CLI Practice Test

The Certified Legal Investigator (CLI) designation from the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI) is for working legal investigators with at least 5 years of verifiable experience. This page covers the exam's checked rules, fees and timing. It matches each official exam section to our free practice sets and works through sample questions with full explanations. We write our questions with AI tools, and they are not real exam items.

CLI Exam at a Glance

What changed for CLI in 2026

• Oct 27, 2026: Delivery changed to In person, proctored by Certified Legal Investigators and members of the CLI Committee (previously In person, proctored by CLIs and the CLI Committee).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Eligibility changed to Minimum 5 years of verifiable legal investigator experience (up to 1 year substituted by 60 college semester hours), licensing if required, and background check (previously 5 years' verifiable legal-investigator experience, state license if required, background check).^[2]
• Oct 27, 2026: Registration deadline changed to At least 30 days prior to the examination date (previously Application, fee and white paper due 30 days before the exam).^[3]
• Oct 27, 2026: Renewal changed to 50 CEC hours per 3-year period for first two periods, then 36 hours; reports cease after 20 years (previously 50 CEC hours per 3-year period (36 after two periods); ROC due Dec 31).^[2]
• Oct 27, 2026: Retake policy changed to Retake only failed sections; must complete all portions within 3 years of first taking the exam (previously Retake only failed sections; finish all parts within 3 years).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Testing window changed to Annually at the NALI National Conference; regional testing when 5 candidates sit (previously Once a year at the NALI National Conference; regional testing possible).^[4]
• Oct 27, 2026: Time limit (Written examination) changed to 3 hours (180 minutes) (previously 3 hours).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Time limit (Ethics and oral examination) changed to Approximately 3 hours (180 minutes) (previously About 3 hours).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Validity changed to 3-year compliance cycle via Report of Compliance (ROC) filings (previously Kept by filing a Report of Compliance every 3 years; no reports needed after 20 years).^[5]

What the CLI is and how it works

According to National Association of Legal Investigators, “The examinee must obtain a passing score (70% or more) in each section (white paper, oral exam and written exam).”^[2]

NALI uses the CLI exam to confirm that an experienced legal investigator can work to a professional standard. The exam has a white paper, an ethics and oral examination, and a written examination. You must score 70% or more in each section to earn the designation. Testing is in person and proctored only by Certified Legal Investigators and members of the CLI Committee. The ethics and oral section takes approximately 3 hours and includes an interview, a statement, a memo, ethical questions and other questions the proctors choose. The written exam has a 3-hour time limit.

To apply, you need a minimum of 5 years of verifiable work experience as a legal investigator. You can replace 1 year of that with 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of coursework. You must also hold any license your jurisdiction requires and pass a background check. Licensing rules vary by state, so check yours. The fee is $200 for NALI members and $300 for non-members. The CLI committee chairperson must receive your application and fee at least 30 days before the exam date. NALI holds the exam annually at its National Conference and offers regional testing where 5 eligible candidates can sit.

If you fail a section, you retake only that section. Each retake costs one third of the application fee per section. You must pass all portions within 3 years of the date you first take the exam. Check the current details on the NALI CLI program pages before you apply.

CLI content outline and where to practise each area

The content areas below are copied from the official CLI content outline published by National Association of Legal Investigators. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.

Worked examples: how to reason through CLI questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: To identify secured creditors holding liens on a business's equipment and inventory, an investigator should search:

1. County criminal court records
2. The IRS Tax Exempt Organization database
3. Federal Register notices
4. UCC financing statements at the Secretary of State

Answer: D. UCC financing statements at the Secretary of State

Explanation:

D is correct. When a lender takes a security interest in a business's equipment or inventory, it files a UCC financing statement with the Secretary of State. The filing gives public notice of the claim. A search of those filings by debtor name shows who holds liens and on what collateral.

A is wrong because criminal court records show prosecutions, not secured debts. B is wrong because the IRS tax-exempt database lists charities and nonprofits, not creditors. C is wrong because the Federal Register publishes federal agency rules and notices, not private lending records.

