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300+ Free Hawaii Land Surveyor Exam Practice Questions

Pass your Hawaii Land Surveyor State Examination exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Hawaii Land Surveyor Exam Exam

1848

Year the Great Mahele began under Kamehameha III

Hawaii land-history records

1850

Kuleana Act granting native tenants fee title

Kuleana Act of 1850

Act 56 (1903)

Created Hawaii's Land Court Torrens system

HRS Chapter 501

0 = South

Hawaii recorded-plan azimuth origin under HRS 502-17

HRS 502-17

~$80

Hawaii Board-produced state exam fee

Hawaii DCCA Board

HRS 464

Statute governing Hawaii surveyor licensing

Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 464

Hawaii requires every land surveyor applicant to pass a Board-produced state exam covering Hawaii description writing and Hawaiian land matters, on top of the national NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) and Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exams. Hawaii is a non-PLSS, metes-and-bounds state whose titles trace to the 1848 Great Mahele, Land Commission Awards, the 1850 Kuleana Act, and Royal Patents, recorded under a dual Land Court (Torrens, Act 56 of 1903) and Regular System. This bank delivers 100 selected-response knowledge questions on that same Hawaii surveying-law and history scope; the official state-exam fee is about $80 and exam logistics are set by the Hawaii Board.

Sample Hawaii Land Surveyor Exam Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Hawaii Land Surveyor Exam exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 300+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In what year did Kamehameha III initiate the Great Mahele, which divided Hawaiian Kingdom lands?
A.1848
B.1810
C.1893
D.1903
Explanation: The Great Mahele began in 1848 under Kamehameha III as the process that converted communal Hawaiian land tenure toward a Western fee-simple system. It is the foundational event a Hawaii surveyor must understand when tracing title.
2The Great Mahele divided Hawaiian Kingdom lands into which three principal categories?
A.Federal, state, and private lands
B.Crown Lands, Government Lands, and Chief/Konohiki lands
C.Homestead, mission, and plantation lands
D.Coastal, upland, and forest reserve lands
Explanation: The Mahele separated lands into Crown Lands (reserved to the monarch), Government Lands (for the kingdom), and lands of the chiefs and konohiki. Native tenants' kuleana claims were later resolved separately under the 1850 Kuleana Act.
3Which body adjudicated native land claims and issued Land Commission Awards in the Hawaiian Kingdom?
A.The Hawaii Land Court
B.The Bureau of Conveyances
C.The Board of Commissioners to Quiet Land Titles
D.The Privy Council survey office
Explanation: The Board of Commissioners to Quiet Land Titles, commonly called the Land Commission, heard claims and issued Land Commission Awards (LCAs). Surveyors routinely trace title back to an LCA number when researching Hawaii boundaries.
4Before the Land Commission could issue a final award on a claim, what was generally required?
A.A cash payment of the commutation in advance
B.Approval by the United States Congress
C.Registration in the Land Court
D.An accepted survey of the claimed land
Explanation: A survey was generally required before the Land Commission was authorized to issue an award, which is why early Hawaii survey records are central to title research. The award then led to a Royal Patent conveying fee title.
5What document represented the FINAL step conveying allodial fee title after a Land Commission Award?
A.A Royal Patent
B.A Land Court Certificate of Title
C.A quitclaim deed
D.A konohiki release
Explanation: After an LCA was confirmed (and commutation satisfied where required), the Royal Patent (RP) was issued, conveying allodial fee-simple title. Surveyors cite both the LCA and RP numbers when describing Mahele-era parcels.
6The Kuleana Act of 1850 primarily benefited which group?
A.Foreign plantation owners
B.Native tenants (hoaʻāina) who cultivated the land
C.High chiefs and konohiki only
D.The Hawaiian government treasury
Explanation: The Kuleana Act of 1850 allowed native tenants (hoaʻāina) to claim fee-simple title to the house lots and cultivated parcels they actually occupied. These kuleana parcels are a recurring boundary-research subject in Hawaii surveying.
7What is a 'kuleana' parcel in Hawaiian land tenure?
A.A royal hunting reserve
B.An undivided government forest reserve
C.A small fee-simple parcel awarded to a native tenant under the 1850 Act
D.A leasehold interest held by a konohiki
Explanation: A kuleana is the small fee parcel (house lot and cultivated land) awarded to a maka'ainana tenant under the Kuleana Act of 1850. Kuleana parcels often carry appurtenant water and access rights that surveyors must research.
8Kuleana parcels in Hawaii commonly carry which appurtenant rights that affect boundary and access surveys?
A.Mineral and timber rights only
B.Air rights above adjacent parcels
C.Riparian fishing rights to the open ocean
D.Water (auwai) and access rights across surrounding lands
Explanation: Kuleana rights historically include access to gather, water (auwai irrigation), and a right-of-way across surrounding lands to reach the parcel. Hawaii surveyors must account for these appurtenances when retracing kuleana boundaries.
9Under the Mahele framework, 'Crown Lands' were intended for which purpose?
A.Reserved for the reigning monarch
B.Sale to foreign investors
C.Distribution to all commoners equally
D.Federal military use
Explanation: Crown Lands were set aside for the reigning monarch's support and were legally distinct from Government Lands. Their later history (including the 1865 inalienability act) is important context for Hawaii title chains.
10An 'LCA number' that a Hawaii surveyor encounters in a title chain refers to a:
A.Land Court Application number
B.Land Commission Award number
C.Licensed Civil Architect number
D.Local County Assessment number
Explanation: LCA stands for Land Commission Award. Tracing a parcel to its LCA (and associated Royal Patent) is fundamental Hawaii title and boundary research because the original award defined the senior boundary.

