National Certificate Surveying

National Certificate Surveying


(SAQA ID: 20486)


(NQF Level 4, 153 Credits)


TSMA is accredited by the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) as a training service provider to present the SAQA registered National Certificate in Surveying.

This qualification has been developed for the Surveying occupational area. It aims, through a planned combination of unit standards, to equip learners with skills and knowledge to undertake field surveying tasks and duties in any working environment, by collecting spatial data in different forms.

Rationale of the Qualification

As a result of past legacies many practitioners within the surveying occupational area were denied career advancement and possible registration with the professional survey council. This was as a direct result of poor educational opportunities at some schools, leading to a lack of entry to higher education institutes. The introduction of a National Certificate in Surveying based on unit standards will allow learners to reach their full potential of advancement without formal education becoming an impassable barrier and in addition, allow for the recognition of prior learning.

Learning Assumed to be in Place

It is assumed that a learner entering a programme leading to this qualification has achieved a FET Certificate at NQF level 4, and is proficient in Mathematics, Communication and English, or has several years relevant survey experience.

Clustering of Unit Standards

The unit standards covering the qualification are clustered together into thirteen one-week modules presented at a rate of one module per month, meaning the qualification will be presented over a period of one year.

The modules are:

Differential Control Levelling, Construction Levelling, Basic Surveying Mathematics, Traversing I & II, Tacheometry, Mapping I & II, Triangulation I & II, Financial & Project Management, Technical Communication & Reporting and GPS Surveying.

Learner Assessment

At the beginning of each module, the learner will write a pre-training test to determine the existing surveying knowledge of the learner. The difference between the pre-training test and the final course mark will be defined as the knowledge gained during the module and will be expressed as a percentage.

To be found competent for a specific module the learner must achieve a final mark of at least 50%. The final mark will be calculated using a weighted average between the practical surveying assignments (60%) and the final written test (40%), as the emphasis of a NQF level 4 qualification is on skills development so that the learner can be employed productively in the workplace.

The learners will also keep a surveying log book (portfolio of evidence) of experience gained in the workplace, which will be assessed by the assessors and moderators of TSMA in order to gain the necessary credits to complete the qualification. 60% of the credits will be gained in the workplace.

Learners must achieve at least 60% in Module 3: Basic Surveying Mathematics, before they will be allowed to proceed with the further modules. It is preferred that the modules are completed in the module number order, because it is the most logical order and knowledge gained in the previous modules will be needed in the follow-up modules.

Brief Description of Each Module

Module 1: Differential Control Levelling

A person who has successfully completed this module is able to determine the elevation of a point by levelling in any working environment.

Outcomes

Set Up a Survey Instrument to Take Observations, Determine Elevation of Points by Levelling, Determine the Elevation of a Point by Precise Levelling, Survey and Set Out Construction Work Areas.

Module 2: Construction Levelling

A person who has successfully completed this module is able to determine the elevation of a point by levelling in any working environment.

Outcomes

Read a Plan, Obtain Information From a Plan, Set Up a Survey Instrument to Take Observations, Determine Elevation of Points by Levelling, Position a Tape For Measuring, Undertake Tape and Offset Surveying, Plot Tape and Offset Measurements on a Plan, Survey and Set Out Construction Work Areas, Determine Quantities From Plotted Data.

Module 3: Basic Surveying Mathematics

The person who has completed this module will be able to represent analyze and calculate shape and motion in two and three dimensional space in different context.

Outcomes

Represent Analyse and Calculate Shape and Motion in Two and Three Dimensional Space in Different Context, Apply Knowledge of Statistics and Probability to Critically Interrogate and Effectively Communicate Findings on Life Related Problems, Calculate Distance and Direction Between Two Co-ordinated Survey Points, Calculate the Provisional Position of a Survey Point From Polar/Traverse Observations.

Module 4: Traversing I

A person who has successfully completed this module is able to calculate the distance and direction between two co-ordinated survey points and determine the co-ordinates of unknown points.

Outcomes

Calculate the Distance and Direction Between Two Co-ordinated Survey Points, Set Up a Survey Instrument to Take Observations, Observe the Position of a Survey Point by Polar/Traversing, Position a Tape for Measuring, Calculate the Provisional Position of a Survey Point From Polar/Traverse Observations, Calculate the Final Position of a Survey Point From Polar/Traverse Observations, Survey and Set out Construction Work Areas.

