NextGen Forensic — Questioned Document Examination (Practical & Instrumental)

Overview

Degrees teach the theory. This programme teaches you to do it.

Questioned document examination decides real cases — disputed wills and deeds, forged cheques, altered records, counterfeit currency and fabricated certificates. Yet most students finish their courses able to define the discipline without ever having examined a single document.

This programme closes that gap. Over eight weeks of live, practical instruction you build the full examiner's workflow — from receiving and preserving evidence, through comparison and instrumental analysis, to writing a court-style report. You practise on real materials at your own desk, interpret outputs from professional instruments, and finish by solving a complete case.

Why now

The demand is real; the supply of skill is thin

Forensic labs, legal teams, banks and investigators need people who can actually examine documents — not recite definitions. Demonstrable, evidence-based ability is the differentiator.

What makes it different

Instrument-aware, not textbook-bound

You learn how the VSC separates inks under infrared, how ESDA lifts hidden indentations, and how to measure strokes in ImageJ — so your skill matches how examinations are actually run.

Outcomes

What you'll be able to do

Every outcome is assessed through a practical, not a multiple-choice guess.

01

Compare handwriting and signatures, account for natural variation, and reach a justified same-writer / different-writer conclusion.

02

Detect alterations, interlineations, erasures and cut-and-paste forgeries using oblique, UV and infrared examination.

03

Distinguish disguised from simulated writing, and traced from freehand forgeries, from line-quality evidence.

04

Differentiate inks and interpret VSC infrared behaviour to expose additions written with a second pen.

05

Analyse paper, watermarks and fibres to identify page substitution and assess a document's claimed age.

06

Classify printing and typewriting, reconstruct torn documents, and recover text from charred paper.

07

Authenticate seals and rubber-stamp impressions and read latent indented writing from an ESDA lift.

08

Handle evidence with a clean chain of custody and produce a formal, court-ready examination report.

Who it's for

Built for four kinds of learner

Case-based teaching serves each of them with the same core skill and different applications.

Primary

Forensic science students

UG & PG students who want the hands-on lab practice and portfolio piece their degree doesn't provide.

Secondary

Law students & advocates

Anyone handling deed, will, cheque or currency disputes who must understand and challenge document evidence.

Entry

Aspirants & switchers

Career-changers seeking a credible, doable entry route into forensic document work.

Professional

Banking, fraud & audit

Professionals who must detect document fraud, tampering and counterfeits in their day-to-day role.

Why this programme

Five reasons it works

01 · Practical-first

You examine, not just watch

Every chapter has a lab you complete on real materials. Skill is built by doing and graded on what you produce.

02 · Instrument-aware

Lab-grade methods

Learn to interpret VSC, ESDA, stereomicroscopy and ImageJ outputs — how examinations are run today.

03 · Portfolio capstone

Finish with real casework

Investigate a full disputed-will-and-deed case and produce a report you can show employers, courts or clients.

04 · Live mentorship

Taught live, doubts cleared live

Three live sessions a week, direct instructor access, a practitioner community, and written feedback on your capstone.

05 · Credible & rigorous

A certificate that means something

Detection-focused, competency-graded, and precise about what it certifies — a skills credential, not a paper token.

Instruments

The tools you'll learn to interpret

You don't need to own lakhs of rupees of equipment. You learn to read instrument outputs and practise the underlying principles with accessible, open-source tools and prepared exhibits.

VSC

Video Spectral Comparator

UV, infrared and oblique lighting to separate inks, expose erasures and bleaching, and read altered entries the eye can't see.

ESDA

Electrostatic Detection Apparatus

Lifts latent indented impressions from underlying pages using static charge and toner — recovering hidden writing.

STEREO
MSC

Stereo & comparison microscopy

3-D magnification of fibres, strokes, pen pressure and line quality; side-by-side and superimposed comparison.

Image J

ImageJ (open-source)

Free image analysis for stroke-angle measurement, pixel-profile pressure plots and clean signature overlays.

MULTI
SPEC

Multi-spectral security checks

Verifying watermarks, microlettering, UV threads and Anti-Stokes security inks in currency and identity documents.

SWG
DOC

SWGDOC & SOP standards

Work to recognised standard operating procedures so your method is defensible and repeatable.

Curriculum

Eleven modules, one capstone case

Each module pairs theory with an advanced-instrument integration and a hands-on lab. Sequenced so difficulty rises from recognising documents to producing an expert report.

Capstone

The Contested Will & Deed of the Ravikumar Estate

Your final assessment is a complete case. You receive a dossier of questioned and known exhibits with a chain of custody, and act as the examiner of record.

