The short version: the CBLE is an open-book, multiple-choice exam of 80 questions with four choices each. You get 4 hours 30 minutes and need 75%, which is 60 right answers. CBP gives it on the fourth Wednesday of April and October. The fee is $390.
Format
| Questions | 80, multiple choice, four choices (A to D), “a single best answer” |
| Time | 4 hours 30 minutes |
| Pass mark | 75% (60 of 80) |
| Where | On a computer at an in-person test site |
| References | Electronic copies of the five listed references in the exam platform. Paper copies are allowed and recommended as a backup. |
| Fee | $390, paid in eCBP when you register |
At 4.5 hours for 80 questions you have about 3 minutes 22 seconds a question. The drills on this site give you 90 seconds for a lookup, so you have time left to check.
Who can sit
You must be a US citizen, at least 18, and not an officer or employee of the US government on the exam date.
Dates and deadlines
CBP generally gives the exam on the fourth Wednesday of April and October. The next one is expected in April 2027; CBP has not yet posted the date. By the calendar, the fourth Wednesday is April 28, 2027.
- Registration opens 10 weeks before the exam and closes 6 weeks before.
- The testing vendor sends an invitation about 4 weeks out; scheduling closes 3 weeks out.
- Your admission notice comes about 1 week out.
- You can withdraw for a refund in eCBP until 8:30 am Eastern, two days before the exam.
On exam day
- ID: a US passport or a certificate of naturalization or citizenship on its own; otherwise one photo ID plus one citizenship document. Unexpired originals only. Doors close at 8:30 am.
- What you can bring: paper, pencils, your reference books, one rolling crate or suitcase up to 16 x 18.5 x 15 inches, an optional shelf up to 42 inches high, an analog watch and a small plastic sand timer. No electronics, including digital timers.
- Search in the exam platform: the search box highlights every hit, but you cannot jump from one hit to the next. You scroll. When you switch to another document, close the search box and open it again with Ctrl+F. You cannot copy text from a question into the search box. See how to search fast.
- Non-disclosure: you sign an agreement and may not discuss the questions until after midnight on exam day.
Categories
CBP’s own list of what the exam covers: Entry and Entry Summary (including partner government agencies, foreign-trade zones and bonded warehouses, bonds, warehouse entries, intellectual property rights, marking and country of origin, and modernized drawback); Classification; Valuation, Appraisement and Duty Assessment (including AD/CVD, EAPA and trade agreements); Broker Compliance (powers of attorney, recordkeeping, fines and penalties, continuing education); Quota; and Practical Exercises. The topics page maps each one to where it sits in the books.
Results
Results letters are emailed two to three weeks after the exam. If you scored 57 to 59, you may appeal up to four questions. See appeals.
Sources
All checked on November 14, 2026: CBP’s General CBLE Information, Registration Information, the CBLE notice page and the October 2026 exam booklet. The exam’s purpose is set by 19 CFR 111.13(a).