Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Below are common questions and comments related to taking and preparing for an ABC exam as well as maintaining certification.
Didn't get your question answered? Email us!
Didn't get your question answered? Email us!
Exam FAQs
Q: What score do I need to pass the exam? Why wasn't I told my actual passing score?
A: The passing score varies from exam to exam. These scores were determined during the development and pilot testing of each specific exam. For confidentiality reasons, these passing scores are not provided to the test taker.
Q: If I take the test and don’t pass, will people be able to find out?
A: No results will be revealed to anyone other than the candidate.
Q: If I don’t pass the test, how long do I have to wait to retake the test?
A: The ABC has a policy that describes this. Refer to the "Candidates who did not pass the examination" section on the Application Process page of our website.
Q: What do I need to bring with me the day of the examination?
A: You need to bring your Admission Confirmation Letter (09-0308T) and the same government issued photo identification you provided in your application packet.
Q: Can I bring a calculator or other personal items with me?
A: You are not allowed to bring any personal items with you including a calculator, food, beverage, smart watch, phone or computer. If you bring any of these items with you, you will be asked to power them off and leave them outside of the room or at the front of the room. Please do not bring personal items.
Q: Why is the test so long?
A: The length of each examination is determined by the test development process and is designed to ensure that all relevant areas are covered. Following good test taking strategies, most people finish the exam within the allotted time frame.
Q: I have a disability. What do I do to get assistance during the exam?
A: The ABC allows for testing accommodations for certain situations. Please see the Testing Accommodations page for more information.
Q: Why is the study guide so vague? I went through the study guide and I still felt unprepared.
A: The study guides consists of the job description, a list of KSAs (knowledge, skills and abilities), references and sample questions. The references are comprised of sufficient literature sources to cover all KSAs. The study guide is not meant to be all inclusive when it comes to studying. It should be used as a tool when creating your plan to prepare for the test. The actual amount of time and detail needed to prepare varies from person to person depending on their education, training, and experience. Allow sufficient hours of study prior to taking a certification examination.
Q: I don’t own all the references listed on the study guide. Will I still be able to take the test?
A: The listed references are designed to cover all the KSAs for an examination. For many of the listed references, a substantially similar reference (book or other publication) would suffice.
Q: Can I get additional example questions for study purposes?
A: No. The sample questions on the study guides are intended to familiarize you with the general format of the certification examinations, not to supply a "practice examination".
Q: How much should I study?
A: Analysis of data collected by ABC over several years shows that increased number of hours of study (100 hours) is correlated to a better chance of success.
Q: Why are there questions on outdated methods?
A: Exams are reviewed and revised periodically to ensure they are kept up to date with current procedures. However, each certification examination has KSAs covering the history and evolution of practice of that field of criminalistics. Questions that appear to be outdated may be addressing the history KSAs.
Q: Even with graduate and undergraduate degrees in Forensic Science, there were still questions I'd never heard of before. Why is this?
A: The ABC exams are designed to be taken by practicing forensic scientists. Although certain knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) are learned while in school, there are still KSAs that are obtained through practice and experience.
Q: Why are there so many questions outside the specialty of the exam?
A: The specialty exams were designed with 60% of questions covering the specialty and 40% of questions covering general Criminalistics knowledge. These proportions reflect the ABC philosophy that a criminalist should have the professional knowledge needed to direct, manage and perform the examination of evidence within the context of the entire case.
Q: There seems to be more questions on a particular topic than I'd expect from the study guide and breakdown of specialty and general questions. Why is this?
A: The exam consists of 220 questions, of which 120 questions (60%) are in the specialty discipline for which the exam was created and 80 questions (40%) are considered general knowledge. In addition, there are 20 questions which are considered pilot questions. These pilot questions are not counted toward the overall grading and can be from any disciplines, making it seem like there are more questions attributed to a particular topic.
Q: I think there is a question on the test that is wrong. How do I report it?
A: You can report it immediately after the exam on the critique form provided. If you'd like to report it after you leave the examination site, you can e-mail the Registrar following the contact address on our Contact Us page.
Q: I can’t believe I didn’t pass the test. I think it must have been graded wrong. What do I do?
A: The ABC has an appeals process. Please visit the Appeals page.
Q: I feel the conditions at the testing site hampered my ability to pass the test. How do I voice my concerns?
A: The critique form supplied at the examination offering has a general comments section where a concern such as this can be noted. If you'd like to report it after you leave the examination site, you can e-mail the Registrar following the contact address on our Contact Us page. Additionally, you may file an appeal of your examination process. Please visit the Appeals page.
A: The passing score varies from exam to exam. These scores were determined during the development and pilot testing of each specific exam. For confidentiality reasons, these passing scores are not provided to the test taker.
Q: If I take the test and don’t pass, will people be able to find out?
A: No results will be revealed to anyone other than the candidate.
Q: If I don’t pass the test, how long do I have to wait to retake the test?
A: The ABC has a policy that describes this. Refer to the "Candidates who did not pass the examination" section on the Application Process page of our website.
Q: What do I need to bring with me the day of the examination?
A: You need to bring your Admission Confirmation Letter (09-0308T) and the same government issued photo identification you provided in your application packet.
Q: Can I bring a calculator or other personal items with me?
A: You are not allowed to bring any personal items with you including a calculator, food, beverage, smart watch, phone or computer. If you bring any of these items with you, you will be asked to power them off and leave them outside of the room or at the front of the room. Please do not bring personal items.
Q: Why is the test so long?
A: The length of each examination is determined by the test development process and is designed to ensure that all relevant areas are covered. Following good test taking strategies, most people finish the exam within the allotted time frame.
Q: I have a disability. What do I do to get assistance during the exam?
