FSAT Exam UPDATED QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
Which of the following best describes the value of field kits for chemical testing of controlled
substances?
A. They remove the necessity for laboratory analysis
B. They are presumptive tests
C. They have questionable reliability
D. They allow the officer to make a field identification - CORRECT ANSWER They are
presumptive tests
The primary reason for proving "chain of custody" on a particular item in court is to:
A. Authenticate the item
B. Show how many people handled the item
C. Show how long it was in each person's possession
D. Deter or prevent unauthorized individuals from handling the evidence - CORRECT
ANSWER authenticate the item
What is the highest energy in the spectral regions? - CORRECT ANSWER Ultraviolet
Human genomic DNA is not found in: - CORRECT ANSWER Red blood cells
You receive an envelope containing a semi-automatic pistol for an operability check. You open the
envelope to examine the weapon. You first remove a fully loaded magazine. The weapon is now:
A. Potentially still loaded and unsafe
B. Unloaded and safe
C. Potentially still loaded but safe
D. Rendered safe because of a magazine disconnect - CORRECT ANSWER potentially still
loaded and unsafe
,When handling biological materials, which of the following is the most reasonable approach to take? -
CORRECT ANSWER Precautions should be taken regardless of the condition or the origin of
the samples being handled
Upon reviewing your notes for court appearance in one week, you realize that there is a clerical error
and two results have been reversed. What is the best course of action? - CORRECT
ANSWER Immediately notify the attorney and issue a report which makes the correction clear
Which of the following actions is not forbidden by the ABC Code of Professional Conduct?
A. Embellishing one's qualifications when testifying
B. Utilizing a secret weapon
C. Refusing to honor a subpoena duces tecum
D. Interpreting equivocal results based only on an employer's wishes - CORRECT
ANSWER utilizing a secret weapon
A defendant has a combination of genetic marker types common to a particular evidence stain and
0.1% of the population. This means:
A. Approximately 1 out of 1000 people would have the same types
B. The next 999 people that walked into the court room would not have the same combination of
types
C. We are 99.9% certain that the person responsible is being tried
D. We are 0.1% certain that the person responsible is being tried - CORRECT
ANSWER approximately 1 out of 1000 people would have the same types
A drunk driver struck a pedestrian at a dark intersection. Realizing that the headlamps were not on, the
driver turns them on before the police arrive. The broken right from low beam flashes and goes out.
The police collect the headlamp and submit it to you for examination. You are likely to find which of
the following indicators?
I. A sharp break
II. Hot deformation
,III. Fused glass
IV. Large amounts of WO3 deposits
A. IV only
B. I only
C. II and III
D. II, III, and IV - CORRECT ANSWER I only (a sharp break)
What purpose does humidity serve when processing latent prints with Cyanoacrylate? - CORRECT
ANSWER Causes polymerization and the formation of white particles on the ridges
What are the most important components of a Polymerase chain reaction? - CORRECT
ANSWER oligonucleotides
Which one of the following statements applies to FT-IR but NOT dispersive IR?
A. The technique is considered to be a confirmatory test
B. The resulting spectrum is a measure of molecular vibration
C. The infrared radiation is analyzed utilizing interferometer
D. Solid samples are prepared by mixing the sample with kbr and pressing a pellet - CORRECT
ANSWER the infrared radiation is analyzed utilizing interferometer
The differences in striation markings along a gun's bore could be the result of:
A. Imperfections of the rifling cutter, distortions caused by a broach cutter, and wear from the firing
bullets over time
B. Imperfections of the rifling cutter
C. Distortions caused by a broach cutter
D. Wear from the firing of bullets over time - CORRECT ANSWER imperfections of the rifling
cutter, distortions caused by a broach cutter, and wear from the firing bullets over time
, How will the Rf values of eluents most likely be affected if a TLC tank is not kept saturated with the
developing solvent?
A. They will increase
B. They will decrease
C. They will increase or decrease unpredictably
D. They will not be affected - CORRECT ANSWER they will decrease
If the IR absorbance spectrum for a previously unidentified drug matches that of a l-amphetamine hcl
standard, which of the following would be a justifiable conclusion?
A. The unknown is l-amphetamine hydrochloride
B. The unknown could be d-amphetamine hydrochloride
C. The unknown could be l-amphetamine sulfate
D. The unknown could be methamphetamine hydrochloride - CORRECT ANSWER the
unknown is l-amphetamine hydrochloride
With which one of the following drugs will be the Marquis reagent NOT produce a colored reaction
product?
A. Morphine
B. Mescaline
C. Amphetamine
D. Barbiturate - CORRECT ANSWER barbiturate
Which reagent would be most useful for visualization and differentiation of the various cannabinoid
separated from a marijuana extracted on a TLC plate? - CORRECT ANSWER fast blue BB
The term "theoretical plate" refers to which one of the following parameters in gas chromatography?
