- What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What CFA Means Here)
- The One-Page Snapshot
- Eligibility Facts to Memorize
- The Written Assessment: Format and Standards
- The Practical Assessments: Four Drawings, One Window
- The Three Preparation Areas
- Fees and Application Mechanics
- The Reading List Discrepancy
- Renewal Facts at a Glance
- Where This Credential Gets Used
- A Short Domain-Based Prep Order
- FAQ
- CFA here means Forensic Art Certification, administered by the IAI Forensic Art Certification Board; the title is Certified Forensic Artist.
- The written test is closed-book: 50 multiple-choice/true-false questions, 2 hours, 75% to pass.
- Practicals are unproctored: two composites, one skull reconstruction, one age progression, each scored at 75%, all within 14 days.
- Eligibility requires 2 years of experience plus a 120-hour training program that includes 40 hours of workshops, lectures or classes.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What CFA Means Here)
On this site, CFA refers to exactly one credential: Forensic Art Certification, awarded through the International Association for Identification (IAI). Successful candidates hold the title Certified Forensic Artist. This is a hands-on, skills-verified certification for people who produce investigative artwork, so it differs sharply from exams that are purely multiple-choice. If you want the broader definition first, see What Is CFA Certification? or What Does CFA Stand For?.
This page is a compressed reference. It is built from the dated IAI Forensic Certification Management Board Certification Program Operations Manual (FCMB-01-2020-C27, revised October 1, 2026, sections 7, 8.4 and 8.9) and the IAI fee page. Where the issuer's own materials disagree, I flag it rather than smoothing it over. For deeper treatment of any item, follow the links to the longer guides, and use the CFA Exam Prep practice test site to drill the written portion.
The One-Page Snapshot
Everything a candidate needs to hold in their head, in table form:
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Certifying body | IAI, Forensic Art Certification Board |
| Credential title | Certified Forensic Artist |
| Written assessment | Closed-book, 50 multiple-choice/true-false questions, 2-hour limit, 75% to pass |
| Written proctoring | Board-approved proctor required |
| Practical assessments | Two composite drawings, one skull reconstruction, one age progression; unproctored; 75% each |
| Practical window | 14 days, shared across all practical portions |
| Experience | 2 years |
| Training | 120-hour program, including 40 hours of workshops, lectures or classes |
| References | Two recommendation letters, two different additional references, signed certification agreement |
| Application | Through eCert |
| Fee (initial, recertification, retest) | $300 IAI members; $400 nonmembers |
| Validity | Up to 5 years |
| Renewal credits | 80 professional-development credits within the preceding 5 years |
Eligibility Facts to Memorize
Eligibility is front-loaded. Before you ever sit for anything, the Board expects documented background. The full walkthrough lives in CFA Requirements: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify; the essentials are below.
Experience and training
- 2 years of experience in forensic art work.
- A 120-hour training program, of which 40 hours must be workshops, lectures or classes. The 40 hours are part of the 120, not added on top.
- Training acceptance and recency follow sections 7.1.3.2 and 8.9 of the manual, including chair discretion for older training.
- The general part-time experience adjustment in the manual expressly excludes forensic art. Do not assume part-time years convert to full-time equivalents.
Documents
- Two recommendation letters.
- Two different additional references (different people from your letter writers).
- A signed certification agreement.
The Written Assessment: Format and Standards
The written component is the only part of the process that is proctored. A Board-approved proctor administers it, and it is closed-book. That means you cannot rely on looking up anatomy landmarks or interview protocols mid-test.
- Questions: 50, a mix of multiple-choice and true-false.
- Time: 2 hours total.
- Standard: 75% to pass.
For difficulty context, read How Hard Is the CFA Exam?, and for the scoring threshold specifically, see CFA Passing Score: Exactly What You Need to Pass. No official pass-rate figure is published in the source material I worked from, so treat any specific percentage you see circulating with caution; the CFA pass rate discussion covers what can and cannot be said responsibly.
Why true-false matters
True-false items punish half-knowledge. A statement about a composite workflow, an age-progression convention or a reconstruction principle is either right or wrong, with no distractor to eliminate. Study the reasoning behind each rule, not just the rule's phrasing.
The Practical Assessments: Four Drawings, One Window
This is what separates the credential from a knowledge-only certificate. The practical assessments are unproctored and require you to produce:
- Two composite drawings
- One skull reconstruction
- One age progression
Each practical assessment must reach 75%, and all practical portions share a single 14-day completion window. Passing the written test does not excuse weak drawings, and strong drawings do not offset a failed written test. Both tracks have to clear their own thresholds.
Key Takeaway
Because the 14-day window is shared across all four drawings, plan your materials, reference photographs, and working space before the clock starts. Fourteen days sounds generous until a skull reconstruction takes longer than you budgeted.
The Three Preparation Areas
The official Scope of Certification lists three headings. They are unweighted preparation areas, not a percentage-weighted blueprint, so do not assume one carries more questions than another. The longer treatment is in CFA Exam Domains: Complete Guide to All 3 Content Areas.
Domain 1: Composite Imaging
Creating a likeness from witness or victim description, typically for investigative leads.
- Two composite drawings are graded in the practical portion, each needing 75%.