About the Hawaii Land Surveyor Exam Exam

The Hawaii Land Surveyor State Examination is a Board-produced exam (historically the Hawaii Description Writing / Hawaiian Land Matters exam) required of all land surveyor applicants in addition to the NCEES FS and PS exams. It tests Hawaii-specific land history, Hawaiian land terminology and description reading/writing, the Land Court and recording systems, HRS Chapter 464 licensing law, and metes-and-bounds boundary law in a non-PLSS, kingdom-origin state.

Assessment

Hawaii state exam includes description writing/translation (official DCCA); this practice bank is 100 selected-response knowledge items on the same Hawaii surveying-law & history scope

Time Limit

Set by the Hawaii Board

Passing Score

Set by the Hawaii Board

Exam Fee

~$80 (state exam) (Hawaii Board of Professional Engineers, Architects, Surveyors and Landscape Architects (DCCA))

Hawaii Land Surveyor Exam Exam Content Outline

30%

Hawaii Land History (Mahele, LCAs, Royal Patents, Kuleana)

The 1848 Great Mahele dividing Crown, Government, and Chief/Konohiki lands; the Board of Commissioners to Quiet Land Titles; Land Commission Awards; the 1850 Kuleana Act; commutation and Royal Patents; and ceded public-trust lands.

25%

Hawaiian Land Terminology & Description Reading

Mokupuni, moku, ahupuaʻa, ʻili (and ʻili lele), kuleana, konohiki, mauka/makai, pali, puʻu, kahawai, wai, kai, apana, eka, and translating Hawaiian-language metes-and-bounds descriptions.

15%

Hawaii Land Court (Torrens) & Recording

Act 56 of 1903 and HRS Chapter 501, the conclusive Certificate of Title, the Regular System and Bureau of Conveyances under HRS 502, TMK identification, and adverse-possession differences between the two systems.

15%

HRS 464 Statutes, Rules & Professional Conduct

Licensing and scope of practice, character and integrity requirements, biennial April-30 renewal, board discipline, ethics, and HRS 502-17 recorded-plan content and surveyor certification requirements.

15%

Metes-and-Bounds Boundary Law & Evidence

Non-PLSS retracement and following the original surveyor's footsteps, dignity of calls, ambulatory water and Hawaii shoreline boundaries, the south-based azimuth convention, datum transformation, and monumentation.

How to Pass the Hawaii Land Surveyor Exam Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Set by the Hawaii Board
  • Assessment: Hawaii state exam includes description writing/translation (official DCCA); this practice bank is 100 selected-response knowledge items on the same Hawaii surveying-law & history scope
  • Time limit: Set by the Hawaii Board
  • Exam fee: ~$80 (state exam)

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Hawaii Land Surveyor Exam Study Tips from Top Performers

1Build a Hawaii title timeline first: pre-Mahele tenure, the 1848 Mahele, Land Commission Awards, the 1850 Kuleana Act, Royal Patents, then ceded lands, because most exam reasoning starts from that chain.
2Make flashcards for Hawaiian land terms (ahupuaʻa, ʻili, moku, kuleana, konohiki, mauka, makai, pali, puʻu, kahawai) and practice translating short Hawaiian description phrases.
3Memorize the Hawaii south-based azimuth convention (0/360 = South, 90 = West, 180 = North, 270 = East) and drill conversions to and from standard north-based azimuths.
4Learn the practical Land Court vs. Regular System differences, especially that registered Torrens land is generally immune from adverse possession while Regular System land is not.
5Practice writing a clockwise, closed metes-and-bounds description tied to monuments and the government triangulation system per HRS 502-17, and apply the dignity-of-calls priority when calls conflict.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Hawaii Land Surveyor State Examination?

It is a Board-produced state exam, historically called the Hawaii Description Writing or Hawaiian Land Matters exam, that every land surveyor applicant in Hawaii must pass in addition to the national NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) and Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exams. It focuses on Hawaii-specific land history, terminology, recording systems, statutes, and metes-and-bounds boundary practice.

How much does the Hawaii state surveyor exam cost?

The Hawaii Board-produced state exam fee is approximately $80. That is separate from the NCEES FS and PS examination fees and from DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division application fees, so confirm the current total with the Board before applying.

What does the Hawaii state surveyor exam cover?

It centers on Hawaii land history (the Great Mahele, Land Commission Awards, the 1850 Kuleana Act, and Royal Patents), Hawaiian land terminology and reading or writing descriptions, the Land Court Torrens system and Regular System recording, HRS Chapter 464 licensing law and ethics, and metes-and-bounds boundary law in a non-PLSS state.

Why is Hawaii different from mainland surveying jurisdictions?

Hawaii never adopted the federal Public Land Survey System. It is a non-PLSS, metes-and-bounds state where titles trace to Hawaiian Kingdom Land Commission Awards and Royal Patents, descriptions use a distinctive south-based azimuth convention under HRS 502-17, and land is recorded under both a Land Court Torrens system and a Regular System.

How is this practice bank related to the official exam?

The official Hawaii state exam includes description writing and translation administered by the DCCA Board. This free practice bank provides 100 selected-response knowledge questions on the same Hawaii surveying-law and history body of knowledge so candidates can test and reinforce the underlying concepts.

What changed for the Hawaii surveyor exam in 2026?

As of 2026 the Hawaii Board still requires the NCEES FS and PS exams plus a Board-produced Hawaii state exam, and the Board updated naming conventions so the test is referred to as the Board-produced exam rather than only Hawaii Land Matters. Always verify current exam dates, fees, and application deadlines with the DCCA Board before scheduling.