Field Note Completeness Checker
Checks field notes for station, backsight, instrument height, date, operator, units and CRS.
Readiness
Not ready
0 of 15 applicable items assessed (0% complete). Completeness is not readiness.
Critical items not passed
- Station occupied recorded
- Orientation / backsight check observed
- Instrument height recorded
- Target / prism height recorded
- Units stated (m, degrees/gons)
- CRS / datum noted
Still to assess (15)
- Date
- Operator / booker
- Job or site
- Instrument and serial number
- Weather / conditions
- Station occupied recorded
- Orientation / backsight check observed
- Instrument height recorded
- Target / prism height recorded
- Closing check observed
- Units stated (m, degrees/gons)
- CRS / datum noted
Records stay on your device as files you choose to save. The page keeps nothing.
This records what you checked and the evidence you noted. It does not verify the readings or replace field QA.
How the method works
Fixed example values for illustration — not your result.
Before you rely on this: First-pass guide only. Verify safety-critical or regulated work against the relevant standards, your project requirements and a qualified professional.
How to use this calculator
- Choose the method — total station, GNSS, level or drone — and add the task, date, station and reviewer if you want them on the record.
- Mark each item Pass, Fail or N/A (with the reason) and note the evidence. Critical items such as the orientation check are labelled.
- Read the decision: completeness shows how much is assessed; Ready needs every critical item passed and nothing failed. Save the record as a file or download the text version.
How it works
Field notes are the permanent record of what you observed. Missing setup details — instrument height, target height, station, orientation — can make otherwise good readings unusable.
Completeness = assessed items ÷ applicable items, which measures documentation only. Ready is separate: every critical item must pass, nothing may have failed, and every N/A needs a reason (a critical N/A also needs an explicit override). All N/A is 'not assessable', never 100% ready.
Switching method keeps the shared items' evidence. The checklist records what you supplied — it does not check the readings themselves.
Worked example
Everything ticked but the orientation check. All header and record items pass, but the critical orientation check is still pending, so the decision is Not ready — even though most of the list is complete.
Frequently asked questions
Why record the instrument and target heights?
Reduced levels and heights depend directly on them. If they aren't booked at the time, the observations can't be reduced correctly later — and you can't go back and measure them.
Is this official course material?
No. It is free study support mapped to surveying course levels — not official North Metropolitan TAFE content or advice. Always follow your lecturer and the official assessment brief, and check your own working.
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Cite this tool
Zerdly. (2026). Field Note Completeness Checker. Retrieved from https://www.zerdly.com/tools/field-note-completeness-checker/
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
Designed to run locally in your browser. Tool inputs are not intentionally stored by Zerdly unless stated otherwise.