How to Prepare for the Customs Broker License Exam

Customs brokers coordinate imports and exports.

As the melting pot of the world, the United States has long struggled with rights, responsibilities and privileges surrounding immigration and trade. The Department of Homeland Security controls the country's borders and certifies men and women to fill the role of Customs Broker. These brokers are responsible for filing all paperwork, fees and other official information for cross-border trading, ensuring legality in all deals. To become a customs broker, you must first pass Homeland Security's licensure exam.

Things You'll Need

• Study documents

Instructions

1. Contact the United States Department of Homeland Security to arrange for your customs broker exam. In general, the exam is held twice per year, on the first Monday of April and the first Monday of October. If these Mondays are holidays, the exams are moved to the following Tuesday.

2. Pay the $200 examination fee at least 30 days prior to your taking the exam. Your contact at your testing site will provide you with details regarding how to make the payment. Keep your proof of registration; you will need this to enter the exam on your testing date.

3. Obtain copies of The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, Title 19 Code of Federal Regulations, Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements and customs directives. The information contained in these documents will make up the entire test. Talk to your testing site about where to find this information; public libraries and the Internet are also available for information searches.

4. Study the documents until you are familiar with the information in them, their organization and other details. The exam consists of 80 questions and is open-book. You will be able to take these documents to the exam for reference. The more familiar you are with the documents, the more time you will save during the exam.

5. Practice studying, reading and concentrating in progressively longer sessions, until you reach four hours. The test is four-hours long, and you must be able to concentrate and focus for that long.

Tips & Warnings

• Find contact information for the Department of Homeland Security, as well as testing sites, at the department's web site.

• To take the exam, you must be 21 years of age and not be an employee of the federal government. You do not need to be a United States citizen to take the exam, but you must earn citizenship before you officially apply for your license. You must earn a score of at least 75 percent to pass the exam.

References

• United States Department of Homeland Security: Becoming a Customs Broker
• Logistics Training Systems: Frequently Asked Questions About the Customs Broker Exam