Compass Surveying

JKSSB Junior Engineer (Civil) · Surveying · 10 practice questions with answers and explanations: 4 Easy, 6 Medium, 0 Hard.

Sample questions

Sample Easy question 1

Magnetic declination is the angle between:

  1. The compass needle and the horizontal
  2. The true meridian and the grid north
  3. The line of sight and the horizontal
  4. The magnetic meridian and the true meridian
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Answer: D. It varies from place to place and changes with time.

Sample Easy question 2

A surveyor's compass gives bearings in the:

  1. Quadrantal (reduced) system
  2. Whole circle system only
  3. Grid system
  4. Polar system
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Answer: A. The prismatic compass usually gives the whole circle bearing.

Sample Easy question 3

The dip of the magnetic needle is counteracted by:

  1. A lubricant
  2. A prism
  3. A spirit level
  4. A rider (a small sliding weight) on the needle
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Answer: D. The rider balances the dip so that the needle stays horizontal.

Sample Medium question 4

The magnetic bearing of a line is 120° and the declination is 3° east. The true bearing is:

  1. 123°
  2. 3°
  3. 120°
  4. 117°
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Answer: A. With an easterly declination the true bearing is greater than the magnetic bearing.

Sample Medium question 5

A line has a whole circle bearing of 285°. Its quadrantal bearing is:

  1. N 105° W
  2. S 75° W
  3. N 75° W
  4. S 105° E
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Answer: C. A bearing between 270° and 360° lies in the fourth (NW) quadrant, so it is N (360° − WCB) W.

Sample Medium question 6

The magnetic bearing of a line is 210° and the magnetic declination is 4° west. The true bearing is:

  1. 206°
  2. 214°
  3. 202°
  4. 210°
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Answer: A. True bearing = magnetic bearing + declination, and a west declination is negative.

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