Customs Broker Exam Study Tip 5: Time Management

Now that your study materials and workspace are organized, it is time to discuss time management. Students often feel overwhelmed by the amount of information to be learned in order to pass the exam. Some people feel like they do not have enough time to do all they want to do, so finding additional time to study for the Customs Broker Exam seems like an impossible task.

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to have a natural ability to get things done without appearing stressed out, while others are often late in completing tasks and appear to be rushed all of the time? Have you ever thought that certain people accomplish more because they don’t have to work full time, or they don’t have children or they have more money? Even if those reasons were true, it doesn’t change the fact that everyone has the same amount of time each day. The difference is in how you choose to use your time. Time cannot be bought or saved. Once time is gone, you cannot get it back. Your ability to pass the exam as well as accomplish other goals begins with how you manage your time.

What are some of the causes of time management problems? Three of the most important causes of problems related to time management are procrastination, poor planning and wasting time.

Procrastination is a tendency to avoid a harder or less pleasant task in favor of doing an easier one. Procrastination often results in added stress due to missed deadlines or last minute preparation to meet a deadline. No one needs or wants additional stress and stress is not good for our health. Visualize what will happen if you procrastinate by putting of studying for the exam. Do you see success or failure? Procrastination is not an option when you visualize success!

Poor planning is another culprit that sabotages achievement of success. You must prioritize and create schedules to accomplish the tasks necessary to accomplish your goals. Once you make up our mind to take the exam, you must create a study plan and make it a priority. Of course, most aspiring brokers have full time jobs and personal obligations; however, by creating a plan and schedule that allots specific time for study, you can ensure success by following that schedule. You can’t expect to pass the exam unless you make the effort.

Wasting time is one of the biggest problems exam students face. When too much time is spent doing things that are unproductive, you rob yourself of valuable time that could be spent studying for the exam. It may not be the activity itself that is unproductive, but the amount of time spent doing the activity that creates the problem. If you like watching television, watching one favorite show is not unproductive because it provides relaxation and a sense of well-being. However, watching several hours of television to avoid studying is unproductive. Playing a game on the computer for 15 minutes is not necessarily unproductive because it provides a break from the routine that gives your mind a rest. However, playing computer games for hours robs you of time that could have been spent studying.

What can you do to improve time management in order to pass the Customs Broker’s Exam?

The tools and methods adopted to manage time wisely will largely depend on the amount of individual’s experience with issues covered on the exam, learning styles, ability to grasp and retain new information, work schedule and other personal issues. We have provided a few suggestions below. At the end of this article, you can comment on these and provide some ideas of your own.

• Create a Calendar
Your calendar should allocate time for work, study, exercise, meals, family and personal time. Set a regular time for study. You may want to check off the items completed each day and keep track of time spent on each task.

• Identify Priorities
Prioritize tasks and create a “To Do” List. Compete the most important tasks first. If not all tasks are completed, putting off the least unimportant task isn't procrastination, it's probably good prioritization.

• Learn to Say “NO”
Explain to people that you must study to pass the test and you will be available in a few weeks. Six to eight weeks of intense study is a small commitment of time when you think about the rewards of passing the exam and the amount of free time you will have when you no longer need to study.

• Make Time For Family
Set aside special time for family each week. Remember, quality over quantity. Your family will appreciate the time you spend with them and be more understanding of your need to study when you devote special time for them.

• Set Aside Time for Exercise
Regular exercise reduces stress and promotes good health. Exercise can provide a welcome break from your studies by giving your mind a chance to relax and think of something else. Your choice of exercise can be anything from gardening, walking around the block to a game of softball or a workout at the gym.

• Limit Unproductive Activities

Reduce the amount of time spent on the phone, watching television, reading email, playing computer games, etc. There will be plenty of time for these activities when you finish the exam. Take the necessary phone calls, but do not use the phone as an excuse for not studying.

