April 2010 Exam Pass Rate - 11.1%

Congratulations to all of our readers who passed the April 2010 Customs Broker Exam. The pass rate for this exam was 11.1%. CBP granted credit to everyone for three questions and allowed for multiple answers on two questions. Granting that much credit (5 questions) leaves very little to protest. Check out the comments section for comments by your colleagues concerning the questions that might be subject to protest. For those of you who purchased the Boskage Study Plans that included the detailed exam commentary, the explanations will be ready soon.

April 2010 Exam Copy Received

We have a copy of the exam and the Wizard has started to work on it. We hope to have preliminary answers posted by Thursday morning. The Wizard isn't young any more and probably won't be able to pull an "all-nigher" to finish it. Besides, we want the best answers from the Wizard's fresh brain, right?

Enjoy your evening and visit us tomorrow afternoon. We'll also put out a "tweet" when the answers are posted!

p.s. Thank you to Greg Schulz and Ted Stimmel at Expeditors for supplying the copy of the exam!

CBP Posts Notice of Exam for April 2010 - Note Change!

U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted a notice to its web site announcing the April 2010 Customs Broker License Exam. The exam will be held at various locations on Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Contact your local port office to verify testing locations. Applications (CBP 3124E) and the exam fee of $200 must be received on or before Monday, March 8, 2010. Applicants should bring the following reference materials to the exam. Please note the appropriate editions for the HTSUS and CFR.

- Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (2009 version) with Supplements
It is important to use this edition since questions often require the determination of the correct HTS number, duty rate and applicability of Free Trade Agreements, all of which may change slightly from year to year.

- Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations (revised as of April 1, 2009) Parts 0 to140, 141 to 199
Last year, CBP included Parts 200 to End on the Exam; however, it appears that these will not be required for the April 2010 Exam.

Part 149 covering ISF was added to Title 19 in 2009, so it is a target for this exam.

- Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR)

Appendix B - Valid Codes
Appendix D - Metric Conversion
Appendix E - Valid Entry Numbers
Appendix G - Common Errors
Appendix H - Census Warning Messages
Appendix L - Drawback Errors
Glossary of Terms

- Instructions for Preparation of CBP Form 7501 (8-30-2005)

-Submission Changes for Supplemental Information Letters and Post Entry Amendments-Remote Location Filing Eligibility Requirements

- Directives
3510-004, Monetary Guidelines for Setting Bond Amounts
Amendment to 3510-004 for Certain Merchandise Subject to Antidumping/Countervailing Duty Cases
3550-055, Instructions for Deriving Manufacturer/Shipper Identification Code
3550-067, Entry Summary Acceptance and Rejection Policy
3550-079A, Ultimate Consignee at time of Entry or Release
3560-001A, Census Interface-Processing Procedures
5610-002A, Standard Guidelines for the Input of Names and Addresses Into Automated Commercial System (ACS) Files

It’s time to get ready for the next Customs Broker Exam! Click HERE for a complete list of the Boskage study plans and products designed to help you study and pass the exam! Remember, there is no substitute for actually reading and studying the required materials. Visit the Boskage Trade News Blog for additional for import/export news updates, articles about specific trade topics and helpful posts related the Customs Broker Exam!