Written Test

1. Often confused with rigor mortis, this instantaneous onset of stiffness throughout the body sometimes occurs. A. Cadaveric spasm B. Muscle spasm C. Cadaveric mortis D. Rigor spasm

2. Forensic crime scene investigators are responsible for which of the following? A. Securing, examining, and analyzing crime scenes B. The collection and identification of physical evidence C. Documenting the scene through photography, notes, and sketches D. All of the above

3. This occurs when the body desiccates (dries out) in a hot, dry environment. A. Rigor B. Lucidity C. Mummification D. None of the above

4. Which of the following is considered to be an acceptable crime scene search pattern? A. Spiral search B. Line search C. Quadrant search D. All of the above

5. Evidence that perpetrators do not see or realize they are leaving behind or carrying away from a crime scene is known as: A. Biological evidence B. Personal evidence C. Transient evidence D. Trace evidence

6. The study of bullets and ammunition through the comparison of fired bullets, cartridges, guns, and gunpowder patterns on people and objects is called: A. Toxicology B. Microscopy C. Ballistics D. None of the above

7. Paint, glass, hair, fiber, and fingerprints are all examples of associative evidence. A. True B. False

8. When two objects touch, there is a transfer of material from one to the other. This trace evidence is the basis of forensic science. What is the name of the concept? A. Murphy’s Law of Contact B. Law of Forensics C. Locard’s Principle D. Bertillon’s Principle of Transference 9. This area of forensic science has come under fire recently due to lack of standardization of methods and the qualifications of the examiners. A. DNA analysis B. Hair analysis C. Fingerprint analysis D. Shoeprint analysis

10. Why is it usually very difficult to successfully obtain fingerprints from textiles such as fabric, clothing, and carpet? A. Because textile fibers are resistant to the powders used to dust for prints B. Because textiles almost always contain synthetic materials C. Because textiles are very absorbent D. Because more modern fibers are treated with fluorocarbons to repel moisture

11. When the source or authenticity of a document is in question, that document is deemed to be a: A. Questioned document B. Void document C. Useless document D. Irrelevant document

12. A CSI team forgot to bring Luminol to a crime scene. What is the CSI team unable to scientifically and quickly detect at the scene? A. Saliva B. Blood C. Urine D. Coffee

13. Handwriting samples that already exist and are known to be authentic are known as: A. Voluntary standards B. Journal samples C. Non-requested standards D. Implied consent

14. Which of the following insects would most likely be the first to find a dead body in an outside environment? A. Lady bug B. Mosquito C. Blowfly D. Black fly

15. This process helps the examiner determine a fiber’s true color without the problem of observer bias. A. Birefringence B. Microspectrophotometry C. Scanning electron microscope D. Hyperspectral imaging technology

16. In 1902, Henry (Harry) Jackson became the first person in the United Kingdom to be convicted on fingerprint evidence. What was his crime? A. Blackmail B. Burglary C. Embezzlement D. Kidnapping

17. If there is a case of arson, the easiest way to find and identify an accelerant is to use a sniffer. A. True B. False 18. A leather glove is found at a crime scene. Which process would most likely be used to develop fingerprints on the glove? A. Iodine fuming B. Powder process C. Ninhydrin D. Cyanoacrylate fuming

19. The Body Farm is an outdoor laboratory for studying _____ (what happens to bodies after death). A. Taphonomy B. Forensics C. Autolysis D. Putrefaction

20. What is the name given to the study of fingerprints? A. Entomology B. Palynology C. Dactyloscopy D. Trichology

21. Whenever the characteristics of a missing person fit the general characteristics of human remains, a photograph of the missing person can be superimposed with images of the skull to confirm ID using a technique called: A. Skull-to-photo superimposition B. Skeletal superimposition C. Skull-to-photo comparison D. None of the above

22. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic material in our cells that control heredity and plays a large role in determining our physical characteristics. Which of the following statements is not true? A. DNA can show a person's gender, but not their age or race B. Only identical twins will have identical DNA C. Identical twins can have different fingerprints D. Red blood cells are the best source of DNA

23. Blood spatter that comes from objects moving between 5 and 100 feet per second and vary from 1-4 millimeters in diameter are known as: A. Low-velocity spatters B. Medium-velocity spatters C. High-velocity spatters D. Cast-off spatters

24. In 1973, a CSI team found evidence in a case that lead to the conviction of Joey for murder. In 2009, Joey requested a thorough test of all physical evidence from his case, which lead to his exoneration. What specific testing, which did not exist in 1973, likely proved him innocent in 2009? A. Ballistics testing B. Fingerprint testing C. DNA testing D. GPS locating