• Make Good Use of Unproductive Time

1. Waiting
At one time or another, you will find yourself waiting for something. The wait may be anywhere, from the doctor’s office or at an airport, to an unanticipated event, such as a traffic jam. Anticipate circumstances that are likely to create unavoidable delays and be sure to have your notes handy. You can make great use of that time to study. Instead of being upset because you were stuck in the airport for two hours because your plane was late, you can be excited that you were able to devote two more hours to your studies.

2. Commute
Whether it’s by train or car, most people have some type of commute to work. Use the commute time to listen to the audio lectures on CD. Turn that hour spent in a traffic jam into productive study time.

3. Lunch
Do you really need an hour to eat lunch? Consider devoting three of your lunch breaks each week to study. Treat yourself to a nice lunch out at the end of the week.

• Reward Yourself
Set daily, weekly and monthly goals. When you have achieved a goal, reward yourself. It may be as small as allowing yourself 30 minutes of television or spending 30 minutes playing a video game to something more significant such as a vacation or cruise after receiving news you passed the exam.

We welcome your comments on these suggestions and encourage you to add your own ideas to this forum so that other students studying for the exam can benefit from your experiences.

Check the Boskage Trade News regularly for more helpful hints on studying for the Customs Broker Exam and other useful news for international trade professionals! We will explore “Using Previous Exams” in the next study tip.

How Will CBP Spend $980 Million?

U.S. Customs & Border Protection will receive $980 million of the $2.8 billion awarded to the Department of Homeland Security under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. How will CBP spend this windfall of funds?

$720 million for construction and renovation of land border ports of entry. This includes expansion and reconfiguration to make room for new scanners and identification checking equipment.

$100 million for Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technology

$100 million for border technology on the southwest border. Most of the 661 miles of the physical fence has been completed. CBP will use the $100 million to construct towers containing cameras, sensors and other communication equipment that will feed information to the border patrol control centers. Construction is expected to begin in April.

$60 million for tactical communications equipment and radios

Visit the Department of Homeland Security web site to see how funds are allocated to other DHS departments and to check up on how, when and where the tax dollars are being spent.

The Customs Broker Examination, CH 3, Part 2: Preparing Source Materials

The following is an excerpt of The Customs Broker Examination, by Scott Warren Taylor and Andrew Moxon. This book is a part of the Customs Broker Exam Preparation Course from Boskage Commerce Publications. We'll be posting a large excerpt here, with new posts every Tuesday morning. Click here if you want to read the whole book right away.

Chapter 3: Methods of Study

Part 2: Preparing Source Materials

Memory Versus Facility With Resource Materials
There are two types of competency being tested in the examination room. First is your competency in recalling information about CBP Regulations – how quickly you can recall the information, how accurately, how appropriately. For this reason, a certain amount of memorization is required. You will have to build a memory of CBP facts. This memory can occur naturally, as it does for most people, through the day-to-day encounter with a variety of products and instances typical of a customs broker’s office, or memory can be forced by rote repetition, by creating fact sheets, by drilling on certain key figures, dates, deadlines, fine amounts, and so on. But in either case, the CBE will be much more difficult without a sizable, quickly accessible storehouse of memorized information from which to draw during the highly-pressured hours in the examination room.

Key to passing the CBE is your competency in recalling information about CBP Regulations. How quickly and accurately you can recall the information is an important factor in determining your chances of success. You will have to build a memory of CBP facts.

Testing your memory is only part of the CBE, however. There is another type of competency being tested in the examination room, namely, your competency in researching the correct answer in the HTSUS or the Regulations. No one answers all 80 questions from memory. A significant percentage of them are answered based upon examination-room research. This is a test of your familiarity and facility with the texts themselves. The assumption is that a licensed broker must be able to handle both the common elements of importation – facts that are committed to memory – and the uncommon elements of importation which must be researched.

For example, most test-takers can answer certain factual questions about the entry process, but few can provide precise details about an act of forfeiture or seizure — an act that occurs rarely in the course of daily customs brokerage activities. For this reason, the student must demonstrate the ability to research quickly in a manner indicative of close familiarity with the research materials, i.e., the Regulations and the HTSUS.

