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National curriculum lesson · Property Ownership

Government Survey System

The government or rectangular survey system divides land using principal meridians, baselines, townships, ranges, and 36 one-mile-square sections. A township is generally six miles by six miles. A section is generally 640 acres, and fractional section descriptions are solved by repeatedly multiplying the stated fractions.

Facts checked against the current PSI Candidate Information Bulletin and GREC sources. Editorial standards.

What is the exam-ready answer?

The government or rectangular survey system divides land using principal meridians, baselines, townships, ranges, and 36 one-mile-square sections. A township is generally six miles by six miles. A section is generally 640 acres, and fractional section descriptions are solved by repeatedly multiplying the stated fractions.
Official syllabus mapping for Government Survey System
Official syllabus topicGovernment Survey System
Official PSI areaProperty Ownership
Published area weight10% of the 100-question national portion
Exam portionNational salesperson portion
Source editionPSI 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

These ideas work together. On the exam, the wrong answers usually describe a nearby concept, so learn where each one stops.

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

Start with 640 acres for a standard section and multiply every fraction named in the description.

Georgia-specific distinction

Georgia is not a primary rectangular-survey state, but PSI includes the method on the national outline. Learn it as national exam vocabulary and do not assume it is the usual Georgia deed form.

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 1

How many acres are in the N 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of a standard section?

  1. A. 40
  2. B. 160
  3. C. 320
  4. 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.

Question 2

How many sections are in a standard township, and how large is each one?

  1. A. 36 sections, each one mile square
  2. B. 36 sections, each six miles square
  3. C. 24 sections, each one mile square
  4. 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.

Question 3

In the rectangular survey system, what do range numbers locate?

  1. A. Distance north or south of a baseline
  2. B. Elevation measured from a benchmark
  3. C. Distance east or west of a principal meridian
  4. 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 two directions is the most common mistake, and measuring from a monument belongs to metes and bounds.

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.

Government Survey System questions

Facts checked against the current PSI Candidate Information Bulletin and GREC sources. Editorial standards.

Is Government Survey System on the Georgia real estate exam?

Yes. It belongs to PSI's Property Ownership content area, which is 10% of the 100-question national portion. PSI publishes content-area weights, not a guaranteed question count for this individual lesson.

What is the main rule for Government Survey System?

Start with 640 acres for a standard section and multiply every fraction named in the description.

What Georgia-specific distinction should I remember?

Georgia is not a primary rectangular-survey state, but PSI includes the method on the national outline. Learn it as national exam vocabulary and do not assume it is the usual Georgia deed form.