Customs Broker License Exam prep

CBLE practice exams from real past papers, with every answer explained

CBLE Pass puts 1,400 scored questions from 20 past Customs Broker License Exams in front of you the way the exam does: timed, open book, with the invoices and entry summaries drawn beside the question and the 19 CFR and HTSUS a search away. Then it explains every option, and the trap behind the one you picked.

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Independent study tool. Not affiliated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

CBLE Pass mock exam on a laptop: question 21 of the October 2025 CBLE, a practical exercise, with the shared facts on the left and a drawn air waybill on the right

The same CBLE question on a phone, with tabs for the question, the facts and the documents

1,400scored questions from past CBLE papers
20exams, April 2016 to October 2026
63documents drawn from the exam booklets
413 + 9819 CFR sections and HTSUS chapters, searchable

How it works

Practice under exam conditions, then study what you missed

Timed CBLE mock exams that feel like the real one

Each past paper runs 4 hours 30 minutes with a pace check, a question grid and flags. No hints and no highlighting while the clock runs: you find the rule yourself, as you will on exam day. Leave whenever you need to; your answers and remaining time are saved. Mixed papers drawn from all 20 exams follow the same blend of topics.

Practical exercises with the paperwork drawn as printed

Commercial invoices, air waybills, broker invoices and CBP Form 7501 entry summaries are rebuilt as clean, zoomable documents, errors and handwritten corrections included, because the exam tests whether you catch them.

The 19 CFR and HTSUS beside every question

Search 413 sections of 19 CFR by number or words, or switch to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule: the General Rules of Interpretation, chapter notes and tariff lines with General, Special and Column 2 rates. Looking things up fast is half the exam, so you practice it on every question.

Every answer explained, with the trap named

Review shows why each choice is right or wrong, the regulation it turns on, and the misconception behind your pick, such as a wrong deadline, the wrong form or the wrong consequence. Patterns you repeat show up on your dashboard.

Ten-minute drills on your weakest topics

Quick drills pull from the topics where you score lowest, weighted by how often they appear on the exam. Say how sure you are, answer, and see why at once. Questions you miss wait in a mistake bank, the ones you were sure of first, until you get them right.

An honest read on where you stand

Readiness is shown as a range that narrows as you practice, set against the 75% pass line. Each of the six exam categories earns a seal when you hold 75% in it, and a short weekly check-in keeps your study plan realistic.

What an explanation looks like

Not just the answer key. The reason.

This is an October 2026 CBLE question as the app explains it after a wrong pick. Every one of the 1,400 scored questions has a rationale for each option and the rule it rests on, with the date of the law it reflects.

October 2026 · Question 10 · Broker discipline

Which ONE of the following actions is NOT grounds for the suspension or revocation of a broker's license?

AA broker knowingly made a misleading statement on his or her license application.

CA broker knowingly works with a client whose broker license was cancelled "with prejudice."

Grounds for license suspension or revocation

111.53 lists the grounds, including false or misleading application statements, certain felony convictions and knowingly employing a felon without approval. Working for a client whose own license was cancelled "with prejudice" is not a ground when the client acts as a bona fide importer: 111.42(b) allows it.

19 CFR 111.53 · 19 CFR 111.42(b) · law as of 2026-11-09

Law watch

When a customs rule changes, you hear about it

Customs rules move. Every day CBLE Pass checks the Federal Register and the eCFR against each regulation its questions cite. A person reviews every change before it reaches you, with the questions it touches and what it means for your preparation.

Detected. New final and proposed rules for the parts of 19 CFR the bank cites, and amended sections in the eCFR.
Reviewed. Each change is checked against the source and the questions that cite it.
Shown in the app. An alert on your dashboard, with the effective date and the questions to revisit.

Law update · detected Nov 6, 2026

New broker duty to verify U.S. importers of record

CBP Dec. 26-19 adds 19 CFR 111.29(a)(2) and new record rules in 111.21 and 111.23. Effective about January 5, 2027.

