IAI CP2 study plan

IAI CP2 · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Define the three physical mechanisms of bloodstain formation (passive, projected, transfer) and classify 20 described stains into them without error.
Explain how surface texture, porosity, and angle of impact alter final stain shape, and predict the shape change for five surface scenarios.
Identify the components of a bloodstain pattern report and list the documentation elements required before any interpretation is offered.
Build a one-page terminology sheet covering impact, cast-off, drip, flow, and void patterns using your own definitions.

A 20-stain classification table with mechanism, reasoning, and one surface-variable note per entry.

Week 2

Derive the relationship between angle of impact and stain width-to-length ratio, and compute angle of impact for 15 given measurements.
Calculate the point of convergence for a described multi-stain pattern and state the assumptions that weaken that estimate.
Distinguish spatter from transfer and describe how satellite stains, spines, and edge characteristics indicate energy level.
Explain why stain size alone is an unreliable indicator of impact energy and give two counterexamples.

A worked calculation set of 15 angle-of-impact values plus one point-of-convergence reconstruction with stated assumptions.

Week 3

Describe the sequence of events needed to produce cast-off, arterial, expiratory, and back-spatter patterns, and list two distinguishing features of each.
Evaluate how gravity, airflow, and secondary transfer affect stain distribution on vertical versus horizontal surfaces.
Identify three common misinterpretations of high-velocity mist and explain the evidence that would refute each.
Outline the limits of bloodstain pattern analysis as stated in major critical reviews, without citing case names.

A four-pattern comparison chart with mechanism, distinguishing features, and one limitation per pattern.

Week 4

Apply the scientific method to a described scene by writing a hypothesis, a falsification test, and a conclusion for each of three pattern questions.
Explain the role of bias mitigation, peer review, and verification in bloodstain pattern analysis workflow.
Identify when a bloodstain pattern analyst should defer to a DNA or serology specialist and articulate why.
Summarize the standards for report language that separates observation from interpretation.

A mock scene report of 600 to 800 words that separates observations, analysis, and conclusions, with an explicit limitations section.

Week 5

Reconstruct a full sequence of events from a described scene with at least four bloodstain patterns and justify the ordering.
Test alternative explanations for the same scene and explain why each is accepted or rejected.
Describe how clothing, weapons, and body position influence transfer and drip patterns.
Explain the effect of dilution, drying, and substrate on stain appearance and how to document it.

A scene reconstruction narrative with a timeline table and a rejected-alternatives section of at least 300 words.

Week 6

Complete a timed 40-question practice set on pattern recognition and calculation, and log every error by cause.
Recompute any missed angle-of-impact or convergence problem until correct without notes.
Explain the difference between area of origin and point of origin, and describe the stringing method and its error sources.
Review documentation standards and identify what is missing from a deliberately incomplete sample report.

An error log with at least 15 entries, each with cause, correction, and a re-test date.

Week 7

Deliver a 10-minute verbal explanation of a complex pattern scenario without notes, covering mechanism, limitations, and alternatives.
Answer 10 challenge questions on interpretation limits and defend each answer with a stated principle.
Review the full terminology sheet and rewrite any definition that still relies on memorized phrasing.
Identify the three weakest subtopics from the error log and complete targeted practice on each.

A recorded or written 10-minute explanation plus a revised terminology sheet with all definitions restated in your own words.

Week 8

Complete two full-length timed practice exams under test conditions and score each against a written rubric.
Review every remaining error-log item and confirm closure with a correct re-test.
Summarize the five highest-risk interpretation traps and the check you will apply to avoid each.
Write a one-page pre-exam checklist covering calculation formulas, documentation standards, and limitation statements.

Two scored practice exams with a final error-closure log and a one-page pre-exam checklist.

Week 2: Compute angle of impact and point of convergence for unseen problems with at least 90 percent accuracy, showing all work.

Week 4: Produce a scene report that a reviewer can follow without asking which observation supports which conclusion.

Week 6: Score at least 75 percent on the timed 40-question set and show that every missed item has a logged cause and correction.

Week 8: Score at least 85 percent on both full-length practice exams and close every open error-log item with a verified correct re-test.