The problem in using simple tools e.g. chest symptoms for epidemiological surveys, designed to quantify the problem is that estimates from these simple surveys are considerable underestimates. Recent research has, however, paved the way for the use of these simpler tools for use in estimating tuberculosis case prevalence rates in the community. A tool which is simple, convenient to use and maintain, cheap but highly sensitive is called "screening tool". Such tools are used for making initial selection of the given population. Tuberculin test, X-ray & symptom elicitation are the main screening tools used for epidemiological surveys and TB Control Programme. In the programme, symptom elicitation and X-ray examination are the screening tools of choice for Case-finding. In the survey, tuberculin and X-ray are the only two tools used, although tuberculin is not a good screening tool (40% population infected). Use of symptom screening in surveys, however, is restricted in the absence of adequate information on comparison of prevalence rates obtained by this method of screening with the best estimate. The performance of symptom screening with either culture or smear microscopy have been attempted. They showed that by applying suitable correction factors they may be rendered comparable to the best estimate. The symptoms may be useful in the survey as a screening tool and may give the rates as proximate to the true rates as possible. They will enable considerable simplification of epidemiological studies in tuberculosis without compromising on the precision of the estimates arrived at.