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 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, typing
6208.99.30or19 CFR 152.103jumps 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 prints one.
Practise it
Every drill here runs with the viewer beside it and a 90-second clock: lookup drills, classification, calculators, and past exams on the real timer.