51 Principles & Ownership Practice Questions & Answers
Every Principles & Ownership practice question from the Real Estate License Practice Test, with the correct answer and a short explanation.
Start practice test →1. Which estate represents the highest and most complete form of private ownership recognized in U.S. real property law?
- A.Fee simple determinable
- B.Estate for years
- C.Life estate
- D.Fee simple absolute✓ Answer
Fee simple absolute is the highest and most complete estate a person can own; it is of indefinite duration and is also called an estate of inheritance because it passes freely to heirs. The other choices are limited either by a life, a condition, or a fixed term.
Source: National principles — freehold estates; fee simple absolute (estate of inheritance)Report a problem with this question
2. A grantor conveys land 'to the city so long as it is used as a public park.' What future interest does the grantor retain, and how does title revert if the condition fails?
- A.A possibility of reverter that returns title automatically✓ Answer
- B.A reversion that requires the grantor's death first
- C.A remainder that passes to a third party
- D.A right of re-entry that must be exercised in court
The words 'so long as' create a fee simple determinable, which ends automatically when the stated condition is violated; the grantor holds a possibility of reverter and title returns without any court action. 'But if/provided that' language instead creates a condition subsequent requiring an affirmative right of re-entry.
Source: National principles — fee simple defeasible; determinable vs. condition subsequentReport a problem with this question
3. A deed states, 'but if alcohol is ever sold on the premises, the grantor may re-enter and reclaim the property.' What estate does this create?
- A.Life estate pur autre vie
- B.Fee simple determinable
- C.Fee simple subject to a condition subsequent✓ Answer
- D.Fee simple absolute
The 'but if ... may re-enter' language creates a fee simple subject to a condition subsequent; unlike a determinable estate, title does not end automatically — the grantor must affirmatively exercise the right of re-entry to reclaim the property.
Source: National principles — fee simple subject to condition subsequent; right of re-entryReport a problem with this question
4. A grant reads, 'to Alice for life, then to Bob.' What is Bob's interest during Alice's lifetime?
- A.A reversion
- B.A remainder✓ Answer
- C.A possibility of reverter
- D.An estate at will
When a life estate is followed by a gift to a named third party, that third party holds a remainder. A reversion, by contrast, is the interest that returns to the grantor (or the grantor's heirs) when no third-party remainderman is named.
Source: National principles — life estate; remainder vs. reversionReport a problem with this question
5. An owner conveys property 'to Carla for life,' saying nothing about what happens after Carla dies. Upon Carla's death, where does title go?
- A.Back to the grantor or the grantor's heirs by reversion✓ Answer
- B.To Carla's tenants by survivorship
- C.To the state by escheat
- D.To Carla's heirs by remainder
Because no remainderman was named, the grantor retained a reversion; at the end of the measuring life the property automatically returns to the grantor or the grantor's heirs. Escheat applies only when an owner dies with no will and no heirs.
Source: National principles — life estate; reversion to grantorReport a problem with this question
6. What primarily distinguishes a freehold estate from a leasehold (less-than-freehold) estate?
- A.A freehold requires a recorded lease; a leasehold does not
- B.A freehold is of indefinite/uncertain duration, while a leasehold is held for a determinable period✓ Answer
- C.A freehold cannot be inherited, but a leasehold can
- D.A leasehold conveys legal title, while a freehold conveys only possession
Freehold estates (fee simple and life estates) are of indefinite or uncertain duration, whereas leasehold estates are possessory interests held for a determinable term. This duration distinction, not recording or inheritance, is the defining line.
Source: National principles — freehold vs. leasehold estatesReport a problem with this question
7. A tenant signs a lease running from January 1 to December 31 of a single year, with a definite beginning and ending date. Which leasehold estate is this?
- A.Tenancy at will
- B.Estate for years✓ Answer
- C.Tenancy at sufferance
- D.Periodic tenancy
An estate for years has a fixed term with definite start and end dates and terminates automatically at the end of the term without any notice required. Its defining feature is the certain, specified duration — even if that duration is less than a year.
