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ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF In-plant Training, Experiential Learning & Project: practice questions

ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) — Food Processing Technology, Food Safety & Quality, Processing and Food Engineering · India · ICAR through the National Testing Agency

Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papers
10worked here, free
21written to this exam in this subject
9syllabus units

What this subject covers

The practical semester most food technology degrees require: work in a food plant or laboratory, an experiential-learning unit that makes and sells a product, and a project or capstone that takes one problem from question to report.

In the exams: Degree requirement (for example the in-plant training and experiential learning semester in Indian B.Tech Food Technology programmes and capstone projects in IFT-approved programmes); not a separate exam subject

Where the 21 questions fall

How our questions for ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF spread across the units of In-plant Training, Experiential Learning & Project. Difficulty: 1 easy, 12 medium, 8 hard.

Project planning and literature review6
Data collection and analysis6
Report writing and presentation2
Professional conduct, safety and confidentiality2
Choosing a placement and setting learning objectives1
Plant orientation: process flow, utilities and quality systems1
Daily production and quality-control duties1
Laboratory practice in an industry or regulatory laboratory1
Experiential learning: running a small production unit1

10 practice questions, worked

Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.

1 · Plant orientation: process flow, utilities and quality systems · medium

A tomato line uses more tomatoes than the solids balance predicts for its paste output. What does this indicate?

  1. That the mass balance must always be wrong in practice
  2. That tomatoes gain solids during processing
  3. That the line is more efficient than anyone expected
  4. Losses in peeling, pulping, cleaning or spills
Answer and working

D. Losses in peeling, pulping, cleaning or spills

The gap between theoretical and actual yield shows losses to investigate; solids are not created in processing.

Further reading: Singh and Heldman, Introduction to Food Engineering

2 · Laboratory practice in an industry or regulatory laboratory · hard

A duplicate pair of moisture results differs by more than the method's repeatability limit. What is the correct response?

  1. Report the average of the two results anyway
  2. Report only the lower of the two results obtained
  3. Repeat it and look for the cause
  4. Discard the method permanently and choose another
Answer and working

C. Repeat it and look for the cause

Exceeding the repeatability limit indicates an error or heterogeneity; the analysis is repeated and the cause sought before reporting.

Further reading: Nielsen, Food Analysis Laboratory Manual

3 · Experiential learning: running a small production unit · hard

Customers report that the unit's biscuits taste rancid after three weeks. Which investigation is most useful?

  1. Change the font and colour on the label
  2. Increase the price of the biscuits to cover returns
  3. Check fat quality, pack barrier and storage
  4. Reduce the number of biscuits in each pack
Answer and working

C. Check fat quality, pack barrier and storage

Rancidity points to oxidation: fat freshness and stability, oxygen and light barrier of the pack, and storage conditions; antioxidants may help.

Further reading: Kolb, Experiential Learning; Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene

4 · Project planning and literature review · easy

What does a Gantt chart show?

  1. The chemical structure of a compound
  2. Tasks plotted against time with milestones
  3. The organisation chart of a laboratory
  4. Results of a sensory panel test
Answer and working

B. Tasks plotted against time with milestones

A Gantt chart shows when each task runs, how tasks overlap and when milestones fall.

Further reading: Day and Gastel, How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper

5 · Project planning and literature review · medium

In a literature search, what does combining terms with AND do?

  1. Excludes records containing the second term
  2. Narrows results to records containing all terms
  3. Broadens results to records containing any term
  4. Sorts results by publication date
Answer and working

B. Narrows results to records containing all terms

AND requires all terms (narrowing); OR finds any (broadening); NOT excludes.

Further reading: Day and Gastel, How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper

6 · Project planning and literature review · medium

How should a literature review be organised?

  1. By themes, leading to the gap
  2. By the alphabetical order of the authors only
  3. By copying the abstracts of each paper one after another
  4. As a list of unconnected summaries in date order
Answer and working

A. By themes, leading to the gap

A thematic, critical structure shows what is known, where studies disagree and why the project is needed.

Further reading: Day and Gastel, How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper

7 · Data collection and analysis · medium

A student measures the viscosity of one yoghurt batch five times and treats these as five replicates. What is wrong?

  1. Five readings are always too many for viscosity
  2. Viscosity cannot be measured in a yoghurt at all
  3. Readings of one batch are not true replicates
  4. Nothing is wrong with this experimental design
Answer and working

C. Readings of one batch are not true replicates

True replicates are independent experimental units (separate batches); repeated readings measure only instrument precision.

Further reading: Day and Gastel, How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper

8 · Data collection and analysis · hard

One result is far from the others with no recorded error. What should the student do?

  1. Delete it silently to improve the final results
  2. Replace it with the average of the other results
  3. Investigate and report any exclusion
  4. Repeat the experiment until the value disappears
Answer and working

C. Investigate and report any exclusion

Outliers are examined for causes; unexplained exclusion or replacement is poor practice and can be misconduct.

Further reading: Day and Gastel, How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper

9 · Report writing and presentation · medium

What is the main purpose of a viva voce examination?

  1. To test understanding and defence of the work
  2. To re-measure the samples in front of the examiners
  3. To grade the formatting of the references only
  4. To decide the student's next placement host
Answer and working

A. To test understanding and defence of the work

Examiners check understanding, contribution and the ability to justify methods and conclusions.

Further reading: Day and Gastel, How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper

10 · Professional conduct, safety and confidentiality · hard

Why do employers rate professional behaviour so highly in trainees?

  1. It is the only part of a degree that is ever assessed
  2. Technical knowledge is never useful in food plants
  3. Professional behaviour replaces the need for training
  4. Reliability and communication earn responsibility
Answer and working

D. Reliability and communication earn responsibility

Trustworthy, communicative trainees can be given real tasks safely; technical knowledge remains essential.

Further reading: Kolb, Experiential Learning; Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene

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Read the subject

In-plant Training, Experiential Learning & ProjectThe full study manual, free ICAR AICE-JRF/SRFFormat, sections and how it has changed

More ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF practice

Food Plant Design, Hygienic Engineering, Utilities & AutomationAdvanced Analytical Techniques & FoodomicsResearch Methodology, Scientific Writing & Ethics in Food ScienceAlternative Proteins & Future FoodsStatistics, Experimental Design & Chemometrics for Food ScienceFood Process Modelling, Simulation & OptimisationFunctional Foods, Nutraceuticals & Health ClaimsMeat, Poultry & Egg Products TechnologyFood Structure, Colloids, Encapsulation & NanotechnologyPhysical Properties, Rheology & Texture of FoodsFood Quality Assurance, Statistical Process Control & Laboratory AccreditationFood Packaging Science & TechnologyThermal Processing & Canning TechnologyShelf-life Science & Food StabilityNovel & Non-thermal Food Processing TechnologiesFood Chemistry I: Water, Carbohydrates, Proteins & LipidsFood Analysis: Proximate, Chemical & Instrumental MethodsEvaporation, Dehydration & Concentration of FoodsExtrusion & Texturisation TechnologyMechanical Unit Operations: Size Reduction, Mixing & SeparationChilling, Freezing & Frozen Food TechnologySpices, Herbs, Essential Oils & Flavour TechnologyTraditional, Ethnic & Indigenous Foods TechnologyFood Risk Analysis: Risk Assessment, Management & Communication

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