28 questions cite the changed sections

Source: Federal Register, FR Doc. 2026-22735

How the question bank is kept honest

Built from the public record, checked line by line

Questions exactly as CBP printed themWording, figures and documents are kept as published, typos included. Nothing is paraphrased.
Outdated items are retired, not hidden89 questions that later law made wrong, or whose key was ambiguous, stay available for study with the reason, but never count toward a score. 3 more were voided by CBP.
Every explanation carries its law dateRationales cite the regulation and the date of the text they reflect, so you know what changed since an exam was given.
Exam mode stays exam modeNo feedback, no highlighting and no shortcuts to the cited section while the clock runs.

The exam

Customs Broker License Exam at a glance

Customs Broker License Exam format, timing, fee and eligibility
Format	80 multiple-choice questions, open book with the paper references CBP lists for that exam
Time	4 hours 30 minutes (270 minutes), about 3 minutes 20 seconds a question
Passing score	75% (60 of 80)
Fee and registration	$390, paid when you register through CBP's eCBP portal during the registration window
When	Twice a year, on the fourth Wednesday of April and October. The next exam is expected on April 28, 2027; CBP confirms each date when it opens registration.
Who may apply for a license	U.S. citizens at least 21 years old who pass the exam and a background investigation (19 CFR 111.11)
Topics	Broker compliance (19 CFR Part 111), entry and entry summary, valuation, classification under the HTSUS, practical exercises with Form 7501, and special topics such as drawback, quotas and trade remedies

Check CBP's own pages before you register: dates, references and procedures can change. Sources are listed below.

Free CBLE study guides

Study by topic

Each guide covers where the rules live, how often the topic appears on an 80-question exam, the traps past candidates fell into, and a sample question. Here are the most-tested topics:

All 35 CBLE study guides

Questions

Customs broker exam FAQ

What is the CBLE?

The Customs Broker License Exam (CBLE) is the exam U.S. Customs and Border Protection gives to people who want an individual customs broker license. Passing it is one of the requirements in 19 CFR Part 111, along with U.S. citizenship, being at least 21, and a background investigation.

How many questions are on the CBLE, how long is it, and what score passes?

80 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours 30 minutes. You need 75% to pass, which is 60 of 80. It is open book: you may bring the paper reference materials CBP lists for that exam.

When is the next customs broker exam?

CBP gives the exam twice a year, on the fourth Wednesday of April and October. The next one is expected on April 28, 2027. CBP confirms each date and opens registration through a notice to the trade, so check the CBP exam page before you plan.

How do I register for the CBLE and what does it cost?

You register and pay the $390 exam fee online through CBP's eCBP portal while registration is open. CBP announces each registration window on its Customs Brokers page and in a Cargo Systems Messaging Service message.

Are the practice questions in CBLE Pass real exam questions?

Yes. All 1,400 scored questions come from 20 past exams that CBP published, from April 2016 to October 2026. Stems, choices and documents are kept exactly as printed. Questions that later law made wrong are retired with the reason and are never scored.

How does CBLE Pass explain the answers?

Every option of every scored question has a rationale and the regulation it rests on, such as a section of 19 CFR or a heading of the HTSUS, with the date of the law it reflects. Wrong options name the misconception behind them, so you see why your pick was tempting.

Can I look up 19 CFR and the HTSUS while I practice?

Yes. The reference pane holds 413 sections of 19 CFR and the full Harmonized Tariff Schedule (Revision 23, 2026): the General Rules of Interpretation, chapter notes and tariff lines with their rates. During a timed mock exam it never jumps to the answer: you search it yourself, as on exam day.

Does CBLE Pass work on a phone?

Yes. It runs in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer, and keeps working offline once loaded. Your progress stays on your device.

Is CBLE Pass affiliated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection?

No. CBLE Pass is an independent study tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by U.S. Customs and Border Protection or the Department of Homeland Security. The exam questions are public CBP records.

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Tix, the CBLE Pass ticket, holding a rubber stamp