Registry Examination

The scope of knowledge for the Registry exam is defined in the National Institutes of Justice publication Death Investigation: A Guide for the Scene Investigator and further defined in the Fundamental Tasks of Medicolegal Death Investigation.

For an online practice test to familiarize yourself with the testing platform, you can visit: Sample ABMDI Registry Exam.

The 240 multiple choice examination covers factual knowledge, technical information, and understanding the principles and problem-solving abilities related to the profession. The examination is divided into 7 sections as outlined in the tasklist. You have up to 4 hours to complete all 7 sections, which are:

1. Interagency Communication
2. Communication with Families
3. Scene Response and Documentation
4. Body Assessment and Documentation
5. Completing the Investigation
6. Additional Medicolegal Death Investigator Duties
7. Forensic and Medical Knowledge

The American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants with documented disabilities.