Marine Corps COOL Snapshot - Intelligence Fundamentals Professional Certification (IFPC)

Intelligence Fundamentals Professional Certification (IFPC)

Renewal Period: 3 years

The Department of Defense (DoD), Intelligence Fundamentals Professional Certification (IFPC) program is sponsored by the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD(I)) to professionalize the defense intelligence workforce by establishing a common standard of the fundamental knowledge and skills expected of all who serve and support, and those who hope to serve and support, in the Defense Intelligence Enterprise (DIE). The IFPC is based on the Defense Intelligence Fundamentals standards, which are cross-cutting and enterprise-wide, and depict the Department’s core expectations of what all Defense Intelligence Professionals, regardless of Service/Agency, Function/Specialty and experience level, must know and/or be able to do to successfully execute and/or contribute to the execution of intelligence missions, functions, and activities at the fundamental level. The IFPC will also serve to ensure incoming defense intelligence professionals meet knowledge standards. IFPC candidates must meet minimum eligibility requirements and pass a written exam.

More information can be found on the certifying agency's website.

Intelligence Fundamentals Professional Certification (IFPC)

The following Marine Corps Enlisted MOSs provide training and/or experience that contributes to attaining this credential:

Enlisted Occupation	Occupation Type	Related As	COOL$
0211 Counterintelligence/Human Intelligence (CI/HUMINT) Specialist	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
0231 Intelligence Specialist	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
0241 Imagery Analysis Specialist	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
0261 Geospatial Intelligence Specialist	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
0291 Intelligence Chief	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
0321 Reconnaissance Marine	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
0511 Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Planning Specialist	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
0521 Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Specialist	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
1711 Offensive Cyberspace Operator	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
1721 Defensive Cyberspace Operator	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
1799 Cyberspace Chief	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
2621 Communications Intelligence / Electronic Warfare Operator	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
2631 Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) Analyst	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
2651 Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) Systems Engineer	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
2659 Intelligence Technology & Data Chief	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
2691 Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare/Cyberspace Operations Chief	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
2841 Ground Electronics Transmission Systems Maintainer	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
2847 Ground Electronics Telecommunications and Information Technology Systems Maintainer	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
2862 Ground Electronics Systems Maintenance Technician	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
6483 Communication/Navigation/Cryptographic/Countermeasures Systems Technician, IMA	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
Marine Security Guard	Collateral Duty/Out of Billet MOS	Most	COOL Bucks

The following civilian occupations are related to this credential:

	Civilian Job	Job Family	Bright Outlook	Registered Apprenticeship	Local Salary Info
	Intelligence Analysts	Protective Service			find local salary

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Attainability:

Eligibility Requirements (View Details)

Credential Prerequisite
Experience
Education
Training
Membership
Other
Fee

Note: This credential may have multiple options for a Service member to meet eligibility requirements. Requirements listed here are based on the minimum degree required. To view other options, see the Eligibility tab.

Exam Requirements (View Details)

Exam
Written Exam
Oral Exam
Practical Exam
Performance Assessment

Exam Administration (View Details)

In-person exam
Remote proctored on-line exam
Third-party test vendor

RECERTIFICATION SUMMARY

Renewal Period: 3 years

Continuing Education
Exam
Continuing Education OR Exam
Fee
Other

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD(I))

5000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-5000

Phone: 571-305-5268

Email: osd.pentagon.ousd-intel.mbx.ifps-pmo@mail.mil

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Education and/or Experience REQUIREMENTS

Category 1:

Candidate must be a Military or Civilian person currently employed by the DoD (waivers can be provided to personnel currently employed by a federal, state, tribal, or local government entity supporting DoD-recognized intelligence missions).

Category 2:

Candidate must be enrolled and/or employed in the last six months at a U.S.-based, regionally accredited, post-secondary academic institution with a formal relationship with the DoD (i.e., institutions participating in the DoD Voluntary Education MoU program).

Category 3:

Candidate must be employed by an organization eligible to pursue contracts with the U.S. Intelligence Community (i.e., organizations that hold a CAGE code). Note: This includes individuals currently working on a contract with a Component of the DIE.

The IFPC Eligibility Policy was approved by the CGC on 23 May 2017.

