A legal description identifies the land being conveyed. Practice the three methods, section numbering, and acreage with 8 free scored questions, two diagrams, six worked examples, and explanations of every choice. No account needed.
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8 practice questions on legal descriptions, scored, each with a full explanation after you answer. Every question is also written out below if you would rather study at your own pace.
All 8 questions and explanations are free. Legal Descriptions carries 5% of the published sales associate exam outline, about 5 questions. This focused set does not predict your state-exam score.
01 / Recognize the method
Look for the identifying information, not the shape of the property. These examples teach the method; they are not complete descriptions for a deed.
Follow the boundary
Uses distances, bearings, and boundary references to describe the parcel. A typical closed-parcel description traces from a point of beginning back to that point. Monuments may be natural or artificial objects that identify boundary locations.
Recognize it: A call giving a bearing and a distance to an identified corner.
Find the recorded plat
Identifies a lot and, where used, a block within a named subdivision by reference to its recorded plat. Include the recording reference and county needed to identify that plat. A lot number alone does not identify a unique property.
Recognize it: Lot 7, Block C, with the subdivision name and recorded plat reference.
Locate, then subdivide
Uses the Public Land Survey System, also called the rectangular survey system. Locate the township and range relative to the principal meridian and base line, find the section, then identify the described part or government lot.
Recognize it: The SE¼ of the NW¼ of an identified section, township, and range.
02 / Find the section
A standard township is six miles square. Its 36 sections run in alternating directions, starting with 1 in the northeast and ending with 36 in the southeast.
North ↑
| 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 |
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |
The section immediately north of 10 is 3. The section west of 10 is 9. Subtracting six from a section number will not reliably find its northern neighbor.
Real survey plats can contain irregular sections and government lots. The diagram shows the standard numbering pattern, not the boundaries of a particular property.
03 / Work from the larger parcel inward
Read from right to left to locate the land. Start with the southwest quarter, take its northeast quarter, then take the west half of that smaller parcel.
North ↑
Need square feet? 20 × 43,560 = 871,200 square feet.
Swapping compass descriptions can move the parcel even when the acreage stays the same. The SE¼ of the NW¼ and the NW¼ of the SE¼ are both 40 acres in the standard model, but they are different places.
04 / Put the method to work
Choose the operation and work out your answer before opening the explanation. Standard section calculations below assume 640 acres.
Worked example 01
How many acres are in the SE¼ of the NW¼ of a standard 640-acre section?
40 acres: 640 × ¼ × ¼.
First locate the northwest quarter, which contains 160 acres. Its southeast quarter contains 40. The word “of” calls for multiplication. Reversing the two compass descriptions gives the same acreage but a different location.
Worked example 02
A description includes the NW¼ AND the S½ of the NE¼ of a standard section. The parcels do not overlap. What is their combined area?
240 acres: 160 + 80.
Calculate each parcel separately: 640 × ¼ = 160; 640 × ¼ × ½ = 80. Then add. Do not multiply all three fractions together. Always check whether the parcels overlap before adding areas.
Worked example 03
For this acreage exercise, a 160-acre tract is described less a separately identified 10-acre parcel entirely within it. How many acres remain?
150 acres: 160 − 10.
The problem expressly excludes 10 acres from the tract. Subtract that area after calculating the larger parcel. In an actual conveyance, read the complete exception and its description; do not invent a missing boundary from an acreage total.
Worked example 04
An ideal rectangular parcel measures 330 feet by 660 feet. How many acres does it contain?
5 acres: (330 × 660) ÷ 43,560.
Multiplying the two lengths gives 217,800 square feet. Divide by 43,560 square feet per acre. Adding all four sides gives perimeter in feet, which cannot be converted directly to acres.
Worked example 05
In the standard township diagram, which section lies immediately north of Section 10?
Section 3.
Section 10 is in the second row, fourth column from the west. The cell directly above it is Section 3. The numbering reverses at the end of each row, so subtracting six from every section number does not work.
Worked example 06
From the point of beginning, travel east 300 feet, north 200 feet, then west 300 feet. What final call closes this ideal rectangle?
South 200 feet to the point of beginning.
The east and west distances cancel. The final southward leg cancels the northward leg. The enclosed area is 300 × 200 = 60,000 square feet. Closure checks the geometry of this exercise; it does not by itself establish that a real deed is legally sufficient.
05 / Know what the numbers leave out
The course objectives go beyond multiplying fractions. Review the terms that explain where a parcel is and when the standard model is insufficient.
