# How to search the references fast

**The short version:** know which book and part a question lives in before you search, search for a short exact phrase from the rule rather than from the question, and move on after three minutes. The exam platform's search highlights hits but will not jump between them.

## How the exam's search behaves

From CBP's registration page:

- Search highlights every hit, but you **cannot jump from hit to hit**. You scroll to find the next one. The sample exam behaves differently, so do not train on it.
- When you change document, **close the search box and open it again** (Ctrl+F).
- You **cannot copy and paste** from a question into the search box. Type your search.

So a search that lands on 40 hits costs you minutes. A search that lands on two costs seconds.

## Pick the book first

| The question is about | Open |
|---|---|
| Broker licenses, permits, duties, CE, powers of attorney | 19 CFR Part 111 |
| Who may make entry, importer of record, nominal consignee | RTME Directive 3530-002A; 19 CFR Part 141 |
| Entry types, entry summary data, ACE codes | ACE ES Instructions; ACE BRPD |
| Bonds | 19 CFR Part 113 |
| Marking | 19 CFR Part 134 |
| Rules of origin, FTAs, GSP, USMCA | HTSUS General Notes; 19 CFR Parts 10, 102, 181, 182 |
| Classification | HTSUS: GRIs, then the section and chapter notes, then the headings |
| Valuation | 19 CFR Part 152 (152.101 to 152.108) |
| MPF, HMF, user fees | 19 CFR 24.23 and 24.24 |
| Liquidation, protests | 19 CFR Parts 159 and 174 |
| Penalties, prior disclosure, recordkeeping | 19 CFR Parts 162, 163, 171, 172 |
| Drawback | 19 CFR Part 190 |
| Quota | 19 CFR Part 132; chapter notes; HTSUS Chapter 99 |
| FTZ, warehouses, in-bond | 19 CFR Parts 18, 19, 144, 146 |

The [topics](https://customsbrokerlicenseexam.com/topics/) pages give the same map with practice questions on each.

## What to type

- **A number beats a word.** An HTS number, a CFR section or a form number lands on few hits. In the [viewer](https://customsbrokerlicenseexam.com/ref/), typing `6208.99.30` or `19 CFR 152.103` jumps straight there.
- **Search the rule's words, not the question's.** A question about a broker who moves offices is answered in 111.30 under "change of address"; the word "moves" may appear nowhere. Each drill answer shows the search term that finds it.
- **Short and exact.** Two or three distinctive words. "triennial status report" finds one section; "report" finds hundreds.
- **For classification, start at the notes.** GRI 1 says classification is by the terms of the headings and the section and chapter notes. Read the chapter's exclusion notes before the headings.

## Pace

- 80 questions in 270 minutes is about 3 minutes 22 seconds each. Answer what you know first and flag the rest.
- Set a limit, say three minutes. If you are not close, flag it, pick your best guess and move on. A blank answer cannot score and, since April 2026, cannot be appealed.
- Keep a paper tracking sheet of your answers. In April 2026 some candidates' score reports did not match what they entered, and an appeal needs your answer sheet. The [mock exam](https://customsbrokerlicenseexam.com/mock-exam/) prints one.

## Practise it

Every drill here runs with the viewer beside it and a 90-second clock: [lookup drills](https://customsbrokerlicenseexam.com/drills/), [classification](https://customsbrokerlicenseexam.com/classification/), [calculators](https://customsbrokerlicenseexam.com/calculators/), and [past exams](https://customsbrokerlicenseexam.com/past-exams/) on the real timer.

Source: https://customsbrokerlicenseexam.com/how-to-search/ (updated 2026-11-14)