FIS 20500 Final Exam Review
(2025/2026) questions well answered
Public - correct answer ✔✔What does forensic mean
1. Performing scientific analysis 2. Offering expert testimonies in criminal and civil proceedings -
correct answer ✔✔What are forensic scientist responsibilities
BA in science and graduate programs focus on application of science to forensic work and
aspects of law, criminal investigation, and criminal justice process-educational programs are not
designed to directly prepare graduates for immediate work on cases -formal training and on the
job training begins after hired by lab - correct answer ✔✔How do you become a forensic
scientist
Federal government labs/government owned and operated-state or local forensic labs -30% of
work are outsourced to private labs because of backlogs - correct answer ✔✔What services are
available in a public forensic lab
Independently owned and operated-specialized labs (only one or two types of analysis)-private
consultant-provides service to public as defendant or to other labs but at a cost - correct answer
✔✔What is a private forensic lab
-timing (evidence can be lost w/ time)-plan of attack (systematic search method)-attention to
safety-appropriate personnel (qualified and trained)-controlling scene (authorized personnel
only) -documentation (sketching scene) - correct answer ✔✔What happens at a crime scene
Documentation of location of evidence from time it was obtained to time presented in court-
evidence is delivered to a lab, contents are described on a form, and unique lab # is assigned to
case and each item of evidence - correct answer ✔✔What is the chain of custody
,Guilt - correct answer ✔✔What are ethical issues that forensic scientists deal with
Quality Assurance a set of processes that can evaluate a lab and its personnel to determine if
they are achieving or maintain a given level of quality (ex. ASCLD). Quality Control a set of
processes and procedures put in place in a lab to be followed by personnel so that a desired
level of quality can be achieved (ex. quality manuals, written procedures) - correct answer
✔✔What is quality assurance and control
American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, American Board of Criminalistics Organization
of scientific area committees - correct answer ✔✔What is ASCLD, ABC, OSAC
Evidence is created to augment or explain real evidence - correct answer ✔✔What is
demonstrative evidence
- correct answer ✔✔What is Locard's principle
False negative control a false positive conclusion results when a test is determined to be
positive and it is incorrect (type I error, person could be falsely accused)
False positive control a false negative conclusion results when a test is determined to be
negative and it is incorrect (type II error, person could be falsely exonerated) - correct answer
✔✔What are false positives and negatives
Negative Controls expected to give a negative result with the test reagent. Positive Controls
expected to give a positive result with the test reagents and serves to show that the test is
working properly - correct answer ✔✔What are negative and positive controls
Hematocrit (The cellular portion of blood that well not evaporate) and Plasma (One of the two
things that blood is comprised of that makes it behave like water. This will evaporate) - correct
answer ✔✔The two parts that blood is comprised of.