A: The ABC allows for testing accommodations for certain situations. Please see the Testing Accommodations page for more information.
Q: Why is the study guide so vague? I went through the study guide and I still felt unprepared.
A: The study guides consists of the job description, a list of KSAs (knowledge, skills and abilities), references and sample questions. The references are comprised of sufficient literature sources to cover all KSAs. The study guide is not meant to be all inclusive when it comes to studying. It should be used as a tool when creating your plan to prepare for the test. The actual amount of time and detail needed to prepare varies from person to person depending on their education, training, and experience. Allow sufficient hours of study prior to taking a certification examination.
Q: I don’t own all the references listed on the study guide. Will I still be able to take the test?
A: The listed references are designed to cover all the KSAs for an examination. For many of the listed references, a substantially similar reference (book or other publication) would suffice.
Q: Can I get additional example questions for study purposes?
A: No. The sample questions on the study guides are intended to familiarize you with the general format of the certification examinations, not to supply a "practice examination".
Q: How much should I study?
A: Analysis of data collected by ABC over several years shows that increased number of hours of study (100 hours) is correlated to a better chance of success.
Q: Why are there questions on outdated methods?
A: Exams are reviewed and revised periodically to ensure they are kept up to date with current procedures. However, each certification examination has KSAs covering the history and evolution of practice of that field of criminalistics. Questions that appear to be outdated may be addressing the history KSAs.
Q: Even with graduate and undergraduate degrees in Forensic Science, there were still questions I'd never heard of before. Why is this?
A: The ABC exams are designed to be taken by practicing forensic scientists. Although certain knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) are learned while in school, there are still KSAs that are obtained through practice and experience.
Q: Why are there so many questions outside the specialty of the exam?
A: The specialty exams were designed with 60% of questions covering the specialty and 40% of questions covering general Criminalistics knowledge. These proportions reflect the ABC philosophy that a criminalist should have the professional knowledge needed to direct, manage and perform the examination of evidence within the context of the entire case.
Q: There seems to be more questions on a particular topic than I'd expect from the study guide and breakdown of specialty and general questions. Why is this?
A: The exam consists of 220 questions, of which 120 questions (60%) are in the specialty discipline for which the exam was created and 80 questions (40%) are considered general knowledge. In addition, there are 20 questions which are considered pilot questions. These pilot questions are not counted toward the overall grading and can be from any disciplines, making it seem like there are more questions attributed to a particular topic.
Q: I think there is a question on the test that is wrong. How do I report it?
A: You can report it immediately after the exam on the critique form provided. If you'd like to report it after you leave the examination site, you can e-mail the Registrar following the contact address on our Contact Us page.
Q: I can’t believe I didn’t pass the test. I think it must have been graded wrong. What do I do?
A: The ABC has an appeals process. Please visit the Appeals page.
Q: I feel the conditions at the testing site hampered my ability to pass the test. How do I voice my concerns?
A: The critique form supplied at the examination offering has a general comments section where a concern such as this can be noted. If you'd like to report it after you leave the examination site, you can e-mail the Registrar following the contact address on our Contact Us page. Additionally, you may file an appeal of your examination process. Please visit the Appeals page.
Certification FAQs
Q: I don't yet have the required experience. Can I become certified?
A: In some instances, you can take the examination to be an Affiliate until you have met your experience requirements. The Affiliate status is being phased out and is set to retire December 31, 2022. See our Affiliates Page for further information.
A: In some instances, you can take the examination to be an Affiliate until you have met your experience requirements. The Affiliate status is being phased out and is set to retire December 31, 2022. See our Affiliates Page for further information.
Recertification FAQs
Q: Has anything changed in the recertification forms from last year?
A: The Recertification process underwent a significant revision in 2020. It is always good practice to review the current recertification process and current recertification forms, which can be found on our Recertification page.
Q: How many copies of the recertification forms do I send in?
A: You only need to submit one copy of each completed form (this changed starting with the 2015 Recertification cycle).
Q: What if I do not provide adequate documentary evidence to support recertification points I am claiming?
A: It is the responsibility of the certified individual to provide evidence of points earned. If such evidence is not provided with the recertification packet, the claimed points will not be awarded.
Q: I have taken online training. Can I receive points towards my recertification?
A: The ABC has developed guidelines to grant points for such training. Refer to the Recertification page for a link to the approved courses.
Q: What happens if I do not submit my Rules of Professional Conduct and recertification fees by June 1st?
A: If you do not submit both your Rules of Professional Conduct and your recertification maintenance fee by June 1st, your certification will be placed on probation and you will risk having your certification revoked.
A: The Recertification process underwent a significant revision in 2020. It is always good practice to review the current recertification process and current recertification forms, which can be found on our Recertification page.
Q: How many copies of the recertification forms do I send in?
A: You only need to submit one copy of each completed form (this changed starting with the 2015 Recertification cycle).
Q: What if I do not provide adequate documentary evidence to support recertification points I am claiming?
A: It is the responsibility of the certified individual to provide evidence of points earned. If such evidence is not provided with the recertification packet, the claimed points will not be awarded.
Q: I have taken online training. Can I receive points towards my recertification?
A: The ABC has developed guidelines to grant points for such training. Refer to the Recertification page for a link to the approved courses.
Q: What happens if I do not submit my Rules of Professional Conduct and recertification fees by June 1st?
A: If you do not submit both your Rules of Professional Conduct and your recertification maintenance fee by June 1st, your certification will be placed on probation and you will risk having your certification revoked.
Other FAQs
Q: I know of an ABC certified individual who has engaged in unethical behavior. How do I report them?
A: Refer to the Ethics section of the website.
A: Refer to the Ethics section of the website.