M-FAST is a 25-item structured interview that includes items developed from 7 strategies previously found to differentiate malingerers from honest responders. Previous studies have demonstrated the development and validation of the M-FAST with both simulation and known-group designs. They found that the M-FAST total cut score of six provides the best classification rates for forensic psychiatric patients incompetent to proceed with trial, disability claimants, and prison inmates. The current analyses tested M-FAST generalizability and utility across literacy and race. In addition, its predictive accuracy was compared to clinical opinion. Study 1 involved a sample of 280 forensic male psychiatric patients, 5 psychiatrists, and 8 psychologists. The psychiatric participants were administered the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS), which is commonly used to assess malingering status; the M-FAST item pool, M Test, and MMPI-2. Study 2 involved an independent sample of 50 male forensic psychiatric participants and the 13 mental health professionals from study 1. The findings show the generalizability of the M-FAST across literacy and racial groups; and they also indicate that the M-FAST achieved higher classification accuracy than the M Test and clinical opinion, significantly reducing the number of false negatives at the screening stage of malingering assessment. 6 tables, 6 figures, and 18 references