Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and systems for pilot grouping, route protocols, and scheduling in multi-carrier communication systems. In an embodiment, an access terminal may group a plurality of pilot signals characterized by different frequencies into one or more pilot groups, each pilot grouping being identified by a plurality of parameters (e.g., a PN offset and a group ID). Each pilot group may include pilot signals having substantially the same coverage area. The access terminal may further select a representative pilot signal from each pilot group for pilot strength reporting. The access terminal may also use the pilot grouping for effective set management.