Source: National principles — leasehold estates; estate for yearsReport a problem with this question
8. A month-to-month rental that automatically renews each period until one party gives proper notice to terminate is which type of leasehold?
- A.Estate for years
- B.Tenancy at sufferance
- C.Periodic tenancy✓ Answer
- D.Fee simple defeasible
A periodic tenancy renews automatically from period to period (such as month-to-month) and continues until one party gives proper advance notice to terminate. Unlike an estate for years, it has no predetermined ending date.
Source: National principles — leasehold estates; periodic tenancyReport a problem with this question
9. A tenant's lease has expired, but the tenant remains in possession without the landlord's consent. What estate does the tenant now hold?
- A.Tenancy at sufferance✓ Answer
- B.Tenancy at will
- C.Estate for years
- D.Periodic tenancy
A holdover tenant who stays after the lease ends without the landlord's permission holds an estate (tenancy) at sufferance — the lowest leasehold interest. It differs from a tenancy at will, which continues with the landlord's consent.
Source: National principles — leasehold estates; tenancy at sufferanceReport a problem with this question
10. Which four unities must be present to create a valid joint tenancy?
- A.Time, Title, Interest, Possession✓ Answer
- B.Time, Transfer, Intent, Property
- C.Title, Trust, Interest, Possession
- D.Title, Interest, Purpose, Possession
A joint tenancy requires the four unities of Time, Title, Interest, and Possession (TTIP) — the co-owners must take the same interest, from the same deed, at the same time, with equal rights to possess the whole. Breaking any unity destroys the joint tenancy.
Source: National principles — joint tenancy; four unities (TTIP)Report a problem with this question
11. Two people own property as joint tenants. One dies leaving a will that tries to give her share to a friend. What happens to her interest?
- A.It passes automatically to the surviving joint tenant by right of survivorship✓ Answer
- B.It passes to her heirs through probate
- C.It reverts to the original grantor
- D.It passes to the friend named in the will
Joint tenancy carries the right of survivorship, so a deceased joint tenant's interest passes automatically to the surviving joint tenant(s) and cannot be devised by will. This avoids probate, and the will's gift of the share is ineffective.
Source: National principles — joint tenancy; right of survivorshipReport a problem with this question
12. When co-owners hold undivided fractional interests with no right of survivorship, and each share passes by will to the owner's heirs, this is which form of co-ownership?
- A.Joint tenancy
- B.Tenancy in common✓ Answer
- C.Severalty
- D.Tenancy by the entirety
Tenancy in common gives each owner an undivided fractional interest with only the unity of possession and no survivorship; a deceased tenant's share passes by will or to heirs. It is the default form when co-owners are unmarried or the deed is silent.
Source: National principles — tenancy in common; default co-ownershipReport a problem with this question
13. A married couple takes title in a way that gives each spouse survivorship rights and prevents either from conveying the property alone. This describes which form of ownership?
- A.Tenancy by the entirety✓ Answer
- B.Severalty
- C.Tenancy in common
- D.Joint tenancy among strangers
Tenancy by the entirety is available only to a married couple; it carries the right of survivorship and neither spouse may convey or encumber the whole property acting alone. This unity-of-person feature distinguishes it from an ordinary joint tenancy.
Source: National principles — tenancy by the entiretyReport a problem with this question
14. One individual holds title to a parcel entirely alone, with no co-owners. This form of ownership is called:
- A.Tenancy by the entirety
- B.Severalty✓ Answer
- C.Tenancy in common
- D.Community property
Ownership in severalty means title is held by one person or one legal entity alone, 'severed' from all others. Despite the name suggesting 'several,' it refers to sole ownership, not multiple owners.
Source: National principles — ownership in severaltyReport a problem with this question
15. Three joint tenants own a property. One of them sells his interest to an outside buyer. What is the buyer's relationship to the remaining two owners?