, - correct answer ✔✔How can evidence be individualized
- correct answer ✔✔What is real evidence
Judge - correct answer ✔✔Who makes decisions on validity of evidence and who decides when
expert testimony is needed
- correct answer ✔✔What is the admissibility of evidence
Difficult to determine when a scientific technique crosses over from experimental reliable,
underlying theory must be generally accepted by particular scientific community from which it
arises - correct answer ✔✔What happened and what was the outcome of the Frye case
Frye standard was replaced with a reliability approach, judge is a gatekeeper who must
determine if technique is acceptable in court, cour set out some sample criteria for scientific
validity - correct answer ✔✔What happened and what was the outcome of the Daubert case
Sudden, violent, or suspicious deaths. - correct answer ✔✔When is an autopsy done and what
is done during the autopsy
The male's sub-pubic area is less than ninety degrees whilst the female's is more. - correct
answer ✔✔How does the sub-pubic bone determine sex
What cannot? - correct answer ✔✔What part of the anthropological profile can be determined
The study of what happens to an organism from the time it dies until the times it ends up in the
laboratory. Types of Taphonomy? Biotaphony (examine of remains and decomp) and
(2025/2026) questions well answered
Public - correct answer ✔✔What does forensic mean
1. Performing scientific analysis 2. Offering expert testimonies in criminal and civil proceedings -
correct answer ✔✔What are forensic scientist responsibilities
BA in science and graduate programs focus on application of science to forensic work and
aspects of law, criminal investigation, and criminal justice process-educational programs are not
designed to directly prepare graduates for immediate work on cases -formal training and on the
job training begins after hired by lab - correct answer ✔✔How do you become a forensic
scientist
Federal government labs/government owned and operated-state or local forensic labs -30% of
work are outsourced to private labs because of backlogs - correct answer ✔✔What services are
available in a public forensic lab
Independently owned and operated-specialized labs (only one or two types of analysis)-private
consultant-provides service to public as defendant or to other labs but at a cost - correct answer
✔✔What is a private forensic lab
-timing (evidence can be lost w/ time)-plan of attack (systematic search method)-attention to
safety-appropriate personnel (qualified and trained)-controlling scene (authorized personnel
only) -documentation (sketching scene) - correct answer ✔✔What happens at a crime scene
Documentation of location of evidence from time it was obtained to time presented in court-
evidence is delivered to a lab, contents are described on a form, and unique lab # is assigned to
case and each item of evidence - correct answer ✔✔What is the chain of custody
,Guilt - correct answer ✔✔What are ethical issues that forensic scientists deal with
Quality Assurance a set of processes that can evaluate a lab and its personnel to determine if
they are achieving or maintain a given level of quality (ex. ASCLD). Quality Control a set of
processes and procedures put in place in a lab to be followed by personnel so that a desired
level of quality can be achieved (ex. quality manuals, written procedures) - correct answer
✔✔What is quality assurance and control
American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, American Board of Criminalistics Organization
of scientific area committees - correct answer ✔✔What is ASCLD, ABC, OSAC
Evidence is created to augment or explain real evidence - correct answer ✔✔What is
demonstrative evidence
- correct answer ✔✔What is Locard's principle
False negative control a false positive conclusion results when a test is determined to be
positive and it is incorrect (type I error, person could be falsely accused)
False positive control a false negative conclusion results when a test is determined to be
negative and it is incorrect (type II error, person could be falsely exonerated) - correct answer
✔✔What are false positives and negatives
Negative Controls expected to give a negative result with the test reagent. Positive Controls
expected to give a positive result with the test reagents and serves to show that the test is
working properly - correct answer ✔✔What are negative and positive controls
Hematocrit (The cellular portion of blood that well not evaporate) and Plasma (One of the two
things that blood is comprised of that makes it behave like water. This will evaporate) - correct
answer ✔✔The two parts that blood is comprised of.
, - correct answer ✔✔How can evidence be individualized
- correct answer ✔✔What is real evidence
Judge - correct answer ✔✔Who makes decisions on validity of evidence and who decides when
expert testimony is needed
- correct answer ✔✔What is the admissibility of evidence
Difficult to determine when a scientific technique crosses over from experimental reliable,
underlying theory must be generally accepted by particular scientific community from which it
arises - correct answer ✔✔What happened and what was the outcome of the Frye case
Frye standard was replaced with a reliability approach, judge is a gatekeeper who must
determine if technique is acceptable in court, cour set out some sample criteria for scientific
validity - correct answer ✔✔What happened and what was the outcome of the Daubert case
Sudden, violent, or suspicious deaths. - correct answer ✔✔When is an autopsy done and what
is done during the autopsy
The male's sub-pubic area is less than ninety degrees whilst the female's is more. - correct
answer ✔✔How does the sub-pubic bone determine sex
What cannot? - correct answer ✔✔What part of the anthropological profile can be determined
The study of what happens to an organism from the time it dies until the times it ends up in the
laboratory. Types of Taphonomy? Biotaphony (examine of remains and decomp) and
