ABMDI Test 2025/2026 Medicolegal Death
Investigator Exam Prep Verified Practice Questions
with Detailed Rationales
The primary responsibility of the UW medicolegal death investigation system is to ____________. -
CORRECT ANSWER-- Certify the cause and manner of unnatural and unexplained deaths.
______________ is/are responsible for legal statutes defining what deaths must be investigated and
who must be responsible for that investigation. - CORRECT ANSWER-- Each state
ABMDI - CORRECT ANSWER-American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators
A forensic ______________ is the specialist responsible for conducting forensic autopsies. - CORRECT
ANSWER-- Pathologist
In 1918, the first modern ME system in the US was established in _____________. - CORRECT ANSWER--
New York City
A mixed medicolegal system can best described as one where _______________. - CORRECT ANSWER--
The state has both medical examiners and coroners in different areas
Although what deaths must be investigated varies, certain types of deaths almost always require a
medicolegal investigation. Read the following list of deaths and select ALL that are likely to require a
medicolegal investigation. - CORRECT ANSWER-- A high-school student dies after being admitted to the
hospital with pox-like lesions
- A young adult male with no known health problems dies in a state penitentiary
- A 2 month old infant is found cold and unresponsive in their crib.
- A woman is found dead in her bathtub with slits on both wrists
- A middle age woman is found dead on a park bench
Forensic specialty boards were created to establish training standards for each specialty and
__________. - CORRECT ANSWER-- Offer examinations to demonstrate that practitioners have attained
some level competency in the field
, Forensic Toxicologist - CORRECT ANSWER-- Analysis of blood to estimate blood alcohol levels at the time
of death.
Forensicbchemist/drugbanalystb-bCORRECTbANSWER--
bIdentificationbofbabwhitebpowderbfrombabbagbfoundbonbabdecedent
QuestionedbDocumentbExaminerb-bCORRECTbANSWER--bAnalysisbofbhandwritingbonbabsuicidebnote
FirearmbandbToolmarkbExaminerb-bCORRECTbANSWER--bAnalysisbofbbulletbfoundbinsidebabdecedent'sbbody
ForensicbAnthropologistb-bCORRECTbANSWER--bAnalysisbofbtraumabonbskeletonizedbhumanbremains
ForensicbBotanistb-bCORRECTbANSWER--
bIdentificationbofbseesbandbpollenbrecoveredbfrombabsuspect'sbclothing
DNAbanalystb-bCORRECTbANSWER--bSkinbcellsbfoundbunderbthebvictim'sbfingernails
ForensicbOdontologistb-bCORRECTbANSWER--
bComparisonbofbthebteethbfrombanbunidentifiedbskullbwithbantemortemb(living)brecordsbofbabmissingbperso
n
AccordingbtobRuizbetbal.bwhichbofbthebfollowingbarebthebmostbcommonbminimumbqualificationsbtobbebabcor
oner?b-bCORRECTbANSWER--bBebabUSbcitizenb
-bMeetbabminimumbagebrequirementb
-bBebelected
Ifbabpersonbdiesbofbnaturalbcasesbunderbthebcarebofbabphysicianborbregisteredbnursebandbnobsuspiciousbcirc
umstancesbarebpresentbwhobisbtypicallybresponsiblebforbsigningboffbonbthebmannerbofbdeathbonbthebdeathb
certificate?b-bCORRECTbANSWER--
bThebmedicalbprofessionalbinbchargebofbthebdeceasedbcarebatbthebtimebofbdeath.
Investigator Exam Prep Verified Practice Questions
with Detailed Rationales
The primary responsibility of the UW medicolegal death investigation system is to ____________. -
CORRECT ANSWER-- Certify the cause and manner of unnatural and unexplained deaths.
______________ is/are responsible for legal statutes defining what deaths must be investigated and
who must be responsible for that investigation. - CORRECT ANSWER-- Each state
ABMDI - CORRECT ANSWER-American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators
A forensic ______________ is the specialist responsible for conducting forensic autopsies. - CORRECT
ANSWER-- Pathologist
In 1918, the first modern ME system in the US was established in _____________. - CORRECT ANSWER--
New York City
A mixed medicolegal system can best described as one where _______________. - CORRECT ANSWER--
The state has both medical examiners and coroners in different areas
Although what deaths must be investigated varies, certain types of deaths almost always require a
medicolegal investigation. Read the following list of deaths and select ALL that are likely to require a
medicolegal investigation. - CORRECT ANSWER-- A high-school student dies after being admitted to the
hospital with pox-like lesions
- A young adult male with no known health problems dies in a state penitentiary
- A 2 month old infant is found cold and unresponsive in their crib.
- A woman is found dead in her bathtub with slits on both wrists
- A middle age woman is found dead on a park bench
Forensic specialty boards were created to establish training standards for each specialty and
__________. - CORRECT ANSWER-- Offer examinations to demonstrate that practitioners have attained
some level competency in the field
, Forensic Toxicologist - CORRECT ANSWER-- Analysis of blood to estimate blood alcohol levels at the time
of death.
Forensicbchemist/drugbanalystb-bCORRECTbANSWER--
bIdentificationbofbabwhitebpowderbfrombabbagbfoundbonbabdecedent
QuestionedbDocumentbExaminerb-bCORRECTbANSWER--bAnalysisbofbhandwritingbonbabsuicidebnote
FirearmbandbToolmarkbExaminerb-bCORRECTbANSWER--bAnalysisbofbbulletbfoundbinsidebabdecedent'sbbody
ForensicbAnthropologistb-bCORRECTbANSWER--bAnalysisbofbtraumabonbskeletonizedbhumanbremains
ForensicbBotanistb-bCORRECTbANSWER--
bIdentificationbofbseesbandbpollenbrecoveredbfrombabsuspect'sbclothing
DNAbanalystb-bCORRECTbANSWER--bSkinbcellsbfoundbunderbthebvictim'sbfingernails
ForensicbOdontologistb-bCORRECTbANSWER--
bComparisonbofbthebteethbfrombanbunidentifiedbskullbwithbantemortemb(living)brecordsbofbabmissingbperso
n
AccordingbtobRuizbetbal.bwhichbofbthebfollowingbarebthebmostbcommonbminimumbqualificationsbtobbebabcor
oner?b-bCORRECTbANSWER--bBebabUSbcitizenb
-bMeetbabminimumbagebrequirementb
-bBebelected
Ifbabpersonbdiesbofbnaturalbcasesbunderbthebcarebofbabphysicianborbregisteredbnursebandbnobsuspiciousbcirc
umstancesbarebpresentbwhobisbtypicallybresponsiblebforbsigningboffbonbthebmannerbofbdeathbonbthebdeathb
certificate?b-bCORRECTbANSWER--
bThebmedicalbprofessionalbinbchargebofbthebdeceasedbcarebatbthebtimebofbdeath.