- A.The buyer becomes a joint tenant with all three unities intact
- B.The sale is void because joint tenancy cannot be severed
- C.The buyer becomes a tenant in common while the other two remain joint tenants with each other✓ Answer
- D.All three owners automatically become tenants in common
Selling one joint tenant's share severs the joint tenancy as to that share only, because the new owner lacks the unities of time and title. The buyer holds as a tenant in common, while the two original owners remain joint tenants with survivorship between themselves.
Source: National principles — severance of joint tenancyReport a problem with this question
16. In community-property states, property acquired by either spouse during the marriage (other than by gift or inheritance) is generally treated as:
- A.The property of the state until divorce
- B.Automatically held in joint tenancy with survivorship
- C.The separate property of the acquiring spouse
- D.Owned equally by both spouses as community property✓ Answer
In community-property jurisdictions, most property acquired by either spouse during the marriage is owned equally (one-half each) as community property, regardless of who earned or holds title. Property acquired by gift or inheritance, or owned before marriage, remains separate property.
Source: National principles — community propertyReport a problem with this question
17. Under the MARIA fixture test, which factor is generally considered the most important in deciding whether an item has become a fixture?
- A.The cost of the item
- B.Whether the item is visible
- C.The method of attachment
- D.The intention of the party who installed it✓ Answer
The MARIA test weighs Method of attachment, Adaptability, Relationship of parties, Intention, and Agreement; courts treat the installer's intention as the controlling, most heavily weighted factor. The other elements are largely evidence of that intent.
Source: National principles — fixtures; MARIA test (intention controlling)Report a problem with this question
18. A restaurant tenant bolts commercial ovens and counters into a leased space to run the business. At lease end, how are these items generally treated?
- A.As fixtures that must stay with the landlord
- B.As emblements belonging to the landlord
- C.As trade fixtures the tenant may remove before the lease ends✓ Answer
- D.As real property permanently annexed to the land
Items a business tenant installs to conduct trade are trade fixtures; they remain the tenant's personal property and may be removed before the lease ends (with the tenant repairing any damage). If left behind, they may become the landlord's by accession.
Source: National principles — trade fixturesReport a problem with this question
19. A tenant farmer plants and cultivates an annual corn crop. Under the doctrine of emblements, these growing crops are classified as:
- A.Real property that passes with the land
- B.Trade fixtures subject to accession
- C.Personal property the tenant may harvest✓ Answer
- D.Fixtures owned by the landlord
Emblements are annually cultivated crops produced through a tenant's labor; they are treated as the tenant's personal property, and the doctrine lets the tenant re-enter to harvest even after the tenancy ends. Perennial or naturally growing vegetation, by contrast, is real property.
Source: National principles — emblementsReport a problem with this question
20. Which of the following BEST describes real property?
- A.Any movable item a person owns
- B.Crops that a tenant farmer harvests each year
- C.Only the physical soil and minerals beneath a parcel
- D.Land, everything permanently attached to it, and the appurtenant bundle of rights✓ Answer
Real property is land plus everything permanently attached (fixtures) plus the appurtenant 'bundle of rights' — possession, control, enjoyment, exclusion, and disposition. Movable items are personal property (chattels), and annual crops are personalty.
Source: National principles — real property; bundle of rightsReport a problem with this question
21. A homeowner unbolts and removes a chandelier, intending to keep it when the house sells. What has happened to the chandelier's legal classification?
- A.It remains real property because it was once a fixture
- B.It has been converted from real property to personal property by severance✓ Answer
- C.It automatically transfers to the buyer by accession
- D.It becomes an emblement
Removing a fixture from the land is called severance, which converts real property back into personal property; conversely, attaching personal property to land (annexation) can turn it into a fixture. Real property is transferred by deed, personal property by bill of sale.