- The Fisher and Geiselman cognitive interview text appears in the current C27 reading list, signaling that interviewing technique matters alongside drawing.
- Facial anatomy and proportion fluency underpin every composite.
Domain 2: Postmortem Reconstruction
Rebuilding a likeness from skeletal remains to aid identification.
- One skull reconstruction is required in the practical portion at 75%.
- Wilkinson's Forensic Facial Reconstruction is on the current C27 list.
- Expect written questions on the principles behind reconstruction, since the written test is closed-book.
Domain 3: Age Progression
Depicting how a known person, often a missing individual, may look years later.
- One age progression is required in the practical portion at 75%.
- Draws on facial anatomy and aging knowledge, so Gordon's head-and-anatomy text applies here too.
- Renewal re-tests the initial practical parts unless previously taken, so this skill never goes dormant.
Fees and Application Mechanics
Applications go through eCert. Fee amounts come from the IAI fee page and are identical across three events:
| Event | IAI Member | Nonmember |
|---|---|---|
| Initial certification | $300 | $400 |
| Recertification | $300 | $400 |
| Retest | $300 | $400 |
The Reading List Discrepancy
Candidates should know that the issuer's own sources do not fully agree on recommended reading. I am not merging them.
| Source | Titles listed |
|---|---|
| Current C27 operations manual (use for planning) | Karen T. Taylor, Forensic Art and Illustration (2001); Louise Gordon, How to Draw the Human Head/Techniques and Anatomy (1977); Caroline Wilkinson, Forensic Facial Reconstruction (2004); Ronald P. Fisher and R. Edward Geiselman, Memory-Enhancing Techniques for Investigative Interviewing: The Cognitive Interview (1992) |
| Standalone reading-list page (still accessible) | Taylor; Stephen Mancusi, The Police Composite Sketch (2010); Gordon |
The practical approach: plan around the dated C27 manual, and if the Mancusi title is within reach, treat it as a supplement rather than a substitute. Ask the Board to confirm which list governs. Being listed here is not a claim that any book's contents were reviewed for this article.
Renewal Facts at a Glance
Certification is valid for up to 5 years. Renewal is not a paperwork exercise; it re-tests skills. Requirements:
- 80 professional-development credits earned within the preceding 5 years.
- An application and fee ($300 member, $400 nonmember).
- An unproctored assessment completed within 14 days.
What the renewal assessment contains
- Five multiple-choice/true-false written questions at an 80% passing standard.
- The initial practical parts, unless previously taken.
- A five-image portfolio of drawings made within the last 5 years, held to a 100% portfolio standard.
Key Takeaway
Training drawings are acceptable for the renewal portfolio, but every image needs a comparative image and a short narrative explaining its use or contribution to an investigation. Keep those comparison and narrative notes as you work, not five years later.
Where This Credential Gets Used
Forensic artists are typically found where investigative visualization is needed: law enforcement agencies, medical examiner and coroner offices, and organizations focused on missing persons, as well as independent practitioners who contract with them. The certification signals verified competence in composites, reconstruction and age progression, which can matter for credibility when your work is used in an investigation. For a realistic look at roles, read CFA Jobs; for earnings discussion with appropriate caveats, see CFA Salary Guide, and for a value judgment, Is the CFA Certification Worth It?. I do not cite salary figures here because none are supplied in the issuer material.
A Short Domain-Based Prep Order
Because the practical window is only 14 days and the written test is closed-book, sequence your preparation so the knowledge base is solid before the drawing sprint. This is one possible order, tied to the three areas. Adjust it around your own strengths, and see the CFA Study Guide for a fuller plan.
Anatomy foundation and Composite Imaging
- Work through facial anatomy and proportion; every other area depends on it.
- Study cognitive interview technique and practice describing faces precisely.
- Produce practice composites.
Postmortem Reconstruction
- Study skull landmarks and reconstruction principles.
- Draw a practice skull reconstruction against a reference.
Age Progression and written drill
- Practice age progressions and compare against known later photographs.
- Run closed-book true-false and multiple-choice drills; the practice questions help here.
- Rehearse the full four-drawing workload against a 14-day calendar.
Dates and scheduling specifics are covered in CFA Exam Dates: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling. For the deeper dive on any single fact in this sheet, the CFA Training page is the right next stop.
FAQ
The closed-book written assessment has 50 multiple-choice and true-false questions with a 2-hour time limit. You need 75% to pass, and it is administered by a Board-approved proctor.
No. The 14-day completion window applies to the unproctored practical assessments: two composite drawings, one skull reconstruction and one age progression. The written assessment is separate and limited to 2 hours.
No. The 40 hours of workshops, lectures or classes are part of the 120-hour training program, not additional to it. You also need 2 years of experience, and part-time adjustments do not apply to forensic art.
Each of initial certification, recertification and retest costs $300 for IAI members or $400 for nonmembers. Division-only membership does not qualify for the member rate. See the cost guide for a fuller budget.
You need 80 professional-development credits from the preceding 5 years, an application and fee, and an unproctored assessment finished within 14 days. It includes five written questions at 80%, the initial practicals unless previously taken, and a five-image portfolio at a 100% standard.