Annual License Examination for Surveyors – 2025

The Sri Lanka Survey Department has announced the examination for issuing the annual license to practice for registered surveyors, with the exception of those employed by the department. The examination, which is held in accordance with sections 41(2) and 37(e) of the Survey Act No. 17 of 2002, will take place at the Diyatalawa Institute of Surveying and Mapping.

Examination Details: The exam is a practical test consisting of two parts:

• Part I: Land Surveying and Levelling, with a passing mark of 60%.
• Part II: Plan Work, also requiring a passing mark of 60%.

The exam will be conducted according to Department Survey Regulations, and all measurements must be in metric units.

Syllabus and Required Knowledge: The syllabus covers a wide range of topics, including:

• The use of equipment such as chains, tapes, theodolites, total stations, levelling instruments, and GNSS.
• Basic investigation of land surveying, public relations and ethics, and relevant legal regulations.
• Knowledge of preparing inspection notes, and the protection and handling of equipment.
• Knowledge of survey traverses, pegs, and boundaries.
• Recording field notes, preparing coordinate sheets, and distributing errors.
• Understanding plans and scale, and superimposing old plans.
• Proficiency in software like Auto CAD, SD CAD, and ZW CAD for preparing plans.
• Preparing land description lists using TLDB software.
• Calculating areas, and preparing survey reports and files.
• Understanding primary benchmarks, benchmarks, and heights from mean sea level.
• Recording level books, levelling, and preparing a contour plan.
• Knowledge of GNSS control points, SLCORSnet, Radio, RTK, GSM RTK, and Network RTK.

Eligibility and Application Process: To be eligible, applicants must submit copies of the following certificates along with their application:

• A Surveying or Science degree certificate from a recognized university or the Institute of Surveying and Mapping.
• A registration certificate from the Land Survey Council.

The examination fee is Rs. 20,000. This can be paid at the Shroff’s office at the Surveyor General’s Office in Colombo 05, any district surveyor’s office, the Diyatalawa Institute of Surveying and Mapping, or via the Gov pay.lk website. A receipt is required with the application, and a photocopy should be kept for future reference. The fee is non-refundable.