You compare a disputed signature against genuine standards, expose an altered figure under infrared, read an ESDA lift that reveals how a fraudulent clause was composed, test a page for substitution by its watermark, authenticate a notary stamp, then deliver a graded opinion and a formal report identifying the probable culprit. It's the whole programme in one artefact — and it becomes your portfolio piece.

What you submit

A completed chain-of-custody log
Signature & handwriting comparison with cited features
Alteration, ink and paper analysis with instrument evidence
A graded, non-overclaimed expert opinion
A court-style examination report with labelled annexures

Certification

Earn a certificate that certifies real ability

NEXTGEN FORENSIC · SKILLS CERTIFICATION

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

This certifies that

[ Recipient Name ]

Questioned Document Examination — Practical & Instrumental

8 weeks · ~48 live hours · capstone casework

CERTIFIED

Certification is earned, not attended. To be certified you must:

Complete at least 9 of 13 practical labs
Attend at least 75% of live sessions
Pass the module quizzes (≥ 60% cumulative)
Pass the capstone case — the mandatory competency gate
Achieve ≥ 60% aggregate; Distinction ≥ 85%, Merit ≥ 75%

Your certificate carries a verifiable ID, and your capstone report travels with you as a portfolio artefact — the thing employers and courts actually respond to.

This is a professional skills certification. It builds and evidences examination ability; it is not, by itself, a licence or appointment to serve as a court-recognised expert witness.

The experience

How the programme runs

01

Live classes, three times a week

Two-hour sessions blending theory, live instrument demonstrations and guided practice — not pre-recorded lectures.

02

Home-lab practicals

A materials guide lists everyday items (pens, papers, a magnifier or phone macro) so you practise every technique between sessions.

03

Doubt-clearing & community

Direct instructor access plus a practitioner cohort for feedback, discussion and case debates.

04

Assignments & quizzes

Each module ends with a graded practical and a quiz; cumulative recall keeps earlier skills sharp.

05

Session recordings

Miss a class or want to revise? Recordings of live sessions are available through the batch.

06

Capstone review with feedback

Your final report is assessed against a detailed rubric with written feedback, and one free resubmission is allowed.

Your instructor

Dr. Shipra Rohatgi

Ph.D. (Questioned Documents) · Assistant Professor-II, Amity Institute of Forensic Sciences, Amity University, Noida

Dr. Shipra Rohatgi is a Ph.D. holder and Assistant Professor-II at the Amity Institute of Forensic Sciences, Amity University, Noida, with more than 25 published research works to her name. She trains students on the same advanced forensic instruments used in real crime laboratories, turning classroom learning into industry-ready expertise. She mentors students across Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. programs in forensic sciences, and her academic career includes a tenure as a Full-Time Faculty Member at Amity University, Gurugram (2014–2018).

Professional Highlights

Ph.D. in Questioned Documents; Gold Medalist at the Master's level.
DST INSPIRE Fellow (qualified candidate) — a nationally recognized mark of research excellence.
Author of 25+ research papers and book chapters in Scopus-indexed, Web of Science, and other highly reputed journals.
Currently supervising four research scholars across Questioned Documents, Fingerprints, and AI in Forensics, including one Junior Research Fellow (JRF).
Hands-on proficiency with Docubox HD/Dragon, Projectina NIRVIS, Dynascope, and Advanced DNA Fingerprinting techniques.
Professional certifications from Cisco and Basis Technology.

Areas of Expertise

Questioned Documents & Forensic Document Examination
Fingerprint Analysis
AI Applications in Forensic Science
Forensic Research, Publication & Academic Mentorship

Connect

👤 linkedin.com/in/shiprarohatgi8 🔗 orcid.org/0000-0003-0532-9908 🏫 Amity Institute of Forensic Sciences, Sec-125, Noida, U.P. 201303

Your instructor

Arfath Khanem

M.Sc. Forensic Science · Forensic Analyst & Trainer

Arfath Khanem is a forensic science professional trained across a government forensic laboratory and premier research institutions such as NIMHANS, Bengaluru, bringing practical, field-tested expertise in forensic biology, toxicology, and evidence analysis into her teaching. A Master's graduate in Forensic Science, she combines strong analytical skills with a firm commitment to accuracy and ethical practice. Her practical training spans both government and reputed private forensic and life-science establishments, giving her multidisciplinary exposure across biology, toxicology, questioned documents, psychology, chemistry, and clinical forensic medicine.

