The Board certified professional investigator program®
(BCPI®)
The United States Association of
Professional Investigators, Inc® (USAPI®) has established
a certification program known as the Board Certified Professional
Investigator (BCPI). The BCPI Program offers a professional certification designation, as well as Specialty and Expert Certificates.
The USAPI Certification Board
consists of prominent, proven experts in the various fields of
professional investigation and forensic sciences. Further information
regarding the Board and Board Members is available by clicking here.
The Certification Board will
evaluate candidates who voluntarily seek certification. To accomplish
this function, the USAPI eligibility requirements determine whether the
candidate possesses the prerequisite experience, training, and
professional standards that are required to sit for the
examinations. The Certification Board will evaluate candidates
with comprehensive examinations, and certify those candidates who have
satisfied the Board requirements.
The BCPI is a stringent
examination administered by the USAPI Certification Board. The Board
seeks to test candidates who possess superior knowledge in the ten (10)
core tracks of professional investigation (see below). The Board also
offers Specialty and Expert examinations in a number of professional
investigative categories as prerequisites to the BCPI.
These tests are difficult, but
designed to fairly and accurately evaluate the knowledge possessed by
each candidate, and seek to raise the bar for all investigative
professionals. The BCPI study materials establish high educational and practical standards for the investigative sciences.
Candidates who pass a Specialty or
Expert examination will prove his or her advanced knowledge and skill
in one or more of the ten (10) Core Tracks of professional
investigation. The candidate who passes the BCPI test will have unquestionably demonstrated a superior proficiency in professional investigations.
Upon the successful completion of an
examination the Certification Board will issue a Certificate to the
candidate. Candidates will be deemed qualified to sit for the Board
Certified Professional Investigator examination upon the attainment of
three (3) or more Specialty or Expert Certificates, and upon meeting
the remaining prerequisite requirements as described below. The USAPI
Certification Board will recognize a candidate’s successful
completion of the BCPI examination by bestowing upon them the following
designation:
- Board Certified Professional Investigator (BCPI)
Three (3) Specialty or Expert
Certificate(s) in one or more of the following Core Tracks are a
prerequisite for the BCPI Examination:
- Criminal Investigation (CRI)
- Civil Investigation (CVI)
- Insurance Investigation (INI)
- Computer Forensic and Internet (CFI)
- Security (SEC)
- Special Victims/Child Abuse/Nursing Homes (SVI)
- Investigative Law and Ethics (ILE)
- Investigative Business Administration (IBA)
- Terrorism & Intelligence (TII)
- Criminology and Behavioral Sciences (CBS)
1. USAPI requires that all
candidates for the Specialty, Expert, and BCPI certification tests be
active members of the USAPI, in good standing.
2. Candidates may take Specialty
or Expert examinations at any time, however candidates for the BCPI
examination must prove at least three (3) years of full time
employment as an investigator in any one of the 10 core
tracks of professional investigation and/or a related field prior to
taking the examination. Candidates may substitute 60 semester/credit
hours of education at a USAPI endorsed institution of higher learning
for one year of full time employment.
3. Candidates must submit an
application along with the established application fee for
any test prior to receiving test authorization. Applications will
be available on-line at www.USAPI.org,
or by phone to (202) 393-5900, or (866) 95USAPI. Study materials for
the BCPI, as well as all other Expert and/or Specialty certification
tests, are available for purchase at the USAPI website.
4. To insure the integrity of the
exams, all tests must be taken within four (4) months of receiving
the study materials, or if no study materials are purchased the tests
must be taken within four (4) months of the completed registration.
5. The tests will be administered
On-line and will be time sensitive. Candidates must pledge that they
alone are taking the test, and that they will complete the examination
without the use of study materials or assistance of any form.
6. The candidate must pass any
Specialty examination taken by a score of at least 70%, and the BCPI
examination by a score of at least 80%. The candidate must acknowledge
and agree that the USAPI will be the final arbiter of the test
grade.
7. Should a candidate fail the
test, the candidate will be allowed one free re-take of the failed
examination, which must be completed within forty-five (45) days of the
initial exam. Any test retaken after this forty-five day period will
require a new application and fee.
8. All test materials are the
property of the USAPI, Inc. Test scores will be held in strict
confidence. USAPI will not publish the names of any candidate
that fails an examination, and reserves the right to announce the names
of those candidates who have passed.
9. The BCPI designation must be
renewed annually through the USAPI Continuing Education Credit Program,
which will be published on the USAPI Website. The minimum number of
Continuing Education Credits (CEC’s) will be set at twelve (12)
per annum. These CEC’s will be developed from the knowledge and
material base produced by the members of the USAPI Certification
Board. The BCPI designation will not be renewed unless there is
full compliance with this requirement.
10. The BCPI Program, the BCPI
Designation, and the BCPI CEC program are the sole properties of the
USAPI, and are Copyrighted and Trademarked. Candidates must agree
not to utilize any BCPI materials without the express written consent
of the USAPI.
11. Candidates acknowledge that
any and all complaints or disciplinary actions against a BCPI designee
will be administrated by a three (3) member panel of the Certification
Board. The Certification Board will have exclusive rights to determine
if a complaint has merit prior to commencing an inquiry.
Non-meritorious complaints will not be processed.
ENDORSEMENTS
University of New Haven
Nova Southeastern University - Criminal Justice Institute
