NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying Exam 2025 – Complete Prep Guide

Horizontal control in surveying refers to a network of points on the earth’s surface with established horizontal positions. These points serve as reference markers used in various types of surveying tasks, such as land boundary determination, construction layout, and mapping. The horizontal coordinates of these points are typically defined in terms of a horizontal coordinate system, enabling surveyors to derive accurate measurements and positions relative to these control points.

This network is crucial for providing a consistent framework for horizontal measurements across a project area. By using these known horizontal positions, surveyors can ensure that their measurements and calculations are precise and reliable, contributing to the integrity of the survey as a whole.

Other options do not accurately capture the essence of horizontal control. For instance, a type of control used for vertical measurements concerns vertical control, while measurements related to the curvature of the earth pertain to geodetic principles rather than to horizontal control specifically. Techniques for calculating land area are also separate from the concept of horizontal control, which is fundamentally concerned with positioning rather than area calculation.