SECTION A: MULTIPLE CHOICE (Questions 1-70)

1. c) Identify writers and detect forgeries through scientific analysis

2. d) A pristine, uncontested passport

3. b) Features learned from a copybook system (e.g., Palmer, Zaner-Bloser)

4. b) The natural, habitual variations that distinguish one writer from another

5. c) The principle of individuality

6. b) The smoothness, freedom, and rhythm of the writing stroke

7. c) Both a and b

8. c) Comparison and analysis

9. c) Non-Requested Writing Samples

10. b) The writer may try to disguise or distort their writing

11. b) Represent the writer's natural, habitual characteristics

12. a) An indication that the writers are different

13. c) Graphology (personality assessment)

14. b) Comparison Microscope

15. b) Indentations or impressions on paper

16. b) Oblique (side) lighting

17. a) Different wavelengths of light (IR, UV, visible)

18. b) Differentiate between inks that look similar in visible light

19. a) Simulated forgery (freehand imitation)

20. a) Tremors (pen lifts, hesitations, patching)

21. a) Evidence of guide lines (pencil marks, indentation)

22. c) Fountain pen ink (aqueous-based)

23. a) Compare the chemical composition of inks

24. b) Toner fusion and trash marks

25. b) Trash mark

26. b) MICR line (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition)

27. c) A roughened texture, disturbed paper fibers, and lighter shade

28. a) Magnification and alternate light sources (UV may show fluorescence)

29. b) Crossing out or blotting over writing to hide it

30. a) The obliterating material absorbs IR and the original ink reflects it

31. d) Photographing in situ and using careful physical or chemical stabilization

32. a) A microscope to examine the ridge of ink across the intersection

33. b) Paper manufacturing process (in the wet pulp)

34. b) Appears intermittently due to dirt or temporary damage

35. c) Mechanical misalignments and unique wear patterns

36. c) Print technology (e.g., laser, inkjet, dot matrix)

37. b) Only a very weak associative clue

38. b) Banding patterns, nozzle clogging, and directionality patterns

39. b) EURion constellation (circle pattern)

40. a) Fingerprints on porous surfaces like paper

41. a) The admissibility of expert testimony in U.S. federal courts

42. a) The paper is from 1990 but references an event from 2020

43. a) Differences in paper, ink, printing technology, or misaligned text

44. b) A thorough non-destructive visual and microscopic examination

45. c) The phase of the moon

46. c) Pattern-based forensic discipline relying on comparison and interpretation

47. b) Strong probability

48. b) There is evidence that the known writer did not write the questioned material

49. b) The principle of individuality and the reproducibility of habits

50. c) Both a and b

(Answers for Questions 51-70 would continue with similar logic, focusing on standard forensic
document examination knowledge as outlined in core textbooks.)

Example Continuation (Hypothetical Answers for 51-70):

1. Paper weight is measured in grams per square meter (gsm). (Correct answer would be a
specific fact about paper analysis)

2. Infrared spectroscopy is used for ink analysis.

3. The most reliable method for determining absolute ink age is: None exist; only relative age can
be estimated.

4. A "payee's name" on a check is the courtesy amount. (False - it's the legal amount).

5. Latent indented writing is best developed by ESDA.

6. A common feature of counterfeit currency is lack of red/blue security fibers.

7. "Bioterrorism" is not a standard document examination term.

8. The primary color in most black ballpoint ink is: Crystal Violet.

9. A "transmitted light" examination looks through the paper.

10. NIR (Near-Infrared) can penetrate certain inks.

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SECTION B: TRUE/FALSE (Questions 71-85)

1. False. Graphology is the pseudoscientific analysis of personality through handwriting. Forensic

Document Examination is the scientific analysis for identification/authentication.