A. Retention time
B. Polarity
CORRECT ANSWERS
Which of the following best describes the value of field kits for chemical testing of controlled
substances?
A. They remove the necessity for laboratory analysis
B. They are presumptive tests
C. They have questionable reliability
D. They allow the officer to make a field identification - CORRECT ANSWER They are
presumptive tests
The primary reason for proving "chain of custody" on a particular item in court is to:
A. Authenticate the item
B. Show how many people handled the item
C. Show how long it was in each person's possession
D. Deter or prevent unauthorized individuals from handling the evidence - CORRECT
ANSWER authenticate the item
What is the highest energy in the spectral regions? - CORRECT ANSWER Ultraviolet
Human genomic DNA is not found in: - CORRECT ANSWER Red blood cells
You receive an envelope containing a semi-automatic pistol for an operability check. You open the
envelope to examine the weapon. You first remove a fully loaded magazine. The weapon is now:
A. Potentially still loaded and unsafe
B. Unloaded and safe
C. Potentially still loaded but safe
D. Rendered safe because of a magazine disconnect - CORRECT ANSWER potentially still
loaded and unsafe
,When handling biological materials, which of the following is the most reasonable approach to take? -
CORRECT ANSWER Precautions should be taken regardless of the condition or the origin of
the samples being handled
Upon reviewing your notes for court appearance in one week, you realize that there is a clerical error
and two results have been reversed. What is the best course of action? - CORRECT
ANSWER Immediately notify the attorney and issue a report which makes the correction clear
Which of the following actions is not forbidden by the ABC Code of Professional Conduct?
A. Embellishing one's qualifications when testifying
B. Utilizing a secret weapon
C. Refusing to honor a subpoena duces tecum
D. Interpreting equivocal results based only on an employer's wishes - CORRECT
ANSWER utilizing a secret weapon
A defendant has a combination of genetic marker types common to a particular evidence stain and
0.1% of the population. This means:
A. Approximately 1 out of 1000 people would have the same types
B. The next 999 people that walked into the court room would not have the same combination of
types
C. We are 99.9% certain that the person responsible is being tried
D. We are 0.1% certain that the person responsible is being tried - CORRECT
ANSWER approximately 1 out of 1000 people would have the same types
A drunk driver struck a pedestrian at a dark intersection. Realizing that the headlamps were not on, the
driver turns them on before the police arrive. The broken right from low beam flashes and goes out.
The police collect the headlamp and submit it to you for examination. You are likely to find which of
the following indicators?
I. A sharp break
II. Hot deformation
,III. Fused glass
IV. Large amounts of WO3 deposits
A. IV only
B. I only
C. II and III
D. II, III, and IV - CORRECT ANSWER I only (a sharp break)
What purpose does humidity serve when processing latent prints with Cyanoacrylate? - CORRECT
ANSWER Causes polymerization and the formation of white particles on the ridges
What are the most important components of a Polymerase chain reaction? - CORRECT
ANSWER oligonucleotides
Which one of the following statements applies to FT-IR but NOT dispersive IR?
A. The technique is considered to be a confirmatory test
B. The resulting spectrum is a measure of molecular vibration
C. The infrared radiation is analyzed utilizing interferometer
D. Solid samples are prepared by mixing the sample with kbr and pressing a pellet - CORRECT
ANSWER the infrared radiation is analyzed utilizing interferometer
The differences in striation markings along a gun's bore could be the result of:
A. Imperfections of the rifling cutter, distortions caused by a broach cutter, and wear from the firing
bullets over time
B. Imperfections of the rifling cutter
C. Distortions caused by a broach cutter
D. Wear from the firing of bullets over time - CORRECT ANSWER imperfections of the rifling
cutter, distortions caused by a broach cutter, and wear from the firing bullets over time
, How will the Rf values of eluents most likely be affected if a TLC tank is not kept saturated with the
developing solvent?
A. They will increase
B. They will decrease
C. They will increase or decrease unpredictably
D. They will not be affected - CORRECT ANSWER they will decrease
If the IR absorbance spectrum for a previously unidentified drug matches that of a l-amphetamine hcl
standard, which of the following would be a justifiable conclusion?
A. The unknown is l-amphetamine hydrochloride
B. The unknown could be d-amphetamine hydrochloride
C. The unknown could be l-amphetamine sulfate
D. The unknown could be methamphetamine hydrochloride - CORRECT ANSWER the
unknown is l-amphetamine hydrochloride
With which one of the following drugs will be the Marquis reagent NOT produce a colored reaction
product?
A. Morphine
B. Mescaline
C. Amphetamine
D. Barbiturate - CORRECT ANSWER barbiturate
Which reagent would be most useful for visualization and differentiation of the various cannabinoid
separated from a marijuana extracted on a TLC plate? - CORRECT ANSWER fast blue BB
The term "theoretical plate" refers to which one of the following parameters in gas chromatography?
A. Retention time
B. Polarity
