EACH LABORATORY RECEIVED THREE PAINT SAMPLES, TOGETHER WITH THE INDICATION THAT SAMPLE B HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE DOOR JAMB OF A BURGLARIZED BUILDING AND THAT SAMPLES A AND C HAD BEEN FOUND ON THE CLOTHING OF TWO DIFFERENT SUSPECTS. THE LABORATORIES WERE TO DETERMINE WHETHER A AND/OR C COULD HAVE COME FROM THE SAME SOURCE AS B AND TO DESCRIBE IN DETAIL THE METHODS USED TO MAKE THE DETERMINATION. IN REALITY, THE THREE PAINT SAMPLES ALL HAD DIFFERENT ORIGINS. OF THE RESPONDING LABORATORIES, 78.2 PERCENT REPORTED THAT A AND B WERE NOT THE SAME, 63.6 PERCENT REPORTED THAT B AND C WERE NOT THE SAME, AND 48.2 PERCENT REPORTED THAT NEITHER A NOR C WAS THE SAME AS B. DETAILS OF TEST FINDINGS AND ANALYTICAL METHODS ARE PRESENTED IN SEVEN TABLES, INCLUDING ITEM-BY-ITEM BREAKDOWNS OF RESPONSES FROM INDIVIDUAL LABORATORIES. AN EXPLANATION OF SURVEY METHODS AND A COPY OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE ARE INCLUDED. OTHER PROFICIENCY TESTS INVOLVING PAINT ANALYSIS ARE DOCUMENTED IN NCJ-47526 AND 47537. OTHER TESTS ARE REPORTED IN NCJ 47522-47525, 47527-47530, 47532-47536, AND 47538-47542. (LKM)