CLPEX Chat Board

I was recently asked to take a latent print proficiency test as part of a validation study of the test itself. The test was prepared by Competency Assessment Services Limited (CAS) in the UK. Long time readers of this forum and the Detail will recall that Michele Triplett wrote an article about two years ago regarding the CAS latent print proficiency test. The CAS latent print proficiency test was approved by ASCLD/LAB about a year ago for use in ASCLD/LAB accredited laboratories.

I took the test in mid December and I would like to report that I found it to be well designed and manufactured. The number of latent prints and exemplars were within the limits recommended by SWGFAST. The amount of time required to complete the test was equivalent to the amount of time I would spend with a like number of representative latents and exemplars in case work.

The photographs were good quality. While they did not reproduce ridge detail as crisply as lifts do, the photographs on this test were better than some photographs I have seen in the past on other tests. I did not feel that my ability to compare the latents in this test to the exemplars was compromised by any lack of quality in the photographs.

The level of difficulty of comparisons in this test seemed appropriate for the purpose. I believe most competent examiners would find the CAS test challenging, but I believe any competent examiner could pass this test with a little effort.

More information can be obtained by visiting the CAS Website: http://www.casltd.org.uk/

I would be interested in comments of any who have taken a CAS proficiency test as part of their ASCLD/LAB proficiency testing program.

Pat,
We have participated in the pre-testing of the ASCLD-Lab approved proficiency tests with the company you mention. We are very pleased with the quality of the test. There are some differences in terms (like "fore finger" for example), but that is the only comment we have made regarding the test. The difficulty of the test is reasonable; not too easy and not too hard. A proficiency test is not meant to be as difficult as an IAI certification test, but it shouldn't be too easy either. As a whole, we have voted to purchase our proficiency test from CAS, Ltd this year.

If anyone out there is curious as to the quality of the test, simply contact the company. I have been in direct contact with Peter Whent, who has been extremely helpful. They sent our lab some sample images so we could see the quality for ourselves.

Stephany Louk-Denney