The exam, in full
The Customs Broker License Exam
CBP gives the CBLE twice a year. The next sitting is Wednesday, October 28, 2026: 80 multiple-choice questions in 4.5 hours, open book, 75% to pass — 60 of 80 right. Fewer than one candidate in three usually clears it.
The facts
| Next exam | Wednesday, October 28, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Sitting after that | Wednesday, April 28, 2027 |
| Registration | Opened August 17, 2026, closed September 16, 2026 at 4:30 PM Eastern — about 10 to 6 weeks before exam day, through the eCBP portal |
| Questions | 80, multiple choice |
| Time | 4.5 hours (270 minutes) — about 3 minutes a question |
| Passing score | 75% — 60 of 80 |
| Appeals | Score 57 or more and you may appeal up to 4 questions (new in April 2026) |
| Format | Open book, administered electronically, against designated editions of the HTSUS, 19 CFR, specified customs directives and the CATAIR |
| Fee | $390, paid at registration |
| Withdrawal | Withdraw by 8:30 AM Eastern, two days before the exam for a refund, generally within 45 days |
| Eligibility | A U.S. citizen · 18 years of age or older · Not an officer or employee of the U.S. Government |
Checked against CBP on October 6, 2026: exam notice, general CBLE information and registration information. CBP's notice governs; verify the edition of the HTSUS and 19 CFR named for your sitting.
How hard it is
Published pass rates for the last 5 sittings run from 12% to 30%. That is the single most useful fact about this exam: most people who sit it do not pass it, and most who pass have sat it before.
22%
April 2026
12%
October 2025
30%
April 2025
18%
October 2024
22%
May 2024
What is actually tested
CBP publishes no blueprint. The weighting below comes from counting every question CBP has released since 2018 — 1,261 of them across 17 sittings — and sorting them by subject. Classification and entry summary dominate, so they carry the marks you are most likely to lose.
- Entry & Entry Summary252
- Classification211
- Broker Compliance171
- Valuation & Appraisement120
- Practical Exercise72
- Drawback52
All 19 topics by weight, and the provisions that answer them →
Which regulations it tests
Every released answer carries the authority CBP cited for it. Counted, 19 CFR 111 alone answers 135 questions, and these 6 authorities answer 478 between them — the tabs worth having ready.
How to prepare for an open-book exam
Open book does not mean easy. You get about three minutes a question, and the answer is somewhere in thousands of pages of HTSUS and 19 CFR. The skill being tested is lookup speed: knowing which authority answers which kind of question, and finding the provision without reading your way there.
That skill is built by working real questions against the real citations, under the clock, and then reading why the answer is what CBP says it is. CBP publishes the exams and the answer keys — every paper back to 2018 is on its site — which is what this site is built from.
Common questions
Can I still register for the October 2026 exam?
No. Registration for Wednesday, October 28, 2026 closed on September 16, 2026 at 4:30 PM Eastern. The next opportunity is Wednesday, April 28, 2027, and CBP opens registration for it about 10 weeks ahead.
What can I bring into the exam?
The exam is open book against the editions CBP names in its notice for your sitting — the HTSUS, Title 19 CFR, specified customs directives and the CATAIR. CBP's notice is the authority on what is permitted and in what form; read it before exam day.
What happens if I miss the passing score by one or two questions?
Since April 2026, candidates scoring 57 or higher out of 80 may appeal up to 4 questions they believe they answered correctly. CBP has also voided questions on appeal in past sittings.
Do I need a job in the industry to take it?
No. The exam is open to any U.S. citizen aged 18 or older who is not an officer or employee of the U.S. Government. Holding the licence is a higher bar — CBP licences brokers at 21 — and the application after passing is a separate process with its own fees and a background investigation.
CBLE Simulator is independent study material, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The questions and answer keys reproduced on this site are CBP's own published examinations, which are works of the U.S. federal government and not subject to copyright protection (17 U.S.C. §105).