A principal meridian runs north and south; a base line runs east and west. Township designations count north or south of the base line. Range designations count east or west of the principal meridian. T3S, R2E means the third township tier south and second range east, not three miles south and two miles east. Florida uses the Tallahassee principal meridian and base line.
For ordinary exam math, a section is 1 mile square and 640 acres. A township is 6 miles square, with 36 sections and 23,040 acres. A standard check is 24 miles square: 16 townships, 576 square miles, or 368,640 acres. “Six miles square” describes a square with six-mile sides; it is 36 square miles, not six. These are standard dimensions, not guarantees about every surveyed tract.
Survey corrections, convergence of meridians, water boundaries, and the original survey can produce irregular or fractional sections. Government lots identify certain irregular subdivisions on the survey plat. Use the acreage and boundaries supplied by the applicable record; do not assign every government lot a quarter-section's 160 acres. Correction lines help account for the geometry and accumulated variation in the survey system.
A point of commencement is a reference location from which calls lead to the parcel. The point of beginning starts the parcel's boundary description. Do not include the approach from the commencement point as an extra side of the parcel. For a simple closed boundary, trace the perimeter back to the beginning. Other description forms, including strips described by a centerline, need different treatment.
N 30° E means start facing north and turn 30 degrees toward east. It does not mean 30 degrees north of east. Bearings use degrees, minutes, and seconds: 60 seconds make a minute and 60 minutes make a degree. The bearing gives direction; the accompanying distance tells you how far to travel. Identify the stated basis of bearings rather than assuming every reference uses magnetic north.
An address helps people locate a property. An assessor's parcel number identifies a tax-assessment record and helps connect tax maps and assessment rolls. Neither should automatically replace the complete legal description in a conveyance. A tax map is useful for research, but it is not a boundary survey. The syllabus specifically includes the assessor's parcel number as a separate objective.
Compare the description in the transaction documents with the relevant recorded deed, plat, and available survey. Check that referenced exhibits and recording information are present. If a lot number, boundary, or described area conflicts, raise it with the broker and the appropriate title, legal, or surveying professional. Do not rewrite boundary calls from an online map or decide a disputed boundary from the 640-acre classroom rule.
06 / Review every answer
Open the concept you want to review. Every question, answer, wrong-choice explanation, and source is available without completing the quiz or signing in.
Try each question before opening its answer. These are original practice items, not actual or recalled Pearson VUE exam questions.
Question 1 · leg-1 · Standard section acreage
Answer C. 640 acres
A standard section covers one square mile, or 640 acres. A quarter-section is 160 acres and a half-section is 320. Actual surveyed sections can have more or less acreage; use the problem’s stated area for an irregular parcel.
Remember: 5,280 is feet in one mile. It is a length, not an acreage.
A. 160 acres
160 acres is one quarter of a standard section.
B. 320 acres
320 acres is one half of a standard section.
D. 5,280 acres
5,280 is the number of feet in a mile, not acres in a square mile.
Sources: FREC Course I syllabus: Section 10, Legal Descriptions · BLM Manual of Surveying Instructions (2009): rectangular surveys
Report a problem with leg-1Question 2 · leg-2 · A quarter of a quarter
Answer A. 40 acres
640 × ¼ × ¼ = 40 acres. Locate the northwest quarter first; it contains 160 acres. Then take its southeast quarter. The compass order determines the location, even though rearranging the fractions does not change their product.
Remember: Each “of” narrows the parcel again. Do not stop at the first quarter.
B. 10 acres
10 acres would require another quarter of the 40-acre parcel.
C. 80 acres
80 acres would be one half of a quarter-section, not one quarter of it.
D. 160 acres
160 acres is the entire northwest quarter, before taking its southeast quarter.
Sources: FREC Course I syllabus: Section 10, Legal Descriptions · BLM Specifications for Descriptions of Land (2017)
Report a problem with leg-2Question 3 · leg-3 · Township size and sections
Answer D. It is six miles square and contains 36 sections
A standard township has six-mile sides: 6 × 6 = 36 square miles. It contains 36 sections, totaling 23,040 acres in the standard model. “Six miles square” and “six square miles” are different measurements.
Remember: Multiply the side lengths. A township is not just six sections.
A. It is one mile square and contains 640 acres
That describes a standard section, one of the township’s 36 sections.
B. It is six square miles and contains six sections
Six-mile sides enclose 36 square miles. Six square miles is too small.
C. It is a single lot in a recorded subdivision
A platted lot belongs to the lot-and-block description method; it is not a survey township.