Source: National principles — severance; real vs. personal property conversionReport a problem with this question
22. A recorded easement that allows a parcel to use a shared driveway passes automatically to the next buyer of that parcel. This right is an example of a(n):
- A.An appurtenance that runs with the land✓ Answer
- B.A trade fixture
- C.A revocable license
- D.An emblement
A right that benefits and is attached to the land — such as an appurtenant easement — is an appurtenance that 'runs with the land' and transfers automatically with each conveyance of the parcel. A license, by contrast, is personal and revocable and does not run with the land.
Source: National principles — appurtenances; rights running with the landReport a problem with this question
23. Parcel A has a recorded right to cross Parcel B to reach the road. Parcel A is the dominant tenement and Parcel B is the servient tenement. What type of easement is this?
- A.Easement in gross
- B.License
- C.Easement by estoppel only
- D.Easement appurtenant✓ Answer
An easement appurtenant involves two adjoining parcels — a dominant tenement that benefits and a servient tenement that is burdened — and it runs with the land, passing to future owners. The presence of a dominant and servient estate is the hallmark that distinguishes it from an easement in gross.
Source: National principles — easement appurtenant; dominant/servient tenementReport a problem with this question
24. A utility company holds a recorded right to run power lines across many private parcels, but it owns no neighboring 'dominant' parcel that benefits. This right is best classified as:
- A.Encroachment
- B.Easement appurtenant
- C.Easement in gross✓ Answer
- D.Fee simple determinable
An easement in gross benefits a person or entity (commonly a utility) rather than a parcel of land, so there is no dominant tenement. Distinguishing it from an appurtenant easement — which requires an adjoining benefited parcel — is one of the most commonly tested points.
Source: National principles — easement in grossReport a problem with this question
25. A neighbor has openly, continuously, and without permission used a path across an owner's land in a manner adverse to the owner for the required statutory period. This may create an easement by:
- A.Necessity
- B.Estoppel by deed
- C.Express grant
- D.Prescription✓ Answer
An easement by prescription arises from use that is open, notorious, continuous, and hostile (without permission) for the statutory period; the use must be adverse to the owner, similar to adverse possession but yielding a use right rather than title. An easement by necessity, by contrast, arises when a landlocked parcel needs access.
Source: National principles — easement by prescription (open, notorious, continuous, hostile)Report a problem with this question
26. An owner sells the back half of a parcel that has no access to any public road except across the front half he keeps. What type of easement will typically be recognized for the landlocked back parcel?
- A.Easement in gross
- B.License
- C.Easement by necessity✓ Answer
- D.Easement by prescription
When a parcel is landlocked as a result of a conveyance that splits it from road access, courts recognize an easement by necessity so the owner can reach a public way. It is grounded in public policy against rendering land unusable, not in adverse or long-standing use.
Source: National principles — easement by necessity (landlocked)Report a problem with this question
27. A landowner gives a friend verbal permission to fish in her pond, and she can withdraw that permission at any time. This arrangement is a:
- A.Profit that runs with the land
- B.Easement appurtenant
- C.License✓ Answer
- D.Easement by prescription
A license is a revocable personal privilege to use another's land; it is not an interest in land, does not run with the land, and can be withdrawn at will. This distinguishes it from an easement, which is an irrevocable interest.
Source: National principles — license vs. easementReport a problem with this question
28. A survey reveals that a neighbor's new garage wall extends two feet over the boundary onto the adjoining owner's lot. This unauthorized physical intrusion is called a(n):
- A.Encroachment✓ Answer
- B.Easement
- C.License
- D.Lien
An encroachment is an unauthorized physical intrusion of an improvement (such as a wall, fence, or roof overhang) onto adjoining property; it is an encumbrance typically discovered by a survey or spot survey. It can cloud title and interfere with the neighbor's use.
Source: National principles — encroachmentReport a problem with this question
29. Which of the following is NOT an encumbrance on real property?
- A.An easement
- B.A fee simple ownership interest✓ Answer
- C.A deed restriction
- D.A mortgage lien
An encumbrance is a claim, charge, or restriction that burdens another's title — liens, easements, restrictions, and encroachments all qualify. A fee simple ownership interest is the possessory estate itself, not a burden on it, so it is not an encumbrance.
