IDAHO POST LATEST 2026 TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS SCORED A+
✔✔When responding to a crime scene, what takes priority over evidence preservation?
- ✔✔Lifesaving.
✔✔What two types of perimeters should be established at a crime scene? - ✔✔Inner
and outer.
✔✔What is the purpose of a crime scene photograph? - ✔✔To accurately depict the
scene without introducing distortion or visual bias.
✔✔How should all death investigations be treated until evidence shows otherwise? -
✔✔As a homicide.
✔✔How long after death is rigor mortis at its greatest? - ✔✔8 to 12 hours.
✔✔How soon after death can rigor mortis appear? - ✔✔Within 2 hours.
✔✔When does lividity typically become fixed? - ✔✔Within 8 hours of death.
✔✔How soon after death can lividity be present? - ✔✔In as little as 30 minutes.
✔✔Where is core temperature taken from? - ✔✔The liver.
✔✔What is decomposition? - ✔✔The physical breakdown of tissue due to bacteria.
✔✔What are the 5 manners of death? - ✔✔Homicide, suicide, accidental, natural,
unknown.
✔✔What are the 4 causes of death? - ✔✔Asphyxia, sharp force trauma, blunt force
trauma, gunshot trauma.
✔✔What is asphyxia? - ✔✔Lack of oxygen.
✔✔What is sharp force trauma? - ✔✔Cutting of tissue.
✔✔What is blunt force trauma? - ✔✔Crushing and tearing of tissue.
✔✔What is gunshot trauma? - ✔✔Injuries produced by a projectile from a firearm.
✔✔What are some things that can result in asphyxia? - ✔✔Strangulation, smothering,
choking, drowning, positional or mechanical asphyxia, chemical asphyxia.
,✔✔What are the 3 types of blunt force traumas? - ✔✔Abrasions, contusions,
lacerations.
✔✔What are contusions? - ✔✔Bruises.
✔✔What are the 4 types of gunshot wounds? - ✔✔Penetrating, perforating, grazing,
tangential.
✔✔Describe a penetrating gunshot wound. - ✔✔Projectile enters the body, but does not
exit.
✔✔Describe a perforating gunshot wound. - ✔✔Projectile enters and exits the body.
✔✔Describe a grazing gunshot wound. - ✔✔Projectile strikes parallel to the skin,
abrading it, but does not enter.
✔✔Describe a tangential gunshot wound. - ✔✔Projectile skims the skin, making a
series of shallow wounds that go under the skin.
✔✔What is the leading cause of sudden death? - ✔✔Heart disease.
✔✔What actions should be taken once a crime scene is safe? - ✔✔Remove people
from the scene, separate witnesses, and locate and secure entry/exit points.
✔✔True or false: family and media are normally allowed in the outer perimeter of a
crime scene, but not the inner perimeter. - ✔✔False.
✔✔When should a crime scene log be established? - ✔✔As soon as possible to enforce
the perimeter.
✔✔True or false: other officers should be allowed to "just walk through" a crime scene.
This should be allowed. - ✔✔False.
✔✔True or false: strangulation and asphyxia are the same thing. - ✔✔False.
✔✔A victim has a furrow below or level with the voice box. How was this person likely
killed? - ✔✔Ligature strangulation.
✔✔Describe a stab wound. - ✔✔Stab wounds are typically deeper, rather than longer.
✔✔True or false: CPR can cause petechiae. - ✔✔True.
, ✔✔What is a contact gunshot wound? - ✔✔A close-contact entry wound.
✔✔True or false: it is possible to tell the difference between a contact bullet wound and
a wound caused by a bullet fired from a distance. - ✔✔True.
✔✔What can stippling patterns reveal about a gunshot wound? - ✔✔The approximate
muzzle-to-target distance.
✔✔What is a latent print? - ✔✔An unintentional impression of friction ridges that may be
left on an object when touched. Latent prints must be lifted to be seen (latent means
hidden).
✔✔What are latent prints primarily composed of? - ✔✔Water (99%).
✔✔What are patent prints? - ✔✔Patent prints are friction ridges covered in a foreign
substance. They are visible without enhancement.
✔✔What are plastic prints? - ✔✔Three-dimensional friction ridges pressed into a soft
substance.
✔✔What are latent prints used for? - ✔✔Identification purposes.
✔✔What are some other purposes of latent prints? - ✔✔Latent prints establish
presence at a crime scene, establish contact with an item of evidence, and can confirm
or refute an incident or statement.
✔✔True or false: it is possible to determine when a latent print was deposited on a
surface. - ✔✔False.
✔✔True or false: age, sex, or race can be determined from a latent print. - ✔✔False.
✔✔What are the 3 fingerprint pattern types? - ✔✔Loops, whorls, and arches.
✔✔What is the most common fingerprint pattern? - ✔✔Loops.
✔✔What is the second most common fingerprint pattern? - ✔✔Whorls.
✔✔What is the least common fingerprint pattern? - ✔✔Arches.
✔✔Describe loop fingerprints. - ✔✔The ridges enter from one side of the print, curve
near the center, and exit out the same side.