Sources: FREC Course I syllabus: Section 10, Legal Descriptions · BLM Manual of Surveying Instructions (2009): rectangular surveys
Report a problem with leg-3Question 4 · leg-4 · Closing a simple parcel boundary
Answer B. To the point of beginning
For this closed-perimeter exercise, the final call returns to the point of beginning. A separate point of commencement may be used to locate that beginning. Closure is a geometric check, not the sole test of a real description’s legal sufficiency. Some other forms, such as centerline strip descriptions, work differently.
Remember: The approach from a point of commencement is not an extra boundary side.
A. To the nearest street address
A street address does not close the traced boundary or identify its beginning.
C. To the center of the township
The township center has no role in closing this parcel unless it happens to be the stated beginning.
D. To a new point outside the parcel
Ending outside the parcel would leave this traced perimeter open.
Sources: FREC Course I syllabus: Section 10, Legal Descriptions · BLM Specifications for Descriptions of Land (2017)
Report a problem with leg-4Question 5 · leg-5 · Recognizing a recorded plat reference
Answer C. Lot and block
This is lot and block, also called the recorded plat method. The subdivision and recording reference identify the map that defines the lot. F.S. 177.021 allows land in a compliant recorded plat to be conveyed by reference to that plat.
Remember: A lot number by itself is not enough to distinguish the same number in another subdivision.
A. Metes and bounds
Metes and bounds uses boundary calls, such as bearings and distances; those are not the identifying facts here.
B. Government rectangular survey
A government survey description would identify the section, township, range, and relevant part or government lot.
D. A street-address description
The description refers to a recorded subdivision plat, not merely an address.
Sources: F.S. 177.021: identifying land by a recorded plat · FREC Course I syllabus: Section 10, Legal Descriptions
Report a problem with leg-5Question 6 · leg-6 · Legal description versus address
Answer A. An address may not identify the complete land and its boundaries
A legal description identifies the land being conveyed. An address is useful for locating a property but may change, be duplicated, or fail to identify the complete parcel. An assessor’s parcel number identifies a tax record; it should not automatically replace the complete legal description either.
Remember: Distinguish locating a building, identifying a tax record, and describing the land.
B. Addresses are used only for commercial property
Residential properties also have street addresses. The issue is identifying the land.
C. A deed is never allowed to mention an address
An address may appear in transaction documents; that does not make it a complete legal description.
D. An address identifies only the current owner
An address locates a property or delivery point. It is not simply the owner’s identifier.
Sources: FREC Course I syllabus: Section 10, Legal Descriptions
Report a problem with leg-6Question 7 · leg-7 · Township and range directions
Answer B. The third township tier south of the base line and second range east of the principal meridian
Township designations run north or south of the base line. Range designations run east or west of the principal meridian. Florida’s survey origin is in Tallahassee. The numbers identify township tiers and ranges, not individual miles or sections.
Remember: The meridian runs north–south, but ranges are counted east or west from it.
A. The third township east of the base line and second range south of the meridian
This swaps the township and range directions and their reference lines.
C. A point exactly three miles south and two miles east of the origin
The numbers count township tiers and ranges, not miles from the origin.
D. Section 3 in the eastern half of Section 2
Section numbers identify smaller units within a township; this notation does not identify a section.
Sources: FREC Course I syllabus: Section 10, Legal Descriptions · F.S. 258.08: Florida's survey origin in Tallahassee
Report a problem with leg-7Question 8 · leg-8 · Three nested land fractions
Answer D. 20 acres
Locate the southwest quarter first: 640 × ¼ = 160 acres. Its northeast quarter is 160 × ¼ = 40 acres. The west half of that parcel is 40 × ½ = 20 acres. In square feet, 20 × 43,560 = 871,200.
Remember: Read from right to left to find the land. Multiply all three fractions to find its area.
A. 10 acres
10 acres would take one quarter of the 40-acre parcel, not the stated west half.
B. 40 acres
40 acres stops before taking the final west half.
C. 80 acres
80 acres omits one of the two quarter divisions.
Sources: FREC Course I syllabus: Section 10, Legal Descriptions · BLM Specifications for Descriptions of Land (2017)
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07 / Check the full objective
The published exam outline has two main headings for Legal Descriptions. The Course I syllabus adds the detailed learning objectives, including assessor's parcel numbers and the licensee's role.
In this resource: Question 6 and the reference notes distinguish a legal description from an address or tax identifier.
Also review: Practice identifying sufficient property information and the licensee's responsibility when documents disagree. The eight-question score alone does not measure this full objective.