Source: National principles — encumbrances vs. possessory interestsReport a problem with this question
30. A deed restriction is written so that if the buyer ever violates it, the grantor can reclaim title to the property. This type of restriction is a:
- A.Condition that can cause loss of title✓ Answer
- B.Covenant enforceable only by injunction or damages
- C.License personal to the grantor
- D.Lien for money owed
A deed restriction phrased as a condition can result in loss or reversion of title if violated, whereas a covenant is enforced only through an injunction or money damages and never causes title to be lost. Distinguishing condition from covenant is a frequently tested point.
Source: National principles — deed restrictions; condition vs. covenantReport a problem with this question
31. An owner whose land borders a flowing river holds certain rights to use that watercourse. These are called:
- A.Riparian rights✓ Answer
- B.Subsurface rights
- C.Littoral rights
- D.Prior appropriation rights
Riparian rights belong to owners of land bordering a moving watercourse such as a river or stream. Littoral rights, by contrast, attach to land bordering a static body of water like a lake or ocean.
Source: National principles — riparian rightsReport a problem with this question
32. An owner's land borders the shore of a large lake. The rights to use and enjoy that adjacent water, with ownership generally extending to the mean high-water mark, are called:
- A.Riparian rights
- B.Prior appropriation rights
- C.Mineral rights
- D.Littoral rights✓ Answer
Littoral rights belong to owners whose land abuts a static body of water such as a lake or ocean; the owner's rights typically run to the mean high-water mark. Riparian rights, by contrast, involve moving watercourses like rivers and streams.
Source: National principles — littoral rights; mean high-water markReport a problem with this question
33. Under the doctrine of prior appropriation used in some states, the right to use water is generally allocated on what basis?
- A.Whoever owns the most acreage
- B.Ownership of the land beneath the water only
- C.'First in time, first in right' based on a state-granted use permit✓ Answer
- D.Equal shares to all landowners along the water
Prior appropriation allocates water by a state-granted right to use it, following the principle 'first in time, first in right,' so the earliest beneficial user has the senior claim. It does not depend on owning land adjacent to the water, unlike riparian and littoral systems.
Source: National principles — prior appropriationReport a problem with this question
34. Over many years, a river gradually deposits soil along an owner's bank, slowly increasing the size of the parcel. This gradual gain of land is called:
- A.Reliction
- B.Erosion
- C.Accretion✓ Answer
- D.Avulsion
Accretion is the gradual, imperceptible addition of land by the deposit of soil (alluvion) through the action of water, and the new land belongs to the abutting owner. Avulsion, by contrast, is a sudden loss or change of land, and reliction is the gradual receding of water exposing new land.
Source: National principles — accretion, avulsion, relictionReport a problem with this question
35. A city adopts zoning ordinances and building codes to protect public health, safety, and welfare, without paying property owners for the resulting limits on use. This is an exercise of which government power?
- A.Police power✓ Answer
- B.Eminent domain
- C.Escheat
- D.Taxation
Police power is the government's authority to regulate land use for the public health, safety, and welfare — through zoning, building codes, and similar measures — and no compensation is owed for these regulations. Eminent domain, by contrast, requires just compensation because the government actually takes property.
Source: National principles — PETE; police power (no compensation)Report a problem with this question
36. A government agency takes privately owned land to build a public highway, paying the owner fair market value. The power to take the property is eminent domain; the legal process used to take it is called:
- A.Escheat
- B.Condemnation✓ Answer
- C.Adverse possession
- D.Foreclosure
Eminent domain is the government's power to take private property for public use, and condemnation is the legal proceeding through which that taking is carried out, with just compensation paid to the owner. The Fifth Amendment requires that compensation.
