FSC100 STUDY GUIDE 2026 TEST PAPER
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
●● When do friction ridge patterns form, and do they ever change?
Answer: They form in the 3rd month of fetal development and never
change except to enlarge or be damaged by disease/mutilation.
●● Do identical twins have identical fingerprints?
Answer: No—same genetics, but different fingerprints.
●● What other body prints are unique to individuals besides
fingerprints?
Answer: Palmprints, footprints, lip prints, and ear prints.
●● What is fingerprint identification called?
Answer: Dactyloscopy.
●● What are the three general fingerprint pattern classes?
Answer: Loops, whorls, and arches.
●● What percentage of the population has loops?
Answer: 60-65%.
,●● What percentage of the population has arches?
Answer: About 5%.
●● What percentage of the population has whorls?
Answer: 30-35%.
●● What are the types of loop patterns?
Answer: Ulnar (toward little finger) and radial (toward thumb).
●● What are the four major whorl pattern types?
Answer: Plain, central pocket loop, double loop, accidental.
●● What key identifying features are found in loops and whorls?
Answer: Core and delta.
●● What are the types of arch patterns?
Answer: Plain and tented.
●● What are minutiae?
Answer: Small ridge details like short ridges, bifurcations, dots, and
ridge endings.
, ●● What feature ultimately confirms fingerprint identity?
Answer: The unique arrangement of minutiae.
●● What are fingerprints?
Answer: Reproductions of friction skin ridges on the palm side of
fingers and thumbs.
●● Where else is friction skin found?
Answer: Palms and soles of the feet.
●● What creates the ridge pattern in fingerprints?
Answer: Ridges (hills) and grooves (valleys) in the epidermis + sweat
gland pores.
●● What deposits fingerprint residue onto surfaces?
Answer: Perspiration and oils from eccrine (sweat) glands.
●● What is fingerprint residue composed of?
Answer: Mostly water (~99%) + amino acids, proteins, glucose, salts,
oils.
●● How do latent fingerprint development methods work?
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
●● When do friction ridge patterns form, and do they ever change?
Answer: They form in the 3rd month of fetal development and never
change except to enlarge or be damaged by disease/mutilation.
●● Do identical twins have identical fingerprints?
Answer: No—same genetics, but different fingerprints.
●● What other body prints are unique to individuals besides
fingerprints?
Answer: Palmprints, footprints, lip prints, and ear prints.
●● What is fingerprint identification called?
Answer: Dactyloscopy.
●● What are the three general fingerprint pattern classes?
Answer: Loops, whorls, and arches.
●● What percentage of the population has loops?
Answer: 60-65%.
,●● What percentage of the population has arches?
Answer: About 5%.
●● What percentage of the population has whorls?
Answer: 30-35%.
●● What are the types of loop patterns?
Answer: Ulnar (toward little finger) and radial (toward thumb).
●● What are the four major whorl pattern types?
Answer: Plain, central pocket loop, double loop, accidental.
●● What key identifying features are found in loops and whorls?
Answer: Core and delta.
●● What are the types of arch patterns?
Answer: Plain and tented.
●● What are minutiae?
Answer: Small ridge details like short ridges, bifurcations, dots, and
ridge endings.
, ●● What feature ultimately confirms fingerprint identity?
Answer: The unique arrangement of minutiae.
●● What are fingerprints?
Answer: Reproductions of friction skin ridges on the palm side of
fingers and thumbs.
●● Where else is friction skin found?
Answer: Palms and soles of the feet.
●● What creates the ridge pattern in fingerprints?
Answer: Ridges (hills) and grooves (valleys) in the epidermis + sweat
gland pores.
●● What deposits fingerprint residue onto surfaces?
Answer: Perspiration and oils from eccrine (sweat) glands.
●● What is fingerprint residue composed of?
Answer: Mostly water (~99%) + amino acids, proteins, glucose, salts,
oils.
●● How do latent fingerprint development methods work?