In this resource: Questions 1–5 and 7–8 cover the three methods, township and range, standard acreage, and fractional parts. Diagrams and worked examples add section location, “and,” square feet, and closure.
Also review: Review full metes-and-bounds calls, recorded plat references, bearings, checks, correction lines, and fractional sections or government lots. Use the course syllabus to review the supporting details beyond these eight questions.
DBPR sales associate candidate booklet: Legal Descriptions, 5% supplies the 5% weight and exam headings. FREC Course I syllabus: Section 10, Legal Descriptions supplies the Section 10 course objectives. Completing this short set is a starting point, not proof that every objective is mastered.
First identify the method: metes and bounds, lot and block, or government survey. A street address and an assessor’s parcel number serve different purposes from a complete legal description.
For a standard section, start with 640 acres. Read nested compass descriptions from right to left to locate the parcel, then multiply its fractions. Calculate separate, nonoverlapping parcels joined by “and” individually and add their areas.
Check the units and the assumptions. One acre contains 43,560 square feet. Actual surveyed sections can differ from the standard 640-acre model, so use a supplied acreage when the problem calls for it.
Questions about legal descriptions practice
Metes and bounds, lot and block, and the government rectangular survey system. Metes and bounds follows boundary calls. Lot and block refers to a recorded subdivision plat. Government survey uses the section, township, range, and described part or government lot.
The published DBPR candidate booklet assigns Legal Descriptions 5% of the exam, about five questions on a 100-question exam. Its headings cover the purpose of legal descriptions and the three methods, including legal-description math. These eight original practice questions sample that material; they do not predict your state-exam score.
In the standard exam model, a section is one mile square and contains 640 acres. A township has six-mile sides, 36 sections, and 23,040 acres. Actual surveyed sections can differ, so use the stated acreage when a problem supplies an irregular tract’s area.
Start with the section’s acreage and multiply each fraction joined by “of.” For the W½ of the NE¼ of the SW¼ of a standard section, calculate 640 × ¼ × ¼ × ½ = 20 acres. Read the compass descriptions from right to left to locate the parcel.
Calculate the described parcels separately, then add their areas if they do not overlap. The NW¼ and the S½ of the NE¼ of a standard section contain 160 + 80 = 240 acres. Multiplying across “and” would incorrectly treat two parcels as nested fractions.
Divide square feet by 43,560. A rectangular parcel 330 feet by 660 feet contains 217,800 square feet, or 5 acres. To convert acres to square feet, multiply by 43,560. Use area, not perimeter.
With north at the top, Section 1 starts in the northeast corner. The first row runs west to Section 6. The next row runs east from 7 through 12. Alternate direction in every row, ending with Section 36 in the southeast corner. Section 31 is in the southwest corner.
Township designations count north or south of the east–west base line. Ranges count east or west of the north–south principal meridian. Township 3 South, Range 2 East identifies a township tier and range, not a point three miles south and two miles east.
Florida uses the Tallahassee principal meridian and base line. Their origin is in Tallahassee. The meridian runs north and south; the base line runs east and west. Use those references to interpret the township and range designation.
A typical description tracing a closed parcel’s full perimeter returns to its point of beginning. A point of commencement can locate that beginning without being a parcel corner. Other description forms, including strips described by centerlines, work differently. Do not treat closure alone as a universal test of a deed’s legal validity.
It identifies a tax-assessment record and helps connect tax maps and assessment information. Do not automatically substitute it for the complete legal description needed for a conveyance. Check the recorded documents, and have discrepancies addressed by the appropriate professional.
They account for irregular land divisions shown by the survey, including parcels affected by water boundaries or survey adjustments. A government lot is not automatically 160 acres and is not the same thing as a subdivision lot on a recorded plat. Read the applicable survey record for the actual parcel and area.
All eight questions, 24 wrong-choice explanations, diagrams, and six worked examples are free without an account. Open the Pass Florida web app or download the mobile app for more questions, answer review, weak-area practice, and full-length timed exams across all 19 areas. These are original practice items, not actual or recalled Pearson VUE questions.
Sources and editorial review
Published by Pass Florida. Reviewed on for material applicable through .
This review checked the questions, calculations, diagrams, and examples against the published DBPR sales associate outline, FREC Course I syllabus, BLM survey references, and the cited Florida statutes.
The 5% weight comes from the January 2025 candidate booklet. Section 10 of the published Course I syllabus, effective January 1, 2023, supplies the learning objectives. BLM references explain survey methods; they are not represented as a new Florida exam syllabus or a universal test of deed validity.
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