Source: National principles — eminent domain; condemnationReport a problem with this question
37. A government project so severely reduces the usefulness and value of a nearby parcel that the owner sues, arguing a taking has effectively occurred even though no formal condemnation was filed. This claim is known as:
- A.Spot zoning
- B.Escheat
- C.Police power exemption
- D.Inverse condemnation✓ Answer
Inverse condemnation is a suit brought by a property owner when a government action takes or destroys the value of property without a formal condemnation proceeding, seeking the just compensation the Constitution requires. It reverses the usual roles — the owner, not the government, initiates the action.
Source: National principles — inverse condemnationReport a problem with this question
38. Ad valorem property taxes are assessed on what basis, and how do property-tax liens generally rank in priority?
- A.On the owner's income; they are always junior to mortgages
- B.According to the assessed value of the property; they are specific liens that take priority over most other liens✓ Answer
- C.Based on square footage only; they rank by recording date like all liens
- D.On a flat per-parcel fee; they have no lien priority
'Ad valorem' means 'according to value,' so property taxes are assessed based on the property's assessed value; the resulting tax lien is a specific lien that generally takes priority over other liens regardless of recording date. This superior priority is a key exception to the usual first-to-record rule.
Source: National principles — taxation; ad valorem; tax lien priorityReport a problem with this question
39. Under the government power of escheat, when does real property pass to the state?
- A.When an owner dies leaving no valid will AND no heirs✓ Answer
- B.When the government needs land for a public project
- C.Whenever property taxes are one year overdue
- D.Whenever an owner abandons a mortgage
Escheat transfers property to the state only when an owner dies intestate (with no valid will) and leaves no heirs to inherit; both conditions must be met. It prevents property from being left ownerless. Taking land for public projects is eminent domain, not escheat.
Source: National principles — escheat (no will and no heirs)Report a problem with this question
40. An owner wants to build a garage two feet closer to the lot line than the zoning setback allows, citing a genuine hardship from an unusually shaped lot. She should apply for a:
- A.Building moratorium
- B.Variance✓ Answer
- C.Nonconforming use permit
- D.Spot rezoning
A variance is an administratively granted exception that permits a use or dimension that departs from the zoning ordinance because strict enforcement would cause the owner an undue individual hardship. A nonconforming use, by contrast, is a pre-existing use that predates the zoning and is grandfathered in.
Source: National principles — zoning; variance vs. nonconforming useReport a problem with this question
41. A corner store lawfully operated for years before the area was rezoned strictly residential, and it is allowed to keep operating. This continuing use is best described as a:
- A.Nonconforming use✓ Answer
- B.Special use permit
- C.Variance
- D.Spot zoning
A nonconforming use is a use that lawfully existed before a new zoning ordinance prohibited it and is permitted to continue ('grandfathered'). Unlike a variance, it is not a hardship exception granted after the fact but a pre-existing lawful use.
Source: National principles — nonconforming use (grandfathering)Report a problem with this question
42. What is the primary purpose of local building codes?
- A.To decide who may hold title to a property
- B.To set the maximum sale price of new homes
- C.To establish minimum standards for construction methods and materials to protect safety✓ Answer
- D.To collect ad valorem taxes
Building codes are an exercise of police power that set minimum standards for construction methods, materials, electrical, and plumbing work to protect public health and safety. Compliance is typically verified through permits and inspections; they do not set prices or determine title.
Source: National principles — building codes; police powerReport a problem with this question
43. A city council rezones a single small lot for commercial use in the middle of an established residential neighborhood, solely to benefit that one owner. This practice is generally considered:
- A.A valid variance
- B.A proper buffer zone
- C.A lawful nonconforming use
- D.Illegal spot zoning✓ Answer
Rezoning a single parcel in a way inconsistent with the surrounding area and comprehensive plan, for the benefit of one owner, is illegal spot zoning. It violates the requirement that zoning serve the general public welfare and be applied uniformly.
