CLE Criminalistics: The Subject That Trips Most Criminology Grads

CLE Criminalistics: The Subject That Trips Most Criminology Grads

Criminalistics is the CLE subject most likely to fail you on the 50% subtest floor. Two structural reasons:

1. Most BS Criminology curricula give Criminalistics 1-2 semesters of coverage — light compared to Criminal Law (often 3-4 semesters) or Criminal Procedure
2. The content is science-heavy — forensic chemistry, ballistics physics, fingerprint pattern analysis, document science. Many criminology graduates entered the field expecting more law and less lab work

The result is predictable: candidates score 80%+ on Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure, then 45-55% on Criminalistics, sinking the cycle entirely.

This post is the focused Criminalistics plan that the CLE 2026 pillar guide hands off to.

What PRC actually asks

Approximate item distribution within Criminalistics:

Forensic chemistry and toxicology

Drill list:

Drug analysis:

• Common drugs of abuse: marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, heroin
• Methods of detection: TLC, GC-MS, chromatography basics
• Drug Schedules under RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act)
• Classification: depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, opioids

Forensic chemistry general:

• Blood typing (ABO, Rh) and testing methods
• Gunshot residue (GSR) detection
• Body fluid identification (saliva, semen, urine)
• Trace evidence: hair, fiber, soil
• Glass fragment analysis (refractive index)
• Paint analysis

Toxicology:

• Common poisons (arsenic, cyanide, strychnine)
• Detection methods
• Postmortem changes (toxicology specimens)
• Drug-related deaths analysis

PRC items often present a crime scene scenario and ask which forensic chemistry test is appropriate. Match procedure to evidence type.

Personal identification

Fingerprint identification (heaviest sub-block):

Major patterns:

• Loop (radial loop, ulnar loop) — most common (~65% of fingerprints)
• Whorl (plain, central pocket, double loop, accidental) — ~30%
• Arch (plain, tented) — ~5%

Drill the visual pattern recognition. PRC items show a fingerprint and ask the pattern type.

Minutiae types: ridge ending, bifurcation, dot, lake, island, spur, crossover, bridge.

Henry classification system: numerical formula based on pattern presence in 10 fingerprints.

Dental identification:

• Forensic odontology basics
• Universal Numbering System (1-32 for permanent teeth, A-T for primary)
• FDI Two-Digit System
• Bite mark analysis

DNA identification:

• DNA structure and replication
• Sources of DNA (blood, semen, saliva, hair root)
• PCR amplification basics
• STR (Short Tandem Repeat) loci
• DNA databases (CODIS in US; PHL has limited national database)

Ballistics

Three branches:

Internal ballistics: what happens inside the firearm

• Firing mechanism
• Pressure curve
• Bullet velocity at muzzle

External ballistics: bullet flight from muzzle to target

• Trajectory
• Drift, drop, range
• Air resistance

Terminal ballistics: what happens at impact

• Penetration depth
• Wound ballistics
• Tissue damage patterns

Identification of firearms:

• Class characteristics: caliber, rifling pattern (number of lands and grooves, twist direction)
• Individual characteristics: striations from rifling, firing pin impressions, breech face marks
• Comparison microscopy

Common firearms in PHL CLE items: revolvers (.38 caliber), semi-automatic pistols (9mm, .45), shotguns (12 gauge), rifles (.22, M16/AR-15, AK-47).

Questioned documents examination

Drill list:

• Handwriting analysis: 12 characteristics (slant, spacing, line quality, etc.)
• Signature comparison
• Typewriter and printer identification
• Ink analysis (chronological, chemical comparison)
• Paper analysis (watermark, fiber composition)
• Erasures and obliterations
• Charred document examination

PRC items present a document forgery scenario and ask which examination technique is appropriate.

Forensic photography

• Crime scene photography sequence: overall, mid-range, close-up
• Photographic evidence rules and admissibility
• Ultraviolet, infrared, alternate light source photography
• Chain of custody for photographic evidence
• Macro and microscopic photography
• Film vs digital considerations

Polygraphy

• Theory of polygraph: physiological responses to deception
• Components measured: respiration, blood pressure, electrodermal activity
• Question types: control questions, relevant questions, irrelevant questions
• Examiner training and certification
• Admissibility considerations
• Limitations and counter-arguments

Forensic medicine basics

Overlaps with the broader CLE Criminology + Sociology subject but appears in Criminalistics too:

• Cause vs manner vs mechanism of death
• Postmortem changes: livor mortis, rigor mortis, algor mortis, putrefaction
• Estimation of time of death
• Wound types: incised, lacerated, stab, gunshot
• Asphyxia types

A 6-week Criminalistics drilling plan

Within the broader 16-week CLE review, allocate 6 weeks of focused Criminalistics attention. (Heavier than other subjects because of the floor risk.)

Realistic Criminalistics scores

For a candidate running the 6-week plan above:

Aim for 65%+ to comfortably clear the 50% floor with buffer. At 20% subject weight, every Criminalistics point translates to 0.2 points of weighted rating.

The "I went to law-focused crim school" reality

Many BS Criminology programmes lean heavily toward Criminal Law and Procedure with light Criminalistics coverage. If your school's curriculum was law-focused, expect a steep Criminalistics gap on diagnostic.

The fix: extra weeks (6 instead of 4 within the 16-week review), 200+ items of focused drilling per topic block, and serious investment in fingerprint pattern recognition (which is the highest-yield single sub-block).

The fingerprint deep dive

If you have time for one extra deep-dive within Criminalistics, make it fingerprint identification:

• 25 items per CLE cycle on fingerprints alone
• Pattern recognition is teachable in 20-30 hours of focused practice
• Henry classification system requires memorisation but is finite
• Minutiae identification rewards visual practice

A candidate who scores 90%+ on fingerprint items has banked 22-23 of the ~150 Criminalistics items before touching anything else.

Where Super Tutor fits

Super Tutor's CLE Criminology track covers Criminalistics with item drilling sequenced by topic block. Free tier opens fingerprint identification and ballistics basics; the Focused plan (₱49/week, ₱249/month, ₱1,999/year) opens forensic chemistry, questioned documents, polygraphy, and the mock cycle.

What to read next

The CLE 2026 pillar guide covers the full review. Other CLE subject deep dives publish on a rolling basis.