The following information will help you prepare your research materials to enhance even the most competent student’s efforts. It will help you reduce search time and therefore provide more examination room time for difficult questions that require consideration.

Tips on Preparing Your Resource Materials
The government editions of both the HTSUS and the CBP Regulations, your primary study texts, are without index tabs. It is recommended that you purchase a set or two of the plastic rectangular type.

Once you have obtained tabs, tab each of the 22 major sections. You may prefer to tab each chapter instead of or in addition to the 22 major sections. You should also mark the beginning of the General Notes, the General Rules of Interpretation, and the Additional U.S. Rules of Interpretation.

Continuing through the book, mark (if possible) each section with its generic title. Section XI, for example, would be marked simply “Section XI – Textiles.”

Some students index their HTSUS books further with a different type of smaller, colored, outside index tab marked separately with each of the more commonly referenced chapters, such as Chapter 62, “Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted.” Using this method, Section XI would have additional index tabs, perhaps marked with the same color as the major section and thereby indicating that they are part of Section XI. Whether or not you index each chapter is up to you, but tabbing the section headings themselves somehow is a must.
Next, you should index your copy of the Regulations by tabbing each Part. Whether or not you also index each subpart with a different type tab is up to you, but because they are fewer, and the reference is more frequent, it seems to make more sense here than it did in the HTSUS and is advisable.

19 CFR lists hundreds of Parts, but because of changes in the CBP Regulations, many Parts have been taken out or were never included in the first place. The number of tabs you use should correspond to the sections commonly referred to on the CBE. A listing of these sections appears later in this guide.

Many students also find that the published index for both the HTSUS and the CBP Regulations is hard to locate quickly. These students would recommend moving the indexes to the very front of both volumes and purchasing a heavy-duty D-Ring binder. The key is to obtain a binder strong enough and large enough to contain the HTSUS without binding, breaking, or tearing pages. Some students find using a sturdy metal publications rack makes finding information in the HTSUS easier to locate.

This concludes today's excerpt from The Customs Broker Examination.

Valuation of Imported Goods

Valuation is the process of determining the worth of an imported product for the purposes of calculating the amount of duty payable and making the declaration to Customs and Border Protection. Appraisement, also known as valuation, of imported merchandise is an important part of the import process. CBP places a great deal of attention on appraisement, and it is a frequent area of investigation in compliance reviews. Even though the invoice from the foreign supplier may state one amount, there may be additional costs that are not included that should be included for customs purposes. Importers and brokers often look at the total value listed on the invoice, and never think about all the components that may be included or not included in that value. Some of the components belong in the total value, while others do not. Determining what components of the price should be included in the dutiable value, and which should not, is the key to effective appraisement

Even though the broker usually generates the CBP 7501 containing the information about value, the broker can only report the information provided by importers. The importer is legally responsible for reporting the value of imports to Customs and Border Protection. This obligation makes sense because the importer initiates the purchase of imported products, pays for them and is in the best position to know the details about the transaction that created the import. Brokers also need to know about valuation because brokers are the "specialists" on customs issues and are hired by importers to assist them in facilitating transactions with CBP. Brokers can be excellent resources when importers need assistance or guidance with valuation issues. If you need help with your taxes, you might go to an accountant for assistance. If you are an importer and you need help with your imports, you might go to a broker or other expert. Both importers and brokers must use reasonable care in fulfilling their responsibilities for the entry of imported merchandise and both should develop a good understanding of valuation rules and regulations. Some of the tools available for learning about various valuation issues include:

• Title 19 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 152 (19 CFR 152)
• Title 19 United States Code, Part 1401a (19 U.S.C. 1401a)
• U.S. Customs Rulings
• Bona Fide Sales & Sales for Exportation to the U.S. (ICP)
• Buying & Selling Commissions (ICP)
• Customs Valuation Encyclopedia (ICP)
• Customs Value (ICP)
• Proper Deductions for Freight & Other Costs (ICP)

Note: You will see the terms "appraisement" and "valuation" used interchangeably throughout our discussions on valuation.