Source: National principles — spot zoning (illegal)Report a problem with this question
44. When a developer divides raw land into building lots, streets, and common areas, the local government's authority over this process — including approval of the recorded plat map — is exercised through:
- A.Title insurance underwriting
- B.Escheat proceedings
- C.Subdivision regulation✓ Answer
- D.Prior appropriation
Subdivision regulations are local land-use controls governing how raw land is divided into lots and common areas, including street layout, utilities, and approval and recording of the plat map. They are an exercise of the government's police power over orderly development.
Source: National principles — subdivision regulationReport a problem with this question
45. A homestead exemption generally protects a portion of an owner's equity in a primary residence from which of the following?
- A.Certain claims of unsecured (general) creditors✓ Answer
- B.The mortgage used to buy the home
- C.A recorded mechanic's lien for work on the home
- D.Property tax liens
Homestead protection shields some of an owner's equity in the primary residence from the claims of unsecured or general creditors. It does not protect against liens the owner voluntarily or specifically incurred on the home, such as the mortgage, property-tax liens, or mechanic's liens.
Source: National principles — homestead exemption (unsecured creditors)Report a problem with this question
46. A legal description uses compass directions, distances, and physical monuments, and it always closes by returning to the point of beginning. Which method of legal description is this?
- A.Rectangular (government) survey
- B.Lot and block
- C.Assessor's parcel number
- D.Metes and bounds✓ Answer
The metes-and-bounds method describes a parcel by starting at a defined point of beginning and tracing directions (bearings) and distances between monuments, always closing back at the point of beginning. It is the oldest method and is common where land was not laid out on the rectangular survey grid.
Source: National principles — metes and bounds; point of beginningReport a problem with this question
47. The rectangular (government) survey system locates land by reference to which two sets of intersecting lines?
- A.Principal meridians and base lines✓ Answer
- B.Metes and bounds
- C.Section lines and plat lines
- D.Lot lines and block lines
The rectangular or government survey system (PLSS) references north-south principal meridians and east-west base lines to form a grid of townships and sections. This grid method contrasts with metes-and-bounds and with lot-and-block subdivision descriptions.
Source: National principles — rectangular (government) survey; meridians and base linesReport a problem with this question
48. In the rectangular survey system, one section contains how many acres?
- A.640 acres✓ Answer
- B.160 acres
- C.36 acres
- D.5,280 acres
One section equals one square mile, which contains 640 acres. This is a fixed rote constant candidates must memorize, along with the fact that 36 sections make up a township.
Source: National principles — section = 1 sq mile = 640 acresReport a problem with this question
49. A township in the rectangular survey system is a square measuring 6 miles by 6 miles. How many sections does it contain?
- A.36 sections✓ Answer
- B.24 sections
- C.640 sections
- D.6 sections
A township is 6 miles by 6 miles, so it contains 36 sections (6 × 6), each one mile square. This is a fixed constant of the government survey system that does not change over time.
Source: National principles — township = 36 sections (6 mi × 6 mi)Report a problem with this question
50. How many square feet are in one acre?
- A.43,560 square feet✓ Answer
- B.36,000 square feet
- C.5,280 square feet
- D.640 square feet
One acre contains exactly 43,560 square feet — a fixed rote figure candidates must memorize because it is not provided at the test center. (Note 5,280 feet is the number of feet in a mile, a common distractor.)
Source: National principles — 1 acre = 43,560 sq ftReport a problem with this question
51. A property in a subdivision is described simply as 'Lot 12, Block 4' of a named recorded subdivision map. This is an example of which legal description method?
- A.Metes and bounds
- B.Rectangular government survey
- C.Prior appropriation
- D.Lot and block (recorded plat)✓ Answer
The lot-and-block method (also called the recorded plat or subdivision method) identifies a parcel by its lot and block numbers on a plat map recorded in the public records. It is the most common method for describing property in cities and platted subdivisions.
Source: National principles — lot-and-block (recorded plat)Report a problem with this question
Practice questions cover the uniform national portion of the real estate exam. Your state adds a state-law portion — study your state's official materials before testing. Licensing info (ARELLO) →