SOLUTIONS SCORED A+
✔✔When responding to a crime scene, what takes priority over evidence preservation?
- ✔✔Lifesaving.
✔✔What two types of perimeters should be established at a crime scene? - ✔✔Inner
and outer.
✔✔What is the purpose of a crime scene photograph? - ✔✔To accurately depict the
scene without introducing distortion or visual bias.
✔✔How should all death investigations be treated until evidence shows otherwise? -
✔✔As a homicide.
✔✔How long after death is rigor mortis at its greatest? - ✔✔8 to 12 hours.
✔✔How soon after death can rigor mortis appear? - ✔✔Within 2 hours.
✔✔When does lividity typically become fixed? - ✔✔Within 8 hours of death.
✔✔How soon after death can lividity be present? - ✔✔In as little as 30 minutes.
✔✔Where is core temperature taken from? - ✔✔The liver.
✔✔What is decomposition? - ✔✔The physical breakdown of tissue due to bacteria.
✔✔What are the 5 manners of death? - ✔✔Homicide, suicide, accidental, natural,
unknown.
✔✔What are the 4 causes of death? - ✔✔Asphyxia, sharp force trauma, blunt force
trauma, gunshot trauma.
✔✔What is asphyxia? - ✔✔Lack of oxygen.
✔✔What is sharp force trauma? - ✔✔Cutting of tissue.
✔✔What is blunt force trauma? - ✔✔Crushing and tearing of tissue.
✔✔What is gunshot trauma? - ✔✔Injuries produced by a projectile from a firearm.
✔✔What are some things that can result in asphyxia? - ✔✔Strangulation, smothering,
choking, drowning, positional or mechanical asphyxia, chemical asphyxia.
,✔✔What are the 3 types of blunt force traumas? - ✔✔Abrasions, contusions,
lacerations.
✔✔What are contusions? - ✔✔Bruises.
✔✔What are the 4 types of gunshot wounds? - ✔✔Penetrating, perforating, grazing,
tangential.
✔✔Describe a penetrating gunshot wound. - ✔✔Projectile enters the body, but does not
exit.
✔✔Describe a perforating gunshot wound. - ✔✔Projectile enters and exits the body.
✔✔Describe a grazing gunshot wound. - ✔✔Projectile strikes parallel to the skin,
abrading it, but does not enter.
✔✔Describe a tangential gunshot wound. - ✔✔Projectile skims the skin, making a
series of shallow wounds that go under the skin.
✔✔What is the leading cause of sudden death? - ✔✔Heart disease.
✔✔What actions should be taken once a crime scene is safe? - ✔✔Remove people
from the scene, separate witnesses, and locate and secure entry/exit points.
✔✔True or false: family and media are normally allowed in the outer perimeter of a
crime scene, but not the inner perimeter. - ✔✔False.
✔✔When should a crime scene log be established? - ✔✔As soon as possible to enforce
the perimeter.
✔✔True or false: other officers should be allowed to "just walk through" a crime scene.
This should be allowed. - ✔✔False.
✔✔True or false: strangulation and asphyxia are the same thing. - ✔✔False.
✔✔A victim has a furrow below or level with the voice box. How was this person likely
killed? - ✔✔Ligature strangulation.
✔✔Describe a stab wound. - ✔✔Stab wounds are typically deeper, rather than longer.
✔✔True or false: CPR can cause petechiae. - ✔✔True.
, ✔✔What is a contact gunshot wound? - ✔✔A close-contact entry wound.
✔✔True or false: it is possible to tell the difference between a contact bullet wound and
a wound caused by a bullet fired from a distance. - ✔✔True.
✔✔What can stippling patterns reveal about a gunshot wound? - ✔✔The approximate
muzzle-to-target distance.
✔✔What is a latent print? - ✔✔An unintentional impression of friction ridges that may be
left on an object when touched. Latent prints must be lifted to be seen (latent means
hidden).
✔✔What are latent prints primarily composed of? - ✔✔Water (99%).
✔✔What are patent prints? - ✔✔Patent prints are friction ridges covered in a foreign
substance. They are visible without enhancement.
✔✔What are plastic prints? - ✔✔Three-dimensional friction ridges pressed into a soft
substance.
✔✔What are latent prints used for? - ✔✔Identification purposes.
✔✔What are some other purposes of latent prints? - ✔✔Latent prints establish
presence at a crime scene, establish contact with an item of evidence, and can confirm
or refute an incident or statement.
✔✔True or false: it is possible to determine when a latent print was deposited on a
surface. - ✔✔False.
✔✔True or false: age, sex, or race can be determined from a latent print. - ✔✔False.
✔✔What are the 3 fingerprint pattern types? - ✔✔Loops, whorls, and arches.
✔✔What is the most common fingerprint pattern? - ✔✔Loops.
✔✔What is the second most common fingerprint pattern? - ✔✔Whorls.
✔✔What is the least common fingerprint pattern? - ✔✔Arches.
✔✔Describe loop fingerprints. - ✔✔The ridges enter from one side of the print, curve
near the center, and exit out the same side.