Next Monday we will discuss the methods of valuation. If there are any specific import topics you would like to see discussed in the blog, please feel free to post a comment or send your suggestions to inquiries@boskage.com.

The Customs Broker Examination, CH 3, Part 1: Acquiring Source Materials

The following is an excerpt of The Customs Broker Examination, by Scott Warren Taylor and Andrew Moxon. This book is a part of the Customs Broker Exam Preparation Course from Boskage Commerce Publications. We'll be posting a large excerpt here, with new posts every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Click here if you want to read the whole book right away.

Chapter 3: Methods of Study

Part 1: Acquiring Source Materials

Developing an Overview
This book is written for students who have a singular interest in research of Title 19 CFR, Chapter I, Parts 0-199, otherwise known as the CBP Regulations (often referred to as the “Regulations”, or “19 CFR”) and the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) for the purpose of passing the Customs Brokers Examination (CBE). Preparation for the CBE should not be confused with the task of mastering the law and putting it into practice in the field of international trade. The latter effort involves different knowledge, different skills, and a different – perhaps never-ending – period of development. Having the necessary knowledge and skill to pass the test is not the same as having the necessary knowledge and skill to serve as a licensed customs broker.

Nor are the skills that help you excel in the field of customs brokerage necessarily the same ones that will help you pass the examination. While actual experience is helpful, the key to success is a thorough knowledge of the regulations.

The information in this chapter will help you begin your study of the resource materials required to pass; it will help you modify resource materials; it will help you design a study plan that is right for you; and it will help you execute your study plan with confidence. It is just as crucial for the experienced student to follow the techniques presented in this course as it is for the inexperienced student who has no knowledge of the field.

Acquiring Source Materials
The goal is to achieve a score of 75 percent or greater on the CBE. To do this requires understanding, memorization, and familiarity with the examination resources. The most crucial publications are the CBP Regulations and the Harmonized Tariff of the United States (HTSUS), but by no means are they the only resources available for use while studying for the CBE. The first step in the process is to develop a list of the resources required, and then obtain the information itself.

The CBE is based upon a handful of trade and tariff acts from which the CBP Regulations and the HTSUS are written. Obtaining the acts themselves can be helpful, but is not necessary. The Regulations and the HTSUS (along with certain selected directives from CBP) contain all the requisite information, and the official Notice of Examination will list all required resources for each examination.

It is important to remember that to be effective, your study will be systematic and disciplined. The basic principles of preparation are presented here. You should follow those principles to achieve your goal, modifying them to fit your own time requirements and ability. Hopefully, you will not deviate far from the principles themselves. First, acquire all resource information material, and then, using the information provided here, dissect the resource material and eliminate unnecessary sections. For example, certain parts of the CBP Regulations are rarely tested and will not need to be studied in depth.

Before beginning this course, you should obtain your own editions of the HTSUS and the CBP Regulations. Make sure you use the correct editions specified in the Notice of Examination – incorrect editions could result in your not being able to find the correct answers. Do not use an office copy that must be returned each day or someone else’s copy that cannot be modified. You will be referring to the editions constantly as you study. The copies you use to prepare for the CBE should be yours and yours only. In the course of your studies you will mark the pages, make notations, summaries, and cross-references as you study and re-study their contents. Many students index and rearrange them for the sake of convenience; but to be successful, you must become as familiar with them as possible and using the same edition from beginning to end can help.

Government editions are preferable to privately published editions. The quickest way to obtain a copy and to make certain that updates and revisions are received in a timely manner, and that you are advised when new editions are available, is to contact:

Government Subscriptions:
Boskage Commerce Publications Ltd
P.O. Box 337
Allegan, MI 49010
(888) 880-4088
(269) 673-7242
FAX (269) 673-5901
www.boskage.com

19 CFR, Parts 0-199
19 CFR is the most studied text for preparation and the most referred to after your license has been obtained. It is the section of United States Regulations that specifically addresses the regulations under enforcement by CBP. A codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the Executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government, the Code of Federal Regulations is divided into Titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each Title is divided into chapters that usually bear the name of the issuing agency. You will be studying from the first chapter of Title 19.

