Greetings from the American Board of Criminalistics,

We are convening a panel of Subject Matter Experts (SME) to determine the cut score on our new examination – Foundational Knowledge Exam (FKE). The cut score of an exam is the lowest score a test taker can get and still pass the examination. This exam was written to assess the competency of a person with at least one year of experience analyzing or processing evidence for a Forensic Science Service Provider (FSSP).  

To help us determine the cut score, we are looking for experts who are involved in training new forensic scientists in any discipline of criminalistics and determining whether a trainee is competent in their respective discipline– e. g., hands-on part of training, evaluation of trainees for competence, etc. You do not need to be a supervisor or manager to participate. As a member of the panel, you will be asked to define a forensic scientist who is considered minimally competent and your experience as a trainer will be critical. If chosen, you will work on the panel with the guidance of a facilitator via Zoom. A person acting as a Security Liaison (SL) will be with you in-person to provide the materials you need and manage the security of the testing materials. You may be asked to travel a short distance to your SL’s location. Any travel expenses incurred will be paid by ABC.  If you are selected for the panel, you may not sit for the FKE examination for five years.

Panelists who are ABC-certified will receive 3 point towards recertification; however, you do not need to be a current ABC certificant to participate. The panel discussion is anticipated to take approximately 8 hours, and there will be reading assigned in advance. Please take a moment to fill out the survey found via this link:

Prospective Subject Matter Expert Survey