25. The _____ is an extension of the coroner or medical examiner (ME) and is responsible for the handling of a body at a crime scene. A. Crime scene investigator B. Forensic pathologist C. Forensic investigator D. Forensic anthropologist 26. What is the name for the outermost layer your skin? A. Hypodermis B. Epidermis C. Dermis D. None of the above

27. Touch DNA can be collected and profiled from fingerprints, thus giving law enforcement very useful identifying information. A. True B. False

28. Corroborative evidence is: A. Evidence that associates an individual with another individual B. Evidence that links an individual with a particular location C. Evidence that refutes other evidence D. Evidence that supports other evidence

29. Forgery is typically defined as writing or altering a document with the intent to defraud. Attempts at changing the information on a document are called: A. Additions, corrections, erasures B. Erasures, obliterations, and alterations C. Erasures, obliterations, additions D. Camouflaging, erasures, alterations

30. Which of the following is the least reliable source of evidence? A. Eyewitness accounts B. DNA data C. Latent fingerprints D. Video surveillance footage

31. When a body begins to decay, the rate of decay follows what two different paths? A. Rigor mortis and Algor mortis B. Lividity and putrefaction C. Autolysis and Lividity D. Autolysis and putrefaction

32. What area of forensic science is concerned with failure analysis, accident reconstruction, and causes and origins of fires or explosions? A. Forensic psychiatry B. Forensic anthropology C. Forensic engineering D. Forensic odontology

33. Crime-scene investigators use evidence to create linkage. A. True B. False

34. Forensic odontology involves the study of teeth. When old skeletons are found, the teeth are an important source of information. In such cases, which of the following statements is true? A. Teeth are a good source of DNA for forensic evidence B. Teeth can indicate a person’s occupation and ethnic background C. Forensic scientists can usually tell the victim’s age by their teeth D. All three statements are true 35. Forensic anthropology involves the retrieval and identification of human remains. A skeleton provides a lot of information about the deceased. Which of the following is not able to be deduced from a modern human skeleton? A. Ethnic background B. State of health C. Occupation D. Intelligence

36. Who was responsible for starting the first national fingerprint registry in America in the 1920s? A. J. Edgar Hoover B. Calvin Coolidge C. Herbert Hoover D. August Vollmer

37. Any evidence that helps law enforcement officers better grasp what happened at the crime scene is considered physical evidence. A. True B. False

38. This chemical can be used to detect blood, even if it has been wiped from a surface. A. Luminol B. CO2 C. Ninhydrin D. Cyanide

39. The LABRADOR is a new, hand-held, forensic tool used to locate bodies that can sniff for 30 classes of chemicals given off by rotting corpses. A. True B. False

40. Blood from a crime that occurred two hours ago was found on a doorknob at a crime scene. A CSI team wants to determine if the person who left the blood had alcohol or drugs in his/her system at the time of the crime. Is it possible to determine this from the blood on the doorknob? A. Yes B. No C. Sometimes D. It depends on the specific situation

41. What does the term "forensic" mean? A. Pertaining to the law B. Pertaining to medicine C. Pertaining to death D. Pertaining to crime

42. What is the name of the condition involving the body's temperature decreasing after an individual dies? A. Rigor mortis B. Decomposition C. Rigoritis D. Cramping

43. A Level 2 CSI team is using a database called SoleMate. What information is the team trying to find? A. DNA B. Toxicology reports C. Shoe and sneaker patterns D. Relationship of the victim with others 44. Human beings develop fingerprints at two months gestation. A. True B. False

45. If you know what to look for, you can tell a male from a female skeleton. Which of the following statements is not true? A. The male skull is usually larger than the female skull B. The male skill has a larger brow ridge than the female C. The female chin is usually more rounded or pointed than the male chin D. The female pelvis is usually deeper than the male pelvis

46. This type of technology allows scientists to find trace drops of blood that could not otherwise be seen, in addition to allowing scientists to determine the age of the blood. A. Hyperspectral imaging technology B. High-definition surveying C. LABRADOR imaging D. None of the above

47. A body was found burnt in a bed. The CSI team found clues to suggest that a fire was set on purpose. Which of these clues would indicate purposeful arson? A. Burns on the walls B. Trace flammable liquid C. Burnt furniture D. Candles in the house

48. Video game consoles are sometimes used by criminals to hide illicit data, because investigators cannot retrieve/access those files (unlike a computer, tablet, or smartphone). A. True B. False

49. Which of the following statements is true? The risk of contamination of evidence is controlled and/or minimized by: A. Storing packages in a dedicated secure area B. Opening each package in an area other than where it was originally sealed C. Minimizing the number of people handling the evidence D. Using chain of custody labels

50. Scientists in Scotland figured out a way to lift fingerprints from cloth using a technology called _____, which involves coating surfaces with a thin film of gold and zinc. A. Metallic fingerprint coating B. Metallic fingerprint deposition C. Vacuum metal deposition D. Vacuum metal coating