Customs Broker License Examination – Notification REGISTRATION NOTICE OF EXAMINATION FOR APRIL 1, 2020

Administrative Information

This notice announces that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will conduct an electronic version of the Customs Broker License Examination on Wednesday, April 1, 2020 that will begin at 8:30 AM local time. Check-in for testing begins at 8:00 AM local time.  Please arrive by 8:00 AM local time to ensure a smooth check-in process. CBP allows individual to register for the exam through an online automated CBP broker examination registration system https://e.cbp.dhs.gov/ecbp/#/main (replacing Form 3124E, “Application for Customs Broker License Exam”), and mandates the registrant pay a $390 required examination fee at that time.

Registration has two components:

• Exam registration
• Site selection 

1. Exam Registration

Examination registration opens Monday, February 3, 2020 at 12:00 AM EST and closes on Monday, March 2, 2020 at 11:59 PM EST. All applications must be submitted online through the eCBP portal: https://e.cbp.dhs.gov/ecbp/#/main

New users to eCBP will be required to create a new account, using Login.gov, which is part of the registration process.

Step-by-step instructions on the registration process and web-based training on eCBP can be accessed on the navigation area to the right.

When you register, please ensure that you key in all information correctly. The data you provide is transferred to your admission notice and the email address you provide guarantees that you receive information about the exam.

CBP recommends using the latest version of Google chrome as your browser when you register.

There is a FAQ section on the eCBP registration brokers home page which outlines what to do if the user is unable to connect: https://e.cbp.dhs.gov/brokers/#/home  If you are still experiencing technical issues, please contact the CBP Information Center (IC) at https://help.cbp.gov/  or contact 1-877-227-5511. The IC is standing by to help.

Payment of the required $390 license examination fee must be made online via the examination application, and may be made by credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Amazon Pay.

Applications and fees submitted directly to the service port or CBP Headquarters will not be accepted and will be returned to the applicant.  Registrants who need assistance completing the online form, or have questions concerning payment, may send an email to an email that will be provided at a later date.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the examination application process well before the March 2, 2020 at 11:59 PM EST deadline.

2. Site Selection Scheduling

Registrants will need to register for the exam site AFTER registration closes.  Once registration closes, all registrants will receive an instructional email from Pearson Vue on how they need to select their site on exam day.  Self-site selection begins on March 10 and will end March 15. Site selection is on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE basis. Failing to self-site select early could mean that you do no get your desired site due to the desired site being at full capacity.

Admissions Notice

Applicants will be notified of exam location placement via an Admission Notice provided via e-mail to the address they provided during registration.  The Admission Notice is sent immediately after applicants complete the site selection process. Applicants are responsible for monitoring the email address they provided during registration, including SPAM/JUNK folders. Examinees must bring their admission notice, government issued photo identification, and proof of citizenship for admission to the test site.

Any applicant who wishes to withdraw from the exam must submit a written notice of withdrawal to the CBP Broker Management Branch via email to brokermanagement@cbp.dhs.gov no later March 29 at 11:59 PM EST.   Refunds for timely examination withdrawals of registrants paying for the October 2019 exam will generally be processed within 60 days after the exam date. Applicants withdrawing from the exam should include in their withdrawal request, the payment tracking number and tracking ID, both of which can be found in the registration confirmation email sent to all applicants upon registering for the exam.

American Disabilities Act (ADA)

Applicants requesting ADA accommodations must check box 5 on the registration form and submit CBP Form 3124E and supporting documentation by March 2 at 11:59 PM EST via email to brokermanagement@cbp.dhs.gov, SUBJECT: ADA Request, Broker Exam.

Using CBP Form 3124E, the applicant must indicate in block 5 that he or she is seeking an accommodation under the American Disabilities Act.  The accommodation(s) requested must be specified in block 12. Supporting documentation must be signed and on the physician’s letterhead; electronic signatures will not be accepted.  The documentation must be from a qualified profession and outline the applicant’s condition, describe how the applicant is affected by the condition on a daily basis, provide a description of each accommodation, and must not be more than 5 years old.

Supporting documentation submitted by email must be date and time stamped, by March 2 at 11:59 PM EST.  Requests and supporting documentation that are not submitted by that deadline will not be considered. Simply indicating that you seek an accommodation on the online exam registration form is not sufficient to request an accommodation.

