit this topic later in mixed practice without category labels.
Recommended next lesson
Continue with Measuring Structures, Acreage, and Land. Measuring Structures, Acreage, and Land carries the section math into square feet, using 43,560 square feet per acre to turn a 40-acre or 80-acre answer into the units an exam problem asks for.
Return to the Property Ownership hub to see every official branch and the complete lesson sequence for this content area.