The purpose of the CBLE 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)). The CBLE is given twice a year, generally on the fourth Wednesday in April and October. The CBLE consists of 80 multiple-choice questions, and a score of 75 percent is required to pass the exam. The exam lasts 4.5 hours. The exam is given electronically. Most examinees go to a centralized exam facility to take the exam, but a few examinees take the exam at a remote location.
In order to become a licensed customs broker, you first need to pass the Customs Broker License Exam (CBLE). To be eligible to take the broker exam, you must (on the date of the exam) be:
- A U.S. citizen
- 18 years of age or older.
- Not an officer or employee of the U.S. Government.
- Typical exam categories and subcategories include:
- Entry/Entry Summary
- Partner Governmental Agencies
- Foreign Trade Zones and Bonded Warehouses
- Bonds
- Warehouse Entries
- Intellectual Property Rights
- Marking and Country of Origin
- Classification
- Valuation, Appraisement, and Duty Assessment
- Anti-Dumping/Countervailing Duty
- Enforce and Protect Act
- Trade Agreements
- Quota
- Broker Compliance
- Power of Attorney
- Recordkeeping
- Fines and Penalties
- Modernized Drawback Processes
- Practical Exercises
- Other subjects that are relevant to a broker's duties
Many people prepare for the exam using Reference Materials and Sample Exams. While the Reference Materials change from exam to exam based on changes to regulations and processes, the following are usually included (these are the versions for the May 1, 2024 exam):
- Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (Basic Edition) (HTSUS) Harmonized Tariff Schedule 2023 HTS Basic (usitc.gov)
- Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations (2023 Annual Edition) (Parts 1 to End)(CFR 0-140)(CFR 141-199)(CFR 200-599) Code of Federal Regulations (Annual Edition)
- ACE Entry Summary Instructions Version 2.4a ACE Entry Summary Instructions | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov)
- Right to Make Entry (RTME) Directive 3530-002A 3530-002A Right to Make Entry | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov)
- ACE Summary Business Rules and Process Document (Trade-External) (ACE BRPD) (Version 11 - Chapter 1 through 24) March 2023 ACE Entry Summary Business Process | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov)
A sample exam will be uploaded as of 10 weeks prior to exam day, but a prior version is available at https://tara.vitapowered.com/CBLE/SampleExam with prior functionality.