ASIS International (ASIS) Professional Certified Investigator Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the ASIS International Professional Certified Investigator Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Equip yourself for success!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

How many distinctive patterns are fundamentally classified in fingerprint recognition?

Two
Three
Four
Five

The correct answer is: Three

In fingerprint recognition, there are fundamentally three distinctive patterns typically classified, which are loops, whorls, and arches. Each of these patterns has unique characteristics that can be analyzed and categorized to assist in identification. Loops are the most common type of fingerprint pattern, featuring ridges that enter from one side, curve around, and exit from the same side. Whorls are characterized by circular or spiral patterns with two or more deltas, while arches exhibit a wave-like pattern where ridges rise in the center and exit on either side, without any significant upward thrust. Understanding these three primary patterns is essential as they form the foundation of fingerprint analysis, allowing forensic experts and investigators to effectively categorize and match fingerprints during investigations. The identification of these patterns plays a critical role in establishing the uniqueness of fingerprints, which is a key aspect of forensic science.