Professional Highlights

Trained at the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL), Belagavi, a government forensic laboratory, with rotational exposure across Biology, Toxicology, Questioned Documents, Psychology, and Chemistry divisions.
Completed structured hands-on training at multiple reputed private organizations, building specialized, practical experience in life sciences research, clinical toxicology and medico-legal biology, and general forensic science practice.
Completed a Biotechnology research project titled "Study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Different Biological Samples and Antibiotic Sensitivity" at the Department of Neuromicrobiology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru.
Completed a Genetics research project titled "Behavioural and Biochemical Study in Fish on Long-Term Exposure to Industrial Wastes."

Areas of Expertise

Forensic Biology & Toxicology
Questioned Documents
Forensic Psychology
Forensic Chemistry
Clinical & Medico-Legal Forensics
General Forensic Science Practices

Where it takes you

Skill that matters across forensics, law and finance

Questioned-document skill applies wherever documents are disputed. This programme builds the foundation and the evidence of ability these paths ask for.

Forensic & investigation

Roles and settings where the skill applies:

Forensic labsQD trainee examinerInvestigation support

Legal & judicial

For deed, will, cheque & currency disputes:

Litigation supportParalegalLegal research

Banking & fraud

Document-fraud detection functions:

Fraud & riskAuditKYC / verification

Note: this programme builds skill and a portfolio; it is not a job-placement or guaranteed-employment offer. Roles shown are illustrative of where the skill applies.

Enrolment

One programme. Founding-batch price.

Everything below is included — no upsells. First-batch pricing is a genuine, time-bound founding-cohort offer.

Batch 01 · Limited seats

Live Certification Programme

The complete 8-week live cohort — for individual learners.

₹4,999~~₹8,000~~Save 38%

All 13 live modules + capstone casework
~48 hours of live instruction, 3 sessions / week
13 graded practical labs with home-lab guide
Report template, charting sheets & glossary
Curated real-world case library
Live doubt-clearing + practitioner community
1:1 capstone review with written feedback
Verifiable certificate + portfolio report
Session recordings for the batch

Reserve my seat — ₹4,999

[ 7-day fee-back window — confirm your refund policy ]

Institutions & batches

For colleges, departments and teams enrolling a cohort together.

Custom

Per-seat licensing · scheduling around your calendar

Group enrolment at institutional rates
Practical labs mapped to your syllabus
Dedicated batch scheduling
Progress reporting for faculty
Optional co-branded certificates

Talk to us about a batch

Prefer to decide after a chat? Book a call with a programme advisor →

Batch 01

Next cohort details

Starts

28th July 2026

Schedule

Tue · Thu · Fri

2 hrs / session

Duration

8 weeks

~48 hours live + practicals

Format

Live online

English · recordings provided

Questions

Frequently asked

Do I need any prior forensic background?+

No. The programme starts from first principles and is designed for students and beginners. A general interest in forensics, law or fraud detection is enough.

Do I need expensive lab equipment or instruments?+

No. You practise the underlying techniques with everyday materials and free tools like ImageJ, and you learn to interpret professional instrument outputs (VSC, ESDA) from prepared exhibits and demonstrations. A magnifier or a phone macro lens is helpful but optional.

Are the classes live or recorded?+

Classes are live — three two-hour sessions a week — so you can ask questions and get real-time feedback. Recordings are provided through the batch for revision or missed sessions.

How much time should I budget each week?+

Around 6 hours of live class plus 2–4 hours for practicals and quizzes. Expect a little more during the capstone in the final two weeks.

Is this useful for law students?+

Yes. If you deal with deed, will, cheque or currency disputes, understanding how document evidence is examined helps you assess reports and question experts. The capstone is built around a will-and-deed dispute for exactly this reason.

What exactly do I get certified in?+

A professional skills certification in practical and instrumental questioned-document examination. It evidences demonstrated ability through graded practicals and a capstone. It is not, by itself, a licence to act as a court-appointed expert witness.

How is it graded, and can I re-attempt?+

Grading combines practicals, quizzes, live participation and the capstone, against clear rubrics. The capstone is a mandatory pass. You get one free capstone resubmission after written feedback.

What is the refund policy?+

[ State your refund window and conditions here — e.g., a 7-day fee-back window before a set number of sessions. Confirm before publishing. ]

Will this get me a job?+

The programme builds real skill and a portfolio report that strengthen your profile, but it is not a placement or guaranteed-employment offer. It's designed to make you demonstrably capable.

How do I enrol?+

Reserve your seat from the enrolment section, or book a call with an advisor. Founding-batch seats are limited and the ₹4,999 price applies to Batch 01 only.

Batch 01 · Admissions open

Become the examiner in the room.

Join the founding cohort, learn the full examination workflow live, and finish with a real casework report to your name. No lab required.

Enrol now — ₹4,999 Book an advisor call