Mass Spectrometry: Principles, Spectra Interpretation and Hyphenated Techniques (UGC-NET Unit II)
Published:
Questions
30
Duration
30 min
Faculty-reviewed
0
Updated
17 May 2026
About this mock
Advanced UGC-NET Forensic Science Unit II drill on mass spectrometry: ionisation modes (EI, CI, ESI, APCI, MALDI), mass analysers (quadrupole, ion trap, TOF, Orbitrap, FT-ICR), tandem MS (Q-TOF, triple quadrupole, MRM), spectral interpretation (molecular ion identification, isotope patterns, alpha cleavage, McLafferty rearrangement, sigma bond cleavage), accurate-mass formula calculation, hyphenated technique selection (GC-MS, LC-MS, ICP-MS, IR-MS), SWGDRUG identification criteria, and IUPAC recommendations. Hard-band scenario questions test which ionisation, analyser, transition, or fragmentation pathway applies in a real forensic toxicology, drugs of abuse, or trace evidence problem.
Sources & references
Questions in this mock are written and verified against the following sources. Citations are recorded per question and shown in the explanation after submission.
- cited in 6 questions
McLafferty F W and Turecek F, Interpretation of Mass Spectra, 4th edition
Chapter 3, Hydrocarbon fragmentation and Stevenson's rule for charge retention
- cited in 2 questions
Watson J T and Sparkman O D, Introduction to Mass Spectrometry, 4th edition
Chapter 3, Quadrupole mass analysers and the Mathieu stability diagram
- cited in 1 question
SWGDRUG Recommendations, current edition, Part IIIB Identification Criteria
Category A, B and C analytical techniques for seized-drug identification
Open source - cited in 1 question
Harrison A G, Chemical Ionisation Mass Spectrometry, 2nd edition
Chapter on methane reagent gas and the CH5+ proton-transfer mechanism
- cited in 1 question
Smith R M, Understanding Mass Spectra: A Basic Approach, 2nd edition
Chapter on identifying the molecular ion and the nitrogen rule
- cited in 1 question
Marshall A G, Hendrickson C L and Jackson G S, Mass Spectrometry Reviews 17, 1-35 (1998)
Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry: a primer
- cited in 1 question
Stein S E and Scott D R, Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 5, 859-866 (1994)
Optimization and testing of mass spectral library search algorithms used in the NIST MS Search program
- cited in 1 question
Sciex Application Note, Scheduled MRM Algorithm for Quantitative LC-MS-MS
Method development guide for wide-panel forensic toxicology screening
- cited in 1 question
SWGDRUG Recommendations, current edition, High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry section
Part IIIB, Accurate-mass identification criteria for HRMS
Open source - cited in 1 question
SWGDRUG Recommendations, current edition, Mass Spectrometry section
Part IIIB, Identification criteria for confirmatory LC-MS/MS
Open source - cited in 1 question
Makarov A, Analytical Chemistry 72, 1156-1162 (2000)
Electrostatic axially harmonic orbital trapping: a high-performance technique of mass analysis
Open source - cited in 1 question
Matuszewski B K, Constanzer M L and Chavez-Eng C M, Analytical Chemistry 75, 3019-3030 (2003)
Strategies for the assessment of matrix effect in quantitative bioanalytical methods based on HPLC-MS/MS
- cited in 1 question
SWGDRUG Recommendations, current edition, Mass Spectrometry section on LC-MS confirmation
Part IIIB, Identification criteria for LC-MS/MS in forensic drug analysis
Open source - cited in 1 question
Hillenkamp F and Peter-Katalinic J, MALDI MS: A Practical Guide to Instrumentation, Methods and Applications, 2nd edition
Chapter on matrix selection in MALDI-TOF peptide mass fingerprinting
- cited in 1 question
Goulle J P et al, Forensic Science International 153, 39-44 (2005)
Multi-element analysis of human hair by ICP-MS for forensic toxicology
- cited in 1 question
Wille S M R et al, Critical Reviews in Toxicology 49, 1-29 (2019)
Comprehensive review on LC-MS/MS for forensic toxicology screening and confirmation
- cited in 1 question
SAMHSA Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs, current edition
Section 3.6, Confirmation criteria for cannabinoid metabolite in urine by GC-MS
Open source - cited in 1 question
Kind T and Fiehn O, BMC Bioinformatics 8, 105 (2007)
Seven golden rules for heuristic filtering of molecular formulas obtained by accurate mass spectrometry
Open source - cited in 1 question
Ehleringer J R et al, Nature 408, 311-312 (2000)
Tracing the geographical origin of cocaine by stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry
- cited in 1 question
Murray K K et al, Pure and Applied Chemistry 85(7), 1515-1609 (2013)
IUPAC Recommendations: Definitions of terms relating to mass spectrometry
Open source - cited in 1 question
SWGDRUG Recommendations, current edition, Mass Spectrometry section on HRMS
Part IIIB, Accurate-mass identification criteria for HRMS
Open source - cited in 1 question
Silverstein R M, Webster F X and Kiemle D J, Spectrometric Identification of Organic Compounds, 8th edition
Chapter 1, Mass spectrometry, isotope abundance and binomial expansion for halogens
- cited in 1 question
March R E and Todd J F J, Quadrupole Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry, 2nd edition
Chapter on space-charge effects and automatic gain control in commercial ion traps
- cited in 1 question
Cotter R J, Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: Instrumentation and Applications in Biological Research
Chapter on reflectron design and kinetic-energy focusing
How our mocks are built
Questions are written and edited by the ForensicSpot team and cited from peer-reviewed forensic textbooks, official syllabi and primary case law. Each one is verified before publishing. Detailed explanations show after you submit, so the test stays a real test. See a mistake? Tell us.
Common questions
What does the Mass Spectrometry: Principles, Spectra Interpretation and Hyphenated Techniques (UGC-NET Unit II) mock cover?+
Advanced UGC-NET Forensic Science Unit II drill on mass spectrometry: ionisation modes (EI, CI, ESI, APCI, MALDI), mass analysers (quadrupole, ion trap, TOF, Orbitrap, FT-ICR), tandem MS (Q-TOF, triple quadrupole, MRM), spectral interpretation (molecular ion identification, isotope patterns, alpha cleavage, McLafferty rearrangement, sigma bond cleavage), accurate-mass formula calculation, hyphenated technique selection (GC-MS, LC-MS, ICP-MS, IR-MS), SWGDRUG identification criteria, and IUPAC rec
How many questions and how long is the test?+
30 multiple-choice questions, 30 minutes total. Difficulty: hard. Tier: Premium.
Who is this mock for?+
Forensic science students and aspirants who want timed, exam-style practice with explanations and verified source citations on NET. Useful for postgraduate entrance preparation and for BSc / MSc forensic students testing their recall under time.
Are the questions reviewed?+
Each question carries a verified source citation. Faculty review for individual questions is in progress.
Do I need an account to take this mock?+
Yes, a free ForensicSpot account is required to start a timed attempt — this lets you save progress, see per-question explanations after submission, and track your topic-level performance over time.