AMERICAN BOARD OF MEDICOLEGAL
DEATH INVESTIGATORS PRACTICE TEST
2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS FULLY SOLVED
◉When a decedent is discovered in a public place and a crowd has
gathered, the investigator should:
a. immediately move the body to the morgue and evaluate it there
b. have the body shielded from view (by using a clean sheet, line of
officers, automobile, etc.) and conduct a death scene investigation
c. conduct a death scene investigation without covering the body
because covering it may detract from the integrity of photographs of
the scene
d. conduct a death scene investigation without covering the body to
ensure that no trace evidence is transferred onto the covering
material
e. order the police to disperse the crowd. Answer: b. have the body
shielded from view (by using a clean sheet, line of officers,
automobile, etc.) and conduct a death scene investigation
◉A 32 year old male dies of AIDS; 30 days after the decedent's
funeral, it is permissible for the death investigator to:
a. release pictures taken at the scene to the media
,b. disclose information about the death to interested parties as
permissible by statute
c. inform the media as to the cause of death
d. release information to the legal next of kin
e. none of the above. Answer: b. disclose information about the
death to interested parties as permissible by statute
◉The investigator arrives at an outdoor scene where there is a
crowd of onlookers. Police officers are standing around the nude
body of a young female victim. Which is the BEST step for the
investigator to take?
a. cover the body with a clean sheet or covering.
b. proceed with the investigation
c. stand with the police officers until the crowd is pushed back, and
then cover the body
d. cover the body with a blanket recovered from a nearby home
e. do nothing. Answer: a. cover the body with a clean sheet or
covering.
◉If a body is not identified within a reasonable time, the
investigator should:
a. have the body buried, after having exhausted all scientific methods
of investigation
, b. put an ad in the newspaper with a description of the body and ask
for the public's assistance in the identification
c. keep the body for a reasonable time and see whether anyone
telephones the office looking for a missing person who fits the
description of the unidentified individual
d. contact the local PD and complete an NCIC form
e. all of the above. Answer: e. all of the above
◉If a dead person has been identified and the family has been
notified of the death but refuses to take responsibility for disposing
of the body, it is the investigator's responsibility to:
a. notify the family of the office procedures that will be followed to
dispose of the body
b. call civic and religious organizations to see whether they have any
funds to bury unclaimed bodies
c. find the least expensive way to dispose of the body and do so
quickly to alleviate crowding in the morgue
d. keep the body and call the family every two to three days to see
whether they have changed their minds and will now take
responsibility for disposing of it.. Answer: a. notify the family of the
office procedures that will be followed to dispose of the body
◉Decomposition
Greenish discoloration of the right lower abdomen. Answer: 24
hours (1 day)
DEATH INVESTIGATORS PRACTICE TEST
2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS FULLY SOLVED
◉When a decedent is discovered in a public place and a crowd has
gathered, the investigator should:
a. immediately move the body to the morgue and evaluate it there
b. have the body shielded from view (by using a clean sheet, line of
officers, automobile, etc.) and conduct a death scene investigation
c. conduct a death scene investigation without covering the body
because covering it may detract from the integrity of photographs of
the scene
d. conduct a death scene investigation without covering the body to
ensure that no trace evidence is transferred onto the covering
material
e. order the police to disperse the crowd. Answer: b. have the body
shielded from view (by using a clean sheet, line of officers,
automobile, etc.) and conduct a death scene investigation
◉A 32 year old male dies of AIDS; 30 days after the decedent's
funeral, it is permissible for the death investigator to:
a. release pictures taken at the scene to the media
,b. disclose information about the death to interested parties as
permissible by statute
c. inform the media as to the cause of death
d. release information to the legal next of kin
e. none of the above. Answer: b. disclose information about the
death to interested parties as permissible by statute
◉The investigator arrives at an outdoor scene where there is a
crowd of onlookers. Police officers are standing around the nude
body of a young female victim. Which is the BEST step for the
investigator to take?
a. cover the body with a clean sheet or covering.
b. proceed with the investigation
c. stand with the police officers until the crowd is pushed back, and
then cover the body
d. cover the body with a blanket recovered from a nearby home
e. do nothing. Answer: a. cover the body with a clean sheet or
covering.
◉If a body is not identified within a reasonable time, the
investigator should:
a. have the body buried, after having exhausted all scientific methods
of investigation
, b. put an ad in the newspaper with a description of the body and ask
for the public's assistance in the identification
c. keep the body for a reasonable time and see whether anyone
telephones the office looking for a missing person who fits the
description of the unidentified individual
d. contact the local PD and complete an NCIC form
e. all of the above. Answer: e. all of the above
◉If a dead person has been identified and the family has been
notified of the death but refuses to take responsibility for disposing
of the body, it is the investigator's responsibility to:
a. notify the family of the office procedures that will be followed to
dispose of the body
b. call civic and religious organizations to see whether they have any
funds to bury unclaimed bodies
c. find the least expensive way to dispose of the body and do so
quickly to alleviate crowding in the morgue
d. keep the body and call the family every two to three days to see
whether they have changed their minds and will now take
responsibility for disposing of it.. Answer: a. notify the family of the
office procedures that will be followed to dispose of the body
◉Decomposition
Greenish discoloration of the right lower abdomen. Answer: 24
hours (1 day)
