Timed scene processing
The student is handed a mock scene — a taped-off area with staged evidence — and a clock. Working against time, they walk a search pattern, recognize what is and is not evidence, and document each item before it is touched, deciding what to collect next based on what the scene reveals. At the end they hand over a sealed, logged evidence set and justify every call from what they observed. There is nothing to copy and no key to consult: the scene is real, the time is real, and the documentation has to hold up.
| Criterion | Not yet | Approaching | Mastered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systematic search | Searches the scene at random and loses track of what has already been covered. | Has a rough plan but skips an area or re-covers ground already searched. | Works a logical search pattern, covering the whole scene once, and tracks what has been processed without gaps. |
| Evidence recognition | Walks past obvious items or cannot say why something is evidence. | Spots clear items but misses subtle trace, or hesitates on what is relevant to the case. | Recognizes both obvious and subtle evidence — a print, a fiber, a stain, a disturbance — and can say why each matters to the question. |
| Collection, packaging & custody | Handles or bags items in a way that risks contamination or loss, and logs nothing. | Collects and packages most items correctly but mislabels one or leaves a gap in the custody log. | Collects, packages, and seals each item in the right container, labels it, and opens a chain-of-custody entry for every piece. |
| Scene integrity under time pressure | Rushes, cross-contaminates items, or moves things before documenting them. | Generally careful but gets sloppy as the clock runs — skips a photo or crowds evidence together. | Stays deliberate under pressure: PPE on, document-before-collect, one item per package, no cross-contamination throughout. |
| Documentation & justification | Records little, or states a conclusion the scene does not support. | Documents the main items but justifies a call with only one observation, or overstates what it proves. | Documents each item with sketch, photo, and note, justifies every collection decision, and states honestly what cannot yet be concluded. |
“I photographed the shoe impression in place before I cast it, logged it into custody, and flagged that the partial print by the door might belong to the first responder — so I bagged it but noted it may not be relevant. I documented everything before I moved anything.”
“I grabbed the stuff that looked important and put it in a bag. I didn’t photograph it first because I was running out of time, and I’m not sure what half of it means.”
This assessment is AI-proof by design: it happens at a real mock scene, against a real clock. No chatbot can walk a search pattern, document an item before it is moved, or decide what to collect while the timer runs. Each scene differs from student to student, so there is no answer to look up — mastery is shown by processing and justifying in person, not by submitting. And the honest analyst records what the evidence shows, not who is guilty — that call belongs to the court.