Rule to remember: for liens on personal property, start with the Secretary of State's UCC index. For liens on real estate, go to county land records.

Example 2

Question: A person who, knowing a felony was committed, hides the felon from police but did not participate in the crime is generally liable as:

1. A principal in the second degree
2. An accessory before the fact
3. An accessory after the fact
4. A co-conspirator

Answer: C. An accessory after the fact

Explanation:

C is correct. An accessory after the fact knows a felony has been committed and then helps the felon avoid arrest, trial or punishment, for example by hiding them. The help comes after the crime, and the person took no part in the crime itself.

A is wrong because a principal in the second degree is present at the crime and aids or encourages it. B is wrong because an accessory before the fact helps or encourages the crime beforehand but is not present. D is wrong because a co-conspirator agreed with others to commit the crime.

Rule to remember: sort the parties by timing and role: before, during or after the offence. Many jurisdictions now charge help given after the fact as a separate crime, such as hindering prosecution.

Example 3

Question: A party anticipates litigation and needs to preserve the testimony of an elderly, terminally ill witness before any suit is filed. Which federal rule provides a mechanism for this?

1. FRCP 26(f)
2. FRCP 27
3. FRCP 32
4. FRCP 45

Answer: B. FRCP 27

Explanation:

B is correct. FRCP 27 lets a person who expects to be a party to a federal suit ask the court to perpetuate testimony before any action is filed. It applies when the testimony might otherwise be lost, as with a terminally ill witness.

A is wrong because FRCP 26(f) covers the parties' discovery-planning conference, which takes place after a case is filed. C is wrong because FRCP 32 governs how depositions are used at trial or hearings, not how they are taken before suit. D is wrong because FRCP 45 covers subpoenas, which are issued in a pending action.

Rule to remember: before a suit is filed, use Rule 27. After it is filed, use normal discovery. State courts have their own versions of this rule, so check local rules too.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official NALI CLI pages. Confirm your eligibility, licensing and background check requirements, and the white paper instructions. Then set your application date with time to spare before the 30-day deadline.

1. Take a baseline. Do the Legal Research & Investigation Techniques, Evidence Gathering & Case Preparation and Criminal Law & Procedure sets once without notes. Write down every topic you missed.
2. Fix the weak spots. For each missed question, read the explanation and write down the general rule in your own words. Then redo the set a few days later.
3. Prepare for the oral section. Use the Ethics & Professional Conduct and Interview & Interrogation Methods sets. Say your answers out loud, as you will in front of proctors. Practise turning a mock interview into a short statement and memo.
4. Write the white paper. Follow NALI's requirements and use the Report Writing & Documentation set to tighten your structure.
5. Rehearse the written exam. Sit a timed 3-hour session of mixed questions to check your pace.

Sources & last verified

1. National Association of Legal Investigators — time limit, retake policy, delivery, other (official source). “The entire CLI ethics and oral examination section takes approximately three hours and includes the interview, statement, memo, ethical questions, and other questions deemed appropriate…” Verified Oct 28, 2026 · source checked Oct 20, 2026.
2. National Association of Legal Investigators — passing score, renewal, eligibility (official source). “The examinee must obtain a passing score (70% or more) in each section (white paper, oral exam and written exam).” Verified Oct 27, 2026 · source checked Oct 20, 2026.
3. National Association of Legal Investigators — exam fee, registration deadline (official source). “Submit the required examination fee of $200.00 for a NALI member or $300.00 for a non-NALI member.” Verified Oct 27, 2026 · source checked Oct 20, 2026.
4. National Association of Legal Investigators — retake fee, testing window (official source). “Payment of the application fee, or re-test fee (one third of the application fee per section re-taken), must be received by the Chairperson of the…” Verified Oct 27, 2026 · source checked Oct 20, 2026.
5. National Association of Legal Investigators — validity (official source). “Reports of Compliance (ROC) must be sent every 3 years from the year a CLI designation is earned.” Verified Oct 27, 2026 · source checked Oct 20, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.