F.I.T. 202 – Facial Examination Course

Course Overview

What You’ll Learn

The Facial Examination Training (F.I.T. 202) curriculum is designed to enhance the skill set of analysts and is the most comprehensive course offered by the FaCE. This 40-hour course equips examiners with essential strategies and techniques for conducting facial comparisons.

With a low student-to-instructor ratio (12:1), participants benefit from extensive comparison exercises, real-time instructor feedback, and collaborative class reviews. It is an ideal course for professionals in federal, state, local, commercial, or international organizations involved in facial recognition or facial comparisons.

Key system-agnostic topics include (but are not limited to):

History of facial comparison
The current state of the Facial Identification field, including standards and guidelines
Facial anatomy, morphology, and the stability of facial features (with detailed analysis of each feature)
Step-by-step comparisons using ACE-V and morphological analysis methodologies
Recognizing and managing challenges and bias in Facial Identification
Practical tips and techniques to assist examiners during comparisons

Throughout the course, students will apply learned concepts to one-to-one comparisons, with a focus on effective documentation—critical for decision-making, quality assurance, and reporting. The course also includes opportunities to perform one-to-many (1:N) comparisons.

Image sets span a wide demographic range, including variations in ancestry, age, health, weight, and more, ensuring exposure to realistic and diverse scenarios.

Extended Training Option:
For those seeking even more hands-on practice, we also offer an 80-hour course, which includes additional comparison exercises guided by our subject matter experts.

To book a course for your organization or enroll a group of students, please contact us at face@idealinnovations.com or call 571-480-5000.

Learn More

Upcoming Open Enrollment Courses

In person Arlington, VA December 8-12, 2025 8am-4pm (EST)
Held at the I-3 Corporate Headquarters 4401 Wilson Blvd Suite 210 Arlington, VA 22203
$1,600 per participant

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In person Arlington, VA March 23-27, 2026 8am-4pm (EST)
Held at the I-3 Corporate Headquarters 4401 Wilson Blvd Suite 210 Arlington, VA 22203
$1,600 per participant

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In person Arlington, VA September 21-25, 2026 8am-4pm (EST)
Held at the I-3 Corporate Headquarters 4401 Wilson Blvd Suite 210 Arlington, VA 22203
$1,600 per participant

ENROLL NOW

Event Details

F.I.T. 202 is only given in person. Unless otherwise arranged with the hosting organization, each participant will be provided with a training laptop for use during the course. A printed copy of the presentation materials will be supplied for reference and note-taking. At the conclusion of the course, students will receive a digital copy—typically on a USB drive—of all work completed during training.

Things to know about the class:

Days 1-2 focus on the lecture.
Days 2-5 focus on practical exercises with feedback from the instructor.
Class will be dismissed approximately 2 hours early on day 5.
Class participation is encouraged in discussions surrounding the lecture and practical exercises.
Breaks are given throughout the class.
Dress code is business casual.
Headsets can be used for music during practical exercises.
Parking, access to the building, and any other pertinent information will be provided ahead of the course.

Software: An answer sheet formatted in Microsoft Excel is used.

Computer Minimum Requirements

Hardware

PC or Mac
Monitor

Operating System

Windows 8.1 or Above
OS 10.14 or Above

Internet Connection

High speed Broadband Internet Connection
Test your Internet speed using preferred ISPs tools
The most recent release of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Firefox (recommended)