A vertical curve at the top of a hill where the grade leading into the curve is greater than the curve leading out is called a _______ curve.

• A. Sag
• B. Transition
• C. Crest
• D. Reversed

Answer: (C)

When a vertical alignment connects two different slopes, the shape of the transition depends on how the slope changes through the curve. If you approach the curve with a steeper grade and leave with a gentler grade, you’re at the top of a hill—the road forms a peak. That specific configuration is called a crest curve. This matches the situation described: the entering grade is greater than the exiting grade.

A sag curve, by contrast, sits at the bottom of a valley where the grade before the curve is flatter than the grade after. A transition curve is a general term for a smooth connection between straight and curved segments, not the particular top-of-hill case. Reversed isn’t the standard term for this configuration.