Other REQUIREMENTS

The Intelligence Fundamentals Professional Certification (IFPC) credential has the following other requirements:

Candidate must hold U.S. Citizenship.

Written Exam

What is Intelligence? (19%)
- Concepts, principles, history, and processes of intelligence
- Role, responsibilities, and definition of intelligence
- Categories of intelligence products
What are the intelligence disciplines? (15%)
- Characteristics of intelligence disciplines (i.e., counterintelligence (CI), human intelligence (HUMINT), geospatial intelligence (GEOINT), measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT), open-source intelligence (OSINT), signals intelligence (SIGINT), and technical intelligence (TECHINT))
- Cueing, tipping, corroborating relationships amongst INTs
Who is involved in intelligence? (9%)
- Roles and Responsibilities for Intelligence Community members
- Roles and responsibilities at strategic, operational, and tactical level
Why does intelligence require oversight? (12%)
- Intelligence oversight concepts and principles
- Considerations regarding collection on US persons
- Intelligence Oversight program framework
- Intelligence Oversight roles and responsibilities
- Laws and policies that govern oversight of intelligence activities
How is intelligence conducted? (9%)
- Purpose and function of each phase of the intelligence process
- Roles and responsibilities of individuals who execute the intelligence process
How are classified and controlled materials protected? (16%)
- Roles and responsibilities for security and intelligence professionals
- Handling, marking, storing, transporting, and/or destroying classified or otherwise controlled materials
- Security clearance concepts (e.g., reporting foreign contacts, financial changes)
- Reporting security incidents and violations
- Foreign intelligence service threat
How are classified and controlled materials shared? (10%)
- Interagency and multinational intelligence sharing
- Requirements and standards for intelligence sharing and cooperation
How do my actions affect my status as an intelligence professional? (10%)
- Safe versus unsafe search and data capture
- Online vulnerabilities
- Behaviors that could lead to clearance revocation or denial
- Insider Threat behavioral indicators
- Insider Threat reporting requirements

Exam Preparation Resources

There are a number of resources available to help you prepare for the Intelligence Fundamentals Professional Certification (IFPC) examination:

Best Sources

An additional resource is O'Reilly Learning Safari Books Online, a searchable digital library that provides online access to thousands of books, training videos and conference sessions. See the Educational Resources section on the Related Sites page here on COOL to learn how to get free access.

Testing Information

Exam Administration
Credential exams may be administered in-person at a testing site, proctored on-line remotely, or have options for both. If an exam is administered through a test vendor, the third-party test vendor box will be checked. The following test administration options apply to the Intelligence Fundamentals Professional Certification (IFPC) credential where checked:
- In-person exam
- Remote proctored on-line exam
- Third-party test vendor

For more information on the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD(I)) testing process, visit the agency website.

RECERTIFICATION

Intelligence Fundamentals Professional Certification (IFPC)

Renewal Period: 3 years

The Intelligence Fundamentals Professional Certification (IFPC) credential has the following recertification information:

The IFPC credential is conferred for a three-year period, and will expire unless certificants meet one of the following options for maintaining their certification:

IFPC certificate holders may choose to re-take the IFPC examination. Certificate holders who re-take the IFPC examination and pass are deemed to have renewed their certification, at which point their credential is automatically extended another three years.
IFPC certificate holders may choose to obtain a USD(I)-conferred or -recognized intelligence tradecraft certification. IFPC certificate holders who meet all the requirements of a USD(I)- conferred or -recognized intelligence tradecraft certification are deemed to have renewed their IFPC credential on the date the secondary certification is conferred.

The IFPC credential is maintained as long as the certificate holder continues to maintain the USD(I)-conferred or recognized intelligence tradecraft certification. IFPC certificants must submit a copy of their USD(I)-conferred or recognized tradecraft certification (with conferral and expiration date clearly visible) to the CPMO as evidence; all submissions should be sent to osd.pentagon.ousd-intel.mbx.ifpc-pmo@mail.mil.

IFPC candidates should contact the CPMO at osd.pentagon.ousd-intel.mbx.ifpc-pmo@mail.mil for information.

Note: Marine Corps COOL will only pay recertification fees for the current year, no arrears will be paid. Voucher requests for recertification fees must be submitted with proof of the current status of the certification (for example, a screen shot of your credentialing agency dashboard or a copy of a current fee receipt).