IAI SP4 study plan
IAI SP4 · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Crime Scene Investigation and Documentation & Forensic Photography and Imaging
Draft a scene-processing checklist that sequences scene security, initial walkthrough, and documentation before collection.
Sketch two mock scenes (an indoor burglary and an outdoor assault) with measurements, fixed reference points, and a legend.
Practice three documentation narratives that distinguish observations from inferences in every sentence.
Assemble a photographic shot list for each mock scene covering overall, mid-range, and close-up, plus a scale-and-label convention.
Your checkpoint
A 6-10 page scene documentation packet: one checklist, two measured sketches, three narratives, and two shot lists.
Forensic Photography and Imaging & Crime Scene Investigation and Documentation
Explain the exposure triangle and demonstrate how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO trade off at a mock scene.
Justify lens and lighting choices for close-up evidence photography without perspective distortion.
Compare oblique, axial, and diffuse lighting for a textured surface and record which reveals detail best.
Evaluate when alternate light sources, filters, and UV/IR imaging are indicated and when they are not.
Your checkpoint
A lighting comparison log of at least 8 photographs of one textured object with settings, light type, and a written verdict on which image is evidentially strongest.
Forensic Photography and Imaging & Crime Scene Investigation and Documentation
Describe the workflow for photographing footwear and tire impressions with a proper scale and perpendicular camera axis.
Define the documentation requirements for a bloodstain pattern scene without interpreting the pattern.
Write the metadata and file-handling steps that preserve original image integrity from capture to storage.
Critique three flawed evidence photographs and state the corrective action for each.
Your checkpoint
A one-page imaging integrity protocol plus a written critique table covering three flawed photographs.
Latent Print and Impression Evidence & Fingerprint Classification and Comparison Methodology
Compare latent print development sequences for porous, nonporous, and adhesive surfaces and justify the order chosen.
Explain the chemistry and limits of ninhydrin, physical developer, cyanoacrylate, and powder methods.
Identify the major fingerprint pattern types and ridge characteristics used in comparison.
Walk through ACE-V and articulate why each stage must be documented independently.
Your checkpoint
A development-sequence decision table for at least 6 surface types with a one-sentence rationale per method.
Latent Print and Impression Evidence & Evidence Collection, Packaging, and Chain of Custody
Describe proper lifting, casting, and photography of impressions so the original is preserved.
Apply the packaging rules that prevent cross-contamination between latent print evidence and other items.
Construct a chain-of-custody entry set for a mock case from seizure through submission to the laboratory.
Identify the common packaging errors that void or degrade impression and latent print evidence.
Your checkpoint
A completed mock chain-of-custody form for 5 items with at least 4 transfer entries each and a short error log.
Evidence Collection, Packaging, and Chain of Custody & Biological and Trace Evidence Handling
Select the correct container and seal type for biological, trace, sharp, and liquid evidence.
Explain drying, refrigeration, and storage requirements for biological evidence before laboratory submission.
Describe contamination-avoidance practice including PPE changes, control samples, and sterile collection tools.
Outline the handling of trace evidence such as hair, fiber, glass, and paint to preserve transfer patterns.
Your checkpoint
A packaging and storage reference sheet covering 10 evidence categories with container, seal, and handling notes.
Biological and Trace Evidence Handling & Legal, Ethical, and Quality Assurance Standards
Summarize the standards governing laboratory quality, accreditation, and evidence integrity obligations.
Explain the examiner's duties regarding bias, proficiency testing, and disclosure of limitations.
Identify the admissibility considerations that apply to scientific evidence and expert testimony.
Describe the ethical obligations around case notes, testimony, and correcting errors.
Your checkpoint
A two-page standards and ethics brief mapping each obligation to a concrete on-the-job behavior.
Crime Scene Investigation and Documentation & Forensic Photography and Imaging & Latent Print and Impression Evidence & Evidence Collection, Packaging, and Chain of Custody & Biological and Trace Evidence Handling & Fingerprint Classification and Comparison Methodology & Legal, Ethical, and Quality Assurance Standards
Integrate all domains in a timed 60-question practice set and score each domain separately.
Re-teach the three weakest domain areas using your own notes and worked examples.
Rehearse a mock scene walkthrough that moves from documentation through collection to packaging without a gap.
State the chain-of-custody and packaging rules from memory under time pressure.
Your checkpoint
A scored practice report with per-domain percentages, a remediation list, and a dated retest plan.
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 75% on a self-made 20-question set drawn from documentation and imaging notes.
Week 4: Explain ACE-V and the development sequence for all three surface classes aloud in under 10 minutes without notes.
Week 6: Complete the packaging reference sheet and correctly package 10 mock items with zero cross-contamination errors.
Week 8: Achieve at least 80% overall on the timed practice set with no single domain below 70%.