What is a primary drawback of handwriting verification?

• A. It is very fast
• B. Inconsistencies in signatures
• C. It is expensive
• D. Requires advanced math

Answer: (B)

Handwriting verification hinges on comparing signatures, but signatures can vary for the same person in many everyday ways—speed, pen type, writing surface, health, mood, or age. This natural variability makes it hard to draw a clear line between normal variation and a forgery, so the verifier must rely on subjective judgments of subtle features. Because of that subjectivity, even skilled examiners can disagree, and genuine signatures can be misclassified as forged or forged ones misidentified as genuine. This combination of variability and reliance on human judgment is the main drawback, since it directly affects reliability and can slow down the process. While handwriting checks can be time-consuming and may involve specialized expertise, the core issue most people encounter is the inconsistent nature of signatures.