CFI (Flooring Installation Certifications) study guide
CFI · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The IAAI-CFI® (Certified Fire Investigator) is the flagship certification offered by the International Association of Arson Investigators for professionals whose work involves fire, arson, and explosion investigation. The IAAI describes it as "the world's premiere certification for fire investigators, with rigorous requirements and corresponding prestige." It is aimed at practitioners who conduct origin and cause investigations as a specialization, as distinct from the IAAI-FIT® designation, which the association describes as being for personnel with general fire scene investigation experience but no exclusive fire investigation specialization, such as fire officers, fire marshals, and insurance adjusters. The CFI study guide has 7 sections and about 2,917 words.
01Documentation and Safety
The Documentation and Safety domain tests whether you can preserve a scene's information while keeping everyone on it alive. Expect questions on the order of documentation, what a photo log must contain, the elements of a written site safety plan, and the standards behind both - NFPA 921 for investigation methodology and NFPA 1033 for professional qualifications, which requires documented, ongoing technical competence across the core topics.
455 words, about 2 min02Electrical and Energy
The Electrical and Energy domain tests whether you can reason about electrical systems and other energy sources as potential heat sources without overstating what the physical evidence proves. Questions address circuit fundamentals, conductor melting behavior, arc mapping, battery and photovoltaic hazards, and the vocabulary used in reports.
466 words, about 2 min03Evidence
The Evidence domain tests identification, collection, packaging, chain of custody, and laboratory submission. It rewards knowing which container belongs with which sample and what a laboratory result does and does not establish.
408 words, about 2 min04Fundamental Classes
The Fundamental Classes domain covers how fuels are classified and how their physical properties drive fire behavior. It is the vocabulary layer the rest of the exam assumes, and questions often turn on exact thresholds and units.
430 words, about 2 min05Legal and Testimony
The Legal and Testimony domain tests the standards governing expert opinions, the boundaries of the investigator's role, and conduct in deposition and trial. Federal courts apply FRE 702 as interpreted in Daubert, weighing whether the method is testable, has been peer reviewed, has a known or potential error rate, and is generally accepted.
370 words, about 2 min06Insurance
The Insurance domain tests how the investigator's cause determination connects to coverage, subrogation, and fraud investigation. It is not a coverage-law exam, but you must know why the cause finding matters commercially as well as technically.
387 words, about 2 min07Motor Vehicles and Marine
The Motor Vehicles and Marine domain applies origin-and-cause method to vehicles, vessels, and their distinctive energy systems. Expect questions on compartment-specific origins, fuel and electrical systems, and the hazards of modern high-voltage batteries.
401 words, about 2 min