ICMDE — IACIS Certified Mobile Device Examiner
IACIS's mobile-device credential, assessed as a written exam plus a 48-hour hands-on practical, and tool-agnostic rather than tied to one extraction platform.
Type: CertificationLaw enforcement & investigatorsWorking practitioners
Offered by IACIS
The facts
- Cost
- The certification fee is not published as static text on the ICMDE page; treat it as unconfirmed and ask IACIS. The supporting MDF and AMDF courses were each listed at $995 for the 36-hour online delivery.Figure read 2026-09-12 from www.iacis.com/certification/mobile-cert
- Prerequisites
- IACIS membership. The MDF and AMDF courses are the usual preparation.
- Format
- A written exam (true/false, multiple choice, matching and short answer) inside a single 48-hour window once started, plus a 48-hour hands-on practical. 80% minimum on both.
- Length
- Two 48-hour assessment windows, taken on IACIS's certification calendar.
- Renewal
- A proficiency exercise in year three, 40 continuing-education hours, evidence of active work and current dues.
- Accreditation
- No FSAB accreditation is claimed on the ICMDE page. IACIS's FSAB accreditation statement is specific to the CFCE.
- Who it suits
- A mobile examiner who wants a credential that is not tied to Cellebrite or Magnet, particularly one who may have to explain tool choice under oath.
- Audience
- Law enforcement & investigators · Working practitioners
- Official page
- www.iacis.com/certification/mobile-cert
Strengths
- Tool-agnostic mobile credential, which is rare — most mobile certifications are issued by the company that sells the extraction tool.
- Graded practical work, not a multiple-choice exam alone.
- Recertification requires evidence of active casework rather than only credits.
Limitations
- Naming has moved: older sources and directories refer to a CMFE, and IACIS's current mobile credential is ICMDE. Treat CMFE as a legacy label.
- The certification fee is not published, so the credential cannot be priced from the page.
- No FSAB accreditation claimed for this specific credential.
- A 48-hour window is a hard constraint for anyone who cannot clear two days at short notice.
Sources
Costs, prerequisites and exam formats in this field change often, and several providers price by region, cohort or employer agreement. Every figure on this page carries the date it was read and a link to the page it was read from. Confirm current terms with the provider before you spend anything.