CHFI EXAMINATION – PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A
| INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
*Core Domains*
*Computer Forensics in Today’s World*
*Computer Forensics Investigation Process*
*Searching and Seizing Computers*
*Digital Evidence and First Responder Procedur
*Forensics Lab and Tools*
*Hard Disks and File Systems*
*Data Acquisition and Duplication*
*Defeating Anti-Forensics Techniques*
*Operating System Forensics*
*Network and Database Forensics*
*Introduction*
*The CHFI practice exam is designed to validate the proficienc
Section One: Questions 1–100
1. Which of the following is the first step an investigator should
take when discovering a computer that is currently powered
on at a crime scene?
,A. Pull the power cord from the back of the CPU
B. Perform a graceful shutdown of the operating system
C. Document the state of the screen and capture volatile data
D. Immediately unplug the network cable to prevent remote access
🟢 C. Document the state of the screen and capture volatile data
🔴 RATIONALE: Volatile data, such as RAM and network
connections, is lost when power is removed. Documenting the screen
and capturing memory is the priority before any state changes occur.
2. Under the Daubert Standard, what is a primary requirement
for scientific evidence to be admissible in court?
A. The evidence must have been collected by a certified law
enforcement officer
B. The technique used must be generally accepted and capable of
being tested
C. The evidence must be stored in a climate-controlled forensics
laboratory
D. The tool used must be a commercial product rather than open-
source
🟢 B. The technique used must be generally accepted and capable
of being tested
🔴 RATIONALE: The Daubert Standard requires that scientific
testimony or evidence be based on peer-reviewed, tested, and
,generally accepted methods with a known error rate.
3. Which file system uses the Master File Table (MFT) as the
primary database for tracking file locations and metadata?
A. FAT32
B. EXT4
C. NTFS
D. HFS+
🟢 C. NTFS
🔴 RATIONALE: The Master File Table is the heart of the New
Technology File System (NTFS), containing records for all files and
directories on the volume.
4. An investigator needs to identify the geographical location
where a digital photograph was taken. Which type of metadata
should they examine?
A. System metadata
B. EXIF metadata
C. Application metadata
D. File system timestamps
🟢 B. EXIF metadata
🔴 RATIONALE: Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) data often
includes GPS coordinates, camera settings, and the date/time the
, photo was captured.
5. What is the bit length of a MD5 hash value?
A. 128 bits
B. 160 bits
C. 256 bits
D. 512 bits
🟢 A. 128 bits
🔴 RATIONALE: MD5 (Message Digest 5) produces a 128-bit hash
value, typically represented as a 32-digit hexadecimal number.
6. During the acquisition phase, why is it critical to use a
hardware write-blocker?
A. To increase the speed of the data transfer
B. To compress the image file automatically
C. To prevent the OS from writing any data to the evidence drive
D. To encrypt the image for secure transport
🟢 C. To prevent the OS from writing any data to the evidence drive
🔴 RATIONALE: A hardware write-blocker ensures that no bits on the
original evidence drive are altered during the imaging process,
maintaining the integrity of the evidence.
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A
| INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
*Core Domains*
*Computer Forensics in Today’s World*
*Computer Forensics Investigation Process*
*Searching and Seizing Computers*
*Digital Evidence and First Responder Procedur
*Forensics Lab and Tools*
*Hard Disks and File Systems*
*Data Acquisition and Duplication*
*Defeating Anti-Forensics Techniques*
*Operating System Forensics*
*Network and Database Forensics*
*Introduction*
*The CHFI practice exam is designed to validate the proficienc
Section One: Questions 1–100
1. Which of the following is the first step an investigator should
take when discovering a computer that is currently powered
on at a crime scene?
,A. Pull the power cord from the back of the CPU
B. Perform a graceful shutdown of the operating system
C. Document the state of the screen and capture volatile data
D. Immediately unplug the network cable to prevent remote access
🟢 C. Document the state of the screen and capture volatile data
🔴 RATIONALE: Volatile data, such as RAM and network
connections, is lost when power is removed. Documenting the screen
and capturing memory is the priority before any state changes occur.
2. Under the Daubert Standard, what is a primary requirement
for scientific evidence to be admissible in court?
A. The evidence must have been collected by a certified law
enforcement officer
B. The technique used must be generally accepted and capable of
being tested
C. The evidence must be stored in a climate-controlled forensics
laboratory
D. The tool used must be a commercial product rather than open-
source
🟢 B. The technique used must be generally accepted and capable
of being tested
🔴 RATIONALE: The Daubert Standard requires that scientific
testimony or evidence be based on peer-reviewed, tested, and
,generally accepted methods with a known error rate.
3. Which file system uses the Master File Table (MFT) as the
primary database for tracking file locations and metadata?
A. FAT32
B. EXT4
C. NTFS
D. HFS+
🟢 C. NTFS
🔴 RATIONALE: The Master File Table is the heart of the New
Technology File System (NTFS), containing records for all files and
directories on the volume.
4. An investigator needs to identify the geographical location
where a digital photograph was taken. Which type of metadata
should they examine?
A. System metadata
B. EXIF metadata
C. Application metadata
D. File system timestamps
🟢 B. EXIF metadata
🔴 RATIONALE: Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) data often
includes GPS coordinates, camera settings, and the date/time the
, photo was captured.
5. What is the bit length of a MD5 hash value?
A. 128 bits
B. 160 bits
C. 256 bits
D. 512 bits
🟢 A. 128 bits
🔴 RATIONALE: MD5 (Message Digest 5) produces a 128-bit hash
value, typically represented as a 32-digit hexadecimal number.
6. During the acquisition phase, why is it critical to use a
hardware write-blocker?
A. To increase the speed of the data transfer
B. To compress the image file automatically
C. To prevent the OS from writing any data to the evidence drive
D. To encrypt the image for secure transport
🟢 C. To prevent the OS from writing any data to the evidence drive
🔴 RATIONALE: A hardware write-blocker ensures that no bits on the
original evidence drive are altered during the imaging process,
maintaining the integrity of the evidence.