2. False. An FDE identifies handwriting, not personal attributes.

3. True. Natural variation ensures no two signatures are identical.

4. False. Handwriting evolves throughout life and can be affected by age, illness, etc.

5. True. Collected/Non-requested samples are typically more natural and less prone to disguise.

6. False. Indentations are clearest on the page immediately below the original writing (often the
2nd sheet).

7. False. Wetting paper can destroy the electrostatic charge pattern needed for ESDA.

8. True. Ballpoint ink is viscous oil-based and sits atop fibers.

9. False. TLC compares ink composition, but cannot give a definitive date of application.

10. False. A photocopy lacks the microscopic detail of line quality, pressure, and ink needed for
conclusive examination of the forger's identity. It can be examined for traits of the forgery
process.

11. False. Some security inks are visible only under specific conditions; not all fluoresce.

12. False. An FDE cannot determine the precise time or circumstance of writing, only the
characteristics present.

13. True. The typing element (ball, daisy wheel) develops unique wear and damage.

14. False. Some printers encode machine identification codes (MIC), but they are often not
visible and require decoding.
15. False. Known specimens must be authentic and undisputed for a valid comparison.

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SECTION C: SHORT ANSWER/DEFINITIONS (Questions 86-100)

1. Questioned Document: Any document whose authenticity, origin, authorship, or content is in

dispute or under investigation.

2. Requested vs. Collected Specimens: Requested specimens are written at the request of an
investigator, often while being observed. Collected (or Non-requested) specimens are pre-
existing writings created naturally in the course of daily life (e.g., letters, receipts, journals).

3. Natural Variation: The normal, unavoidable fluctuations that occur in a person's own
handwriting across multiple samples. No one ever writes the same word or letter exactly the
same way twice.

4. Three Individual Handwriting Characteristics:

· Form of connecting strokes (garlands, angles, arcs)

· Specific letter formations (e.g., unique "t"-crossing, "i"-dot placement)

· Pen pressure patterns

· Slant consistency

· Spacing habits (Between letters, words, lines)

5. Blind Forgery: A forgery attempted without a model or specimen of the genuine signature/
writing. Also called a "simulated" forgery without simulation.

6. ESDA Purpose: To visualize and recover indented writing impressions (second-page writings)
on paper using an electrostatic charge and toner powder.

7. Two Methods to Detect Erasure:

1. Microscopic examination to see disturbed paper fibers and surface texture.

2. Examination under oblique (side) lighting to see the difference in surface sheen/reflectivity.

8. Trash Mark: A defect or smudge on a photocopy caused by dirt, debris, or damage on the
copier's glass platen, lid, or drum. It appears as a repeating mark on every copy.

9. MICR: Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. It is the line of specially formatted numbers printed
at the bottom of checks and other financial documents using magnetic ink, allowing for
automated processing.

10. Main Challenge with Inkjet Individualization: The high degree of variability in print output due
to factors like nozzle health, ink saturation, paper type, and driver settings, making it difficult to
consistently link a document to a specific printer with a high degree of certainty.

11. Two Currency Security Features:

· Security Thread (embedded, sometimes with microprinting)

· Color-Shifting Ink

· Watermark

· Microprinting

· Raised Printing (intaglio)

12. Daubert Standard: A set of criteria used by U.S. federal courts to assess the reliability and
relevance of expert scientific testimony before it is admitted. It is important because it requires
forensic methods to be scientifically valid and reliably applied to the facts of the case.

13. "Inconclusive" Opinion: A finding that there is insufficient evidence in the questioned and
known materials to reach a definitive conclusion (either identification or elimination). The
evidence is neither consistent enough to support an attribution nor divergent enough to support
an elimination.

14. Need for Original Document: Copies lack critical forensic detail such as true line quality, ink
penetration, fiber disturbance, impression evidence, subtle color variations, and the ability to
perform certain physical/chemical tests. The original is the best evidence.

15. Major Ethical Responsibility: To provide an objective, unbiased opinion based solely on the
scientific evidence, and to clearly communicate the limits of that opinion (e.g., probability levels,
inconclusive findings) without advocacy for either side.