ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF Sensory Science & Consumer Research: 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
30written to this exam in this subject
12syllabus units
What this subject covers
Measuring how people perceive food: the physiology of the senses, panel selection and training, difference, descriptive and affective tests, the statistics that analyse them, and consumer research for product development.
In the exams: ICAR AIEEA-PG Code 18 Unit III (judging of food products); ICAR AICE 35.a Unit 4 (sensory evaluation, panel screening)
Physiology of taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing in eating
Sensory laboratory set-up and test conditions
Panel screening, selection and training
Difference tests: triangle, duo-trio, paired comparison and tetrad
Ranking and scaling: category, line and magnitude scales
Descriptive analysis: QDA, flavour profile and Spectrum
Time-intensity and temporal methods
Affective tests: hedonic scales and preference
Statistical analysis of sensory data
Consumer research: focus groups, surveys and central location tests
35.a Unit 4 sensory evaluation and panel screening: panel selection and training, descriptive methods and originators, temporal methods, statistical analysis of sensory data, preference mapping and sensory-instrumental correlation.
Where the 30 questions fall
How our questions for ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF spread across the units of Sensory Science & Consumer Research. Difficulty: 0 easy, 10 medium, 20 hard.
Physiology of taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing in eating
3
Difference tests: triangle, duo-trio, paired comparison and tetrad
3
Descriptive analysis: QDA, flavour profile and Spectrum
3
Time-intensity and temporal methods
3
Statistical analysis of sensory data
3
Relating sensory and instrumental measurements
3
Sensory laboratory set-up and test conditions
2
Panel screening, selection and training
2
Ranking and scaling: category, line and magnitude scales
2
Affective tests: hedonic scales and preference
2
Consumer research: focus groups, surveys and central location tests
2
Judging and grading of food products
2
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 · Physiology of taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing in eating · medium
Sweet taste is detected by which receptor combination?
T2R receptors
T1R2 with T1R3
Epithelial sodium channels
T1R1 with T1R3
Answer and working
B. T1R2 with T1R3
T1R1/T1R3 detects umami; T2Rs detect bitter.
Further reading: Lawless and Heymann, Sensory Evaluation of Food
2 · Physiology of taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing in eating · medium
Stevens' power law states that perceived intensity is:
Independent of stimulus intensity
Constant above threshold
Proportional to the logarithm of intensity
A power function of stimulus intensity
Answer and working
D. A power function of stimulus intensity
S = k I^n; Fechner proposed a logarithmic law.
Further reading: Lawless and Heymann, Sensory Evaluation of Food
3 · Difference tests: triangle, duo-trio, paired comparison and tetrad · medium
Thurstonian d′ expresses:
Difference size, independent of method
The proportion of discriminators
The chance probability of a test
The number of assessors needed
Answer and working
A. Difference size, independent of method
It explains differing test power.
Further reading: ISO 4120, ISO 10399; Lawless and Heymann
4 · Descriptive analysis: QDA, flavour profile and Spectrum · hard
The Spectrum method is distinguished by:
Untrained consumer assessors
Universal referenced intensity scales
Panel-developed terms without references
Consensus profiles only
Answer and working
B. Universal referenced intensity scales
Allows comparison across products.
Further reading: Lawless and Heymann, Sensory Evaluation of Food
5 · Descriptive analysis: QDA, flavour profile and Spectrum · medium
In QDA, attributes are rated on:
Universal reference scales
Consensus discussion only
Line scales, replicated
Yes/no checklists
Answer and working
C. Line scales, replicated
The replicated data are analysed by ANOVA.
Further reading: Lawless and Heymann, Sensory Evaluation of Food
6 · Time-intensity and temporal methods · hard
Temporal Dominance of Sensations asks assessors to indicate:
The intensity of one attribute only
The dominant attribute over time
Overall liking every minute
All attributes present at each moment
Answer and working
B. The dominant attribute over time
Introduced around 2009.
Further reading: Lawless and Heymann, Sensory Evaluation of Food
7 · Time-intensity and temporal methods · hard
Why do temporal methods matter in reduced-sugar reformulation?
Reformulation shifts timing
They measure cost
They are required by law
They replace consumer tests
Answer and working
A. Reformulation shifts timing
Static methods miss timing changes.
Further reading: Lawless and Heymann, Sensory Evaluation of Food
8 · Affective tests: hedonic scales and preference · hard
Consumers rate attribute liking after overall liking very similarly to overall liking. This reflects:
Adaptation
Central tendency
Habituation
A halo effect
Answer and working
D. A halo effect
Attribute liking is coloured by overall liking.
Further reading: Lawless and Heymann, Sensory Evaluation of Food
9 · Statistical analysis of sensory data · hard
In internal preference mapping, PCA is applied to:
Descriptive panel data only
Instrumental data only
Consumer liking data
Chance probabilities
Answer and working
C. Consumer liking data
Attributes are projected afterwards.
Further reading: Næs, Brockhoff and Tomic, Statistics for Sensory and Consumer Science
10 · Consumer research: focus groups, surveys and central location tests · medium
Ethnographic observation in consumer research is valuable because it:
Replaces all sensory tests
Gives statistically representative results
Measures chance probabilities
Reveals needs consumers do not articulate
Answer and working
D. Reveals needs consumers do not articulate
It shows real behaviour.
Further reading: Lawless and Heymann, Sensory Evaluation of Food
Ten here, 30 in the app. The Laisha app has every practice question we have written to ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF in this subject, marked as you go, with timed papers, a jump-to-unanswered list and a certificate when you pass at 70 per cent.
Free for ten days, then one subscription of US$10 a month. We would rather say so here than have you find it later.