Each title is further subdivided into Parts covering specific regulation areas. 19 CFR is published in two versions. The first is in two paperback volumes and not updated. It is published annually, although the release date varies from summer to late fall. The second edition is looseleaf, unbound, 8-1/2 x 11", and drilled for inclusion in a standard three-ring notebook.

Although there are advantages to both editions (e.g., the bound edition is more compact and easy to carry), the looseleaf subscription edition is preferable because it is not only easier to handle during your course of study – larger format and capable of lying flat, – it also is purchased as a “subscription,” insuring that as 19 CFR is updated and revised as a result of the various agencies and legislative bodies of the government, the updated supplements or changes are sent to the holder of the subscription and are the surest method of remaining current.

The looseleaf edition of 19 CFR also allows tabbing and reorganization of the text. Most students find it preferable to move more essential Parts of the Regulations to the front where they can be found quickly, for instance.

The only way to update the paperback edition is through the Federal Register. But if the purchaser of the single, bound copy of 19 CFR does not subscribe to the Federal Register to receive changes in the Regulations, the edition quickly becomes outdated.

Source Material Note: Historically, only Chapter I of 19 CFR (covering parts 1-199) has been used as a source material for the CBE. Recently, however, Customs and Border Protection has announced that a number of other source documents will be used as potential sources for CBE questions.

Currently, selected sections of the CATAIR (user instructions for the Automated Broker Interface), the revised instructions for the new form CBP 7501 and several other selected directives may be tested on the Customs Broker Exam. However, for each examination, the only authoritative resource list will be found in the official Notice of Examination.

Obviously, the minor sources are very specific in scope. All should be studied in case a question on their respective subjects should arise, at which point the student should easily be able to research the correct answer.

HTSUS
Maintained by the USITC, the HTSUS is published pursuant to the 1988 Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 and is the product-by-product listing of all the rates of duty for goods entering the U.S., as well as the source for statistical nomenclature for reporting statistical information required on importation documentation. The HTSUS also contains certain rules governing such specific duty treatments as the Generalized System of Preferences(GSP), the Automotive Products Trade Act, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), the US-Israel Trade Agreement, the US-Australia Trade Agreement, and the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA).

The HTSUS is in a constant state of change, continually revised, updated, corrected, and supplemented throughout the year to document changes in (or as a result of) tariff rate revisions, changes in product descriptions, quotas, Presidential Proclamations and legislative activities.

Like 19 CFR, the HTSUS can be purchased as a subscription, giving the subscription holder the most current edition available. Updates and supplements are sent to the address of the subscription holder as they are published.

This concludes today's excerpt from The Customs Broker Examination.

Report Export Violations to BIS

In order to enforce export regulations, BIS relies on its partnerships with the trade community. Information provided by the public often helps BIS investigations. Similar to the import version called e-Allegations, managed by Customs & Border Protection, the Bureau of Industry & Security offers the export version of tattling on suspected violators. Located on the BIS web site, informants can submit information related to possible export control, Fastener Quality Act (FQA), Chemical Weapons Convention Regulation (CWCR) or boycott related violations. For example, if you suspected that a business was intentionally classifying products under EAR99 to avoid the required licensing, that information could be reported to BIS online.

Although both the BIS reporting and e-Allegations are designed to punish violators with the assistance of the trade community, there is one big difference – confidentiality. The CBP program promotes confidentiality, stating that information may be submitted anonymously. The BIS program requires the submitter to provide a name and phone number. So, those who contemplate reporting a potential violation to BIS must consider the consequences of the loss of confidentiality when making the decision. What would you do?

The Customs Broker Examination, CH 2, Part 2: Combating the Effects of Anxiety

The following is an excerpt of The Customs Broker Examination, by Scott Warren Taylor and Andrew Moxon. This book is a part of the Customs Broker Exam Preparation Course from Boskage Commerce Publications. We'll be posting a large excerpt here, with new posts every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Click here if you want to read the whole book right away.


