Free ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI) Exam Prep
ABMDI Board Certification (Fellow) — F-ABMDI
Prepare for the ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI) exam without spending hundreds on expensive prep courses. Free study guides, practice questions, flashcards, and related exam resources.
Quick Facts
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ABMDI Forensic Science & Death Investigation Certifications License: Complete Roadmap
Follow this path to organize your licensing and exam preparation
Phase 1: Confirm Exam StructureYou are here
Re-read the ABMDI Board Certification page and the Policy and Procedure Manual; map the 5.5-hour exam into the Performance Section (3 scenarios, 30 minutes each) and the 240-item multiple-choice section (up to 4 hours, 8 content sections).
Phase 2: Master NAME, OSAC & Accreditation
Work Appendix H of the ABMDI Policy and Procedure Manual task by task, then study the NAME Inspection Checklist, OSAC ASB Std 037/038, ANAB ME/C accreditation criteria, and the ABMDI Code of Ethics and Conduct.
Phase 3: Advanced Trauma, Toxicology & PMI
Drill complex blunt/sharp/firearm patterns, postmortem redistribution, fentanyl analog detection limits, entomology, anthropology, and taphonomy.
Phase 4: Special-Population & In-Custody Death
Work pediatric (SUDP/SUDC), in-custody (positional/restraint asphyxia), workplace OSHA, drowning, fire, electrocution, and anaphylaxis cases.
Phase 5: Mass Fatality, Testimony & Public Health
Complete FEMA ICS-200/300/400, study DMORT/ESF-8/MASS, OPO coordination, Daubert/PCAST testimony rules, and CDC SDY Case Registry.
Phase 6: Performance Section Drills
Run timed 30-minute scenarios to the published minimums: at least five items of evidence, at least ten witness or suspect questions, and a brief scene description in medicolegal terms; have peers review.
Phase 7: Timed Full-Length Practice
Run a full 5.5-hour mock combining Performance and 240-item MC blocks; review weak areas against the 8 official multiple-choice sections.
Can You Take the ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI) Exam?
Check if you meet the basic eligibility requirements
- •Current ABMDI Registry Diplomate (D-ABMDI) certification in good standing for a minimum of six months.
- •Three reference forms: a Forensic Science Specialist Reference Form, an Administrator/Supervisor Reference Form, and a Law Enforcement Reference Form.
- •Signed Code of Ethics and Conduct and a completed Employment Verification Form.
- •Applicants in reserve positions do not qualify as currently employed unless they are activated.
- •The application process and examination must be completed within 12 months or the file becomes inactive and fees are forfeited.
ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI) Quick Facts
Time to Get Licensed
3-6 months for working investigators
From start to license in hand
Exam Provider
American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI)
Retake Policy
Candidates retest only the sections they failed, with at least 30 days between testing dates and a separate fee for each section retested. A candidate has three attempts to pass the entire certification examination within an application cycle; after a third failure, remediation requires restarting the application in its entirety with additional experience and different practitioner sign-offs.
Total Cost Breakdown
Free ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI) Prep Tools
Reported exam pass rate: ABMDI does not publish first-time F-ABMDI pass rates.. These figures describe exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep user outcomes. Check the exam sponsor’s website for published statistics.
Free Practice Questions
Senior-level items covering scene leadership, PMI, trauma, toxicology, pediatric and institutional death, mass-fatality response, ethics, and QA.
Built on the Advanced Skills List
Organized around the 46 tasks in Appendix H of the ABMDI Policy and Procedure Manual and the 8 multiple-choice sections of the Board exam.
Free Access
All F-ABMDI practice questions and study notes are free.
Performance-Section Aware
Items train the brief medicolegal scene description, the ten-question interview set, and the five-item evidence list required in each scenario.
What You'll Study
9 chapters covering the exam topics in this guide
Chapter 1: Performance Section Mastery & Medicolegal Scene Documentation
5 sections
Chapter 2: Legal Framework, Jurisdiction, and Interagency Coordination
6 sections
Chapter 3: Scene Leadership, Command Structure, and Processing Protocols
6 sections
Chapter 4: Postmortem Changes, Taphonomy, and PMI Estimation
4 sections
Chapter 5: Mechanical Trauma: Blunt, Sharp, and Ballistic Injuries
5 sections
Chapter 6: Asphyxial, Environmental, and Thermal Deaths
5 sections
Chapter 7: Forensic Toxicology, Specimen Protocols, and Natural Deaths
6 sections
Chapter 8: Pediatric, Infant, and Vulnerable Population Investigations
5 sections
Chapter 9: Mass Fatality Management, Ethics, and Expert Testimony
6 sections
ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI) Exam Details
ABMDI Board Certification (Fellow) — F-ABMDI
Administered by American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI)
Exam Content Breakdown
Based on the official American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) content outline
For each scenario, write a brief scene description in medicolegal terminology, develop at least ten questions to ask witnesses or suspects, and identify at least five items of potential evidence, using only the written scenario and the scene photographs.
Drug-related, child, motor vehicle, blunt force, firearms, fire, hanging, drowning, mechanical and chemical asphyxia, sharp force, electrocution, therapeutic complication, police action, and poisoning deaths.
Deaths in plane, train, and auto crashes; weather-related deaths; and bomb or explosion deaths.
Masqueraded (staged) deaths, media-sensitive deaths, deaths caused by animals, and deaths from infectious causes.
Deaths in custody (wards of the state) and deaths in extended care facilities such as nursing homes and group homes.
Positive role modeling and mentoring, taking responsibility to recognize and correct policy or procedure deficiencies, maintaining high personal performance standards, and professional interaction with coworkers and colleagues.
Soliciting legal opinions, legal procedures, unique case problems, reviewing a death certification, and recognizing agency jurisdiction.
Interviewing skills, report writing skills, and counseling families about autopsy findings and their concerns.
Collecting data and material for odontology, anthropology/archeology, toxicology, entomology, serology, ballistics/firearms, tool marks and trace evidence, conducting postmortem identification, and advanced photography.
What's Included
9 Chapters
Complete exam coverage
Practice Quizzes
With detailed explanations
Free to Start
No credit card required
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What's Next After the ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI)?
After passing the ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI), you can pursue these career paths
ABMDI Registry (D-ABMDI)
Entry-level ABMDI tier; most F-ABMDI candidates hold or have held D-ABMDI status before sitting for the Board exam.
ABFA / ABFT
Adjacent forensic-science boards (forensic anthropology, forensic toxicology) for investigators advancing into specialty roles.
IAI Certifications
International Association for Identification credentials for investigators expanding into latent print, crime scene, or bloodstain pattern analysis.
ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI) Exam FAQ
Official American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) Resources
Verify information with these official sources
More Free Resources
Ready to Start Your Free ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI) Prep?
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