Module 5: Tacheometry

A person who has successfully completed this module is able to observe the position of a survey point by using tacheometric methods in any working environment.

Outcomes

Read a Plan, Obtain Information From a Plan, Calculate the Distance and Direction Between Two Co-ordinated Survey Points, Set Up a Survey Instrument to Take Observations, Observe the Position of a Survey Point by Polar/Traversing, Observe the Position of a Survey Point by Using Tacheometric Methods, Calculate the Provisional Position of a Survey Point From Polar/Traverse Observations, Calculate the Final Position of a Survey point From Polar/Traverse Observations, Reduce Tacheometric Observations and Produce a Plan, Position a Tape for Measuring, Undertake Tape and Offset Surveying, Plot Tape and Offset Measurements on a Plan, Construct a Cartesian Co-ordinate Grid and Plot Points, Survey and Set Out Construction Work Areas.

Module 6: Mapping I

A person who has successfully completed this module is able to compile a contour plan from tacheometric field observations.

Outcomes

Read a Plan, Obtain Information From a Plan, Reduce Tacheometric Observations and Produce a Contour Plan, Survey and Set Out Construction Work Areas, Construct a Cartesian Co-ordinate Grid and Plot Points

Module 7: Traversing II

A person who has successfully completed this module is able to set out predetermined points in any working environment.

Outcomes

Read a plan, Obtain Information From a Plan, Calculate the Distance and Direction Between Two Co-ordinated Survey Points, Set Up a Survey Instrument to Take Observations, Observe the Position of a Survey Point by Polar/Traversing, Calculate the Provisional Position of a Survey Point from Polar/Traverse Observations, Calculate the Final Position of a Survey Point from Polar/Traverse Observations, Set Out Pre-Determined Points.

Module 8: Mapping II

A person who has successfully completed this module is able to perform computer-aided draughting (CAD).

Outcomes

Read a Plan, Obtain Information From a Plan, Reduce Tacheometric Observations and Produce a Plan, Construct a Cartesian Co-ordinate Grid and Plot Points, Determine Quantities From Plotted Data, Perform Computer Aided Survey Draughting (CAD), Perform Co-ordinate Conversions, Perform Elementary Co-ordinate Transformations.

Module 9: Triangulation I

A person who has successfully completed this module is able to observe the position of a survey point by forward intersection in any working environment.

Outcomes

Read a Plan, Obtain Information From a Plan, Calculate Distance and Direction Between Two Co-ordinated Survey Points, Set Up a Survey Instrument to Take Observations, Observe the Position of a Survey Point by Forward Intersection, Perform Elementary Co-ordinate Transformations.

Module 10: Triangulation II

A person who has successfully completed this module is able to observe the position of a survey point by resection and trilateration in any working environment.

Outcomes

Read a Plan, Obtain Information From a Plan, Calculate Distance and Direction Between Two Co-ordinated Survey Points, Set Up a Survey Instrument to Take Observations, Observe the Position of a Survey Point by Resection, Observe the Position of a Survey Point by Trilateration.

Module 11: Financial & Project Management

This module will be useful to people who aim to achieve recognition at some level in Further Education and Training or to meet the Fundamental requirement of a wide range of qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework.

Outcomes

Use Mathematics to Investigate and Monitor the Financial Aspects of Personal, Business, National and International Issues.

Module 12: Technical Communication

Competence at this level will enable learners to use analytical skills to make informed judgements about complex human and social issues. They are aware of both the functions of language and of its drama and power.

Outcomes

Use Language and Communication in Occupational Learning Programmes, Write for a Wide Range of Context, Read and Analyse and Respond to a Variety of Texts, Engage in Sustained Oral Communications and Evaluate Spoken Texts.

Module 13: GPS Surveying

A Person who has successfully completed this module is able to plan and execute a survey using GNSS/GPS and to determine the final position of a survey point by global positioning system (GPS).

Outcomes

Plan and Execute a Survey Using GNSS/GPS, Determine the Final Position of a Survey Point by Global Positioning System (GPS).