As noted in Title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations part 111.13(b) (19 CFR 111.13(b)), in order to be eligible to take the broker examination, an individual must (on the date of the examination) be a U.S. citizen, must be 18 years of age, and must not be an officer or employee of the U.S. Government.

Day of Exam

Registrants who do not provide an approved form of identification: (U.S. Driver’s License, U.S. State Issued ID Card, U.S. Passport, U.S. Military ID, U.S. Government Issued Visa, U.S. Territory ID (Puerto Rico, Guam, Etc.)) AND citizenship (U.S. Passport, Birth Certificate, Certificate of Naturalization, or Certificate of U.S. Citizenship, Official Military Service Award, or State, Federal or Local Government ID Card) will NOT be allowed to sit for the exam. Your name must match on both forms of identification. Expired IDs are not acceptable, this includes expired passports. There will be no exceptions and no refunds will be given.

Once the test administrators have closed the doors to the examination room, registrants will not be permitted into the examination room and will not be allowed to sit for the examination.  There will be no exceptions and no refunds will be given if you are turned away for insufficient identification.  Please bring the required documentation and allocate sufficient time for travel to the examination site, as NO exceptions will be made for traffic delays, late trains, or similar incidences.

CBP does NOT transfer exam credit under any circumstance.

About the Exam

The purpose of the broker license examination is to “determine the individual’s knowledge of Customs and related laws, regulations and procedures, bookkeeping, accounting, and all other appropriate matters, necessary to render valuable service to importers and exporters.” (19 CFR 111.13(a)).

• Please visit https://home.pearsonvue.com/cble for a sample electronic Customs Broker Exam that may be accessed to acquaint the prospective examinee with the navigation and layout of the modernized format.  It may be accessed an unlimited number of times and may be useful in familiarizing the examinee with the electronic exam process. This sample electronic exam will not evaluate answers. 
• The Customs Broker License Examination consists of 80 multiple-choice questions. A score of 75 percent is required to pass. The examination lasts 4.5 hours. (Exam topics typically include: Entry; Classification; Trade Agreements; Valuation; Broker Compliance; Power of Attorney; Marking; Drawback; Bonds; Foreign Trade Zones/Bonded Warehouse; Warehouse Entries; Intellectual Property Rights; Fines, Penalties and Forfeiters; and other subjects pertinent to a broker’s duties.)
• Applicants should bring the reference materials noted below and any other pertinent reference materials to the examination.  The use of any other versions of the listed references other than those recommended is at the applicant’s own risk. Applicants will not be provided with a test booklet.  The exam is an electronic delivery. The exam will be posted on cbp.gov/trade/broker the following week after the exam.
• Examinees answer keys will be provided upon exiting the exam on exam day.  This sheet will be needed should an examinee wish to file an exam appeal.
• Exam results letters will be emailed to individuals beginning October 2019.  Broker Management will not mail out results letters. 
• Visit www.pearsonvue.com/cble to acquaint yourself with the security measures on testing day.  

Applicants must provide their own reference materials.

• Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (2019 Basic Edition, no supplements)
• Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations (2019, Revised as of April 1, 2019, Parts 1 to END)
• Instructions for Preparation of CBP Form 7501 (July 24, 2012)
• Right to Make Entry Directive 3530-002A
• Business Rules & Process Document (Trade-External) Ace Entry Summary (Version 9.75)

Examinees may use any written reference material; however, use of any electronic device during the exam (e.g., laptop, iPad / Nook / Kindle, smart phone, personal digital assistant, smart watch, etc.) is strictly prohibited. Furthermore:

• Examinees are required to bring their own writing instrument, and scrap paper if needed as they will not be supplied.
• Cell phones must be turned off and put away while in the examination room.  Laptops, iPads, smart watches, and any other electronic devices are prohibited in the examination room.
• Any applicant caught cheating will be removed from the exam.

CBP invites the public to submit questions for possible use in future customs broker examinations.  See Guidelines for writing questions for the customs broker examination. Please submit your questions to brokermanagement@cbp.dhs.gov.  The SUBJECT line must read: Future Exam Questions.