Forensic Science Crime Scene Processing Certification | Case-Based Assessment

Replace the traditional forensic science test with an investigation.

Investigator Certification I: The Missing Collection is a 100-point, case-based crime scene processing assessment that challenges students to apply what they have learned as they work through a developing residential burglary case.

Rather than answering a page of recall questions, students step into the role of an investigator and evaluate decisions made from the moment officers arrive through the final case review. Students must distinguish observations from assumptions, identify potential evidence, audit crime scene photography and sketching, evaluate evidence packaging, trace chain of custody, assess witness information, and determine what the available evidence can and cannot support.

This resource is designed as an end-of-unit or 9-weeks assessment and can be completed individually in approximately 70–90 minutes. It is designed to work especially well as an open-notebook assessment because students must apply procedures to a new case rather than simply recall definitions.

Please note: Investigator Certification I is a classroom-based recognition of student mastery and is not an industry credential, professional certification, or law-enforcement certification.

Students are assessed on:

• Scene security and initial response
• Observation vs. inference
• Recognition of potential evidence
• Crime scene photography
• Crime scene sketching and measurements
• Evidence collection and packaging
• Chain of custody
• Witness evaluation
• Evidence-based investigative reasoning
• Appropriate limits on forensic conclusions

What's included:

• 100-point Investigator Certification assessment
• Six progressive stages of Case 26-091: The Missing Collection
• Detailed residential crime scene diagram
• Crime scene photography audit and photo log
• Crime scene sketch audit
• Evidence collection and packaging scenarios
• Chain-of-custody investigation
• Witness and evidence evaluation
• Final Investigator Report
• Complete teacher answer key
• Point-by-point scoring rubric
• Quick scoring summary
• Certification Recovery Form
• Targeted mastery/reassessment system
• Full-color Certified Investigator certificate
• Printer-friendly black-and-white certificate
• Teacher implementation guide
• Terms of Use

Certification, Not Just a Test

Students earning 80/100 or higher receive Certified Investigator status. Students who have not yet demonstrated mastery receive Certification Pending status rather than simply “failing” the certification. The included recovery form allows students to review the specific skill area they need to strengthen and request a short, targeted certification check when they are prepared to demonstrate mastery.

The original assessment grade can remain intact while certification recognizes eventual mastery making this useful for classrooms where you want students to take greater responsibility for missed or incomplete learning.

Recommended for: Forensic Science, Criminalistics, Crime Scene Investigation, high school science electives, grades 9–12.

Prep: Print and go. No physical evidence setup or lab materials are required.