Chapter 2: MENTAL PREPARATION

Part 2: Combating the Effects of Anxiety

How to Begin to Combat the Effects of Anxiety
The most effective method for avoiding the mental debilitation of anxiety is: concentrate on the specific steps available to achieve your goal, and avoid dwelling on how you feel.

It is always troubling to discover how frequently those who are most plagued by anxiety are also imaginative people. In the hands of anxiety, an imaginative mind becomes a high-powered tool of torture. By itself, anxiety constructs a room of terror, but it is our imagination that animates the room. Our anxiety begins by positing the question: What if I fail? Then the imagination takes charge and begins to create scenarios of failure: What will my boss look like when I tell him? What will my spouse say? My friends? How do I feel about failing? And so on. We actually visualize ourselves talking about our failure with our co-workers. This visualization sparks the physical feeling of anxiety, and, following the physical response, we visualize even more terrible scenarios of our failure. In the clutches of anxiety, these visions become more and more powerful and harmful. These more acute visions, fueled by an active imagination and replete with heavy doses of anxiety, show us ever more increasingly horrible implications of our inability to succeed. This, of course, creates more anxiety. We are swept by our own efforts into a whirlwind cycle of doubt, visualization of our doubts played out, conception of failure, our conceptions visualized, intensified anxiety, re-visualization, and so on. We are Dorothy from Kansas, swept up in a cyclone of our own imaginings while the visions become progressively more and more frightening.

Concentrate on the Methods of Action Toward Success
Most of us are accustomed to considering and reacting to our feelings as they occur. Usually our feelings are appropriate, constructive, important, and human responses to life. If they are powerful enough, they inspire us to some form of action, and most of the time this action is for the good. The common expression “my feelings got me into trouble” is not particularly accurate, nor particularly true. In and of themselves, our feelings rarely get us into trouble. What does get us into trouble are the actions we choose in response to those feelings. True feelings are little more than spontaneous reports about the world around us and how we fit in that world.

So if it is true that feelings generally help us determine our place in the world, why is it that anxiety is so destructive? It is, after all, little more than a feeling. The answer can be uncovered by considering that anxiety, not having a direct object, tends to be an inert emotion; that is, the feeling of anxiety tends to lead us to destructive inaction rather than constructive action. Dwell long enough on the vision of failure in your attempt to pass the CBE and you will no doubt contrive a plan to avoid taking the test in the first place. Anxiety could be nothing more than a defensive mechanism against the possibility of confronting a major failure in our career. It is for this reason that the logical response to feelings of anxiety associated with the CBE is to concentrate all your thoughts on methods of action toward success. Consequently, this book is designed to provide a specific strategy toward success, and by concentrating on the details of this strategy and visualizing over and over again the steps toward success in specific, you will supplant those destructive visions that fuel anxiety. The result will be success.

Create a Habit
In this instance, what you are choosing consciously to do is to create a habit of responding to anxiety, not with visions of horror, but with visions of action – positive, directed action. You will so bombard your imagination with the details of success that these details will take on the character of an automatic response, and just like the soldier in the field in the face of combat, you will respond automatically with what you have been repeatedly trained to do. It is very difficult and usually unsuccessful to attempt to quell feelings of anxiety by conscious, generalized arguments about the invalid nature of the emotion, or the silliness or immature nature of it. Anxiety is best conquered by specifics.

How many of us have clicked off the lamp by our beds and found ourselves hurled into a world of anxious torture. “This is silly,” we say to ourselves, “I’ve got to get to sleep and stop this nonsense.” We slam the door on these nasty visions and squeeze our eyes shut in stout determination to stop this nonsense. After all, we are doing all we can to try and pass the CBE, and if we fail, we just fail, that’s all, it’s not the end of the world. There’s always another chance to take the test, it’s not the end of the world – but then . . . maybe it is the end of the world. It is the end of the world! Whereupon a new anxious vision enters by a side door.

The best way to combat these feelings is simple. When you feel the beginnings of anxiety – and this assumes that you have reached the point where you can recognize the early warning signs of anxiety – begin visualizing some solid method, perhaps a method you have learned in this book, that will further your chances of success. For example, there is a section in this book that discusses what you should bring with you to the examination room. Try for a moment to imagine what the room will look like. Imagine yourself poised outside of it, ready to go in. What are you wearing? What are you carrying? Imagine your copy of the CBP Regulations (19 CFR), the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), imagine your calculator. Zoom in on one of the keys, say, the “memory save” key, if it has one, even the number “two” key. You may actually have to struggle a bit here. The tugging of the anxiety habit is strong. You may have to force yourself to continue to imagine positive methods toward success. Imagine yourself entering the room. Imagine that it is very cold in the room. Imagine yourself, before finding a chair, pointing this out to the CBP official supervising the examination. And so on.

If you have properly prepared your fact sheets and chapter part headings with summaries, you can take them out and review them at the onset of an anxiety attack. You can imagine yourself in the act of determining a test strategy after seeing the test for the first time. The point is that you must envision the specifics of your successful method in the same fashion that your anxiety inspires you to envision the specifics of the consequences of failure.

Great golfers know the secret of visualizing their shots before they take them. If they need a long drive with a little fading slice at the end, they actually see the ball doing just that. See yourself in complete command in the examination room. See yourself executing some of the advice in this book. See your broker’s license as it will look when you first open the mail. Make the examination appear to you in the way your desire to pass would have it appear. This kind of mental preparation must be part of your foundation for success.

Schedule
It is important to note the role a pre-planned schedule has in combating anxiety. If you schedule your time carefully – planning when you will have group sessions, when you will have a session with your tutor, when you will review, etc. – and become committed to that plan, you break time down to manageable sections. You introduce duty to your method of handling anxiety. There are things you must do. You must meet your tutor at 7:00, you must study at 9:00, and so on.

Take an aggressive approach to anxiety. Plan your study time and stick to it. You may even want to consider rewarding yourself when you do. If you become anxious and cannot sleep, get up and take one of the sample examinations or review 20 fact cards. Once again, you are replacing feelings with action. In short: act, don’t feel.

Summary
1. Accept the possibility of anxiety and begin managing it now.
2. Concentrate on the specific steps available to achieve your goal. Avoid dwelling on how you feel.
3. Replace visions of failure with visions of specific actions.
4. Review texts or fact sheets to help avoid feeling anxious, and to help build positive habits.
5. Design a schedule for all your preparation efforts. Write the schedule down and stick to it.

This concludes today's excerpt from The Customs Broker Examination.

Customs Broker Exam Study Tip 4: Organization

Now that you have made the decision to take the April 2009 Customs Broker Exam, it’s important to develop a study plan that guarantees your chances of success.

Some people are naturally good at organization; everything has a neat orderly place. Have you ever noticed your colleague’s desks or your neighbor’s garage? All of the books are stacked on bookshelves, all of the papers are filed away or neatly stacked, the tools are hung on a pegboard and two cars actually fit into the garage. On the other hand, you wonder how another colleague can find anything since his or her desk is covered with so many papers, books and other junk that you can’t even see a desk.

What is organization, why is it important and what can you do to become organized for the exam?


What is organization?
Organization is the systematic arrangement or assembly of objects in an orderly manner.


Why is organization important?
For the purposes of the studying for the exam, organizing your materials helps improve time management and increases your comprehension and memory. If your materials are organized, you will not waste time looking for a book or document that you need later on. Obtaining and organizing all of your materials will allow you easily access information as you need it. This organization will save time on the day of the test.


What can you do to become organized for the exam?

1. Organize Required Materials - Once you have obtained the required materials, you should organize them. You will want to be able to access each one quickly during the exam. Organizing the CBP Regulations and the HTSUS is easy, because they can be placed in binders so that you have two rather large books instead of a huge pile of loose paper. What remains are the stack of directives and the other supplementary documents required for the exam. If you haven’t purchased these materials already bound, then you may consider placing them together in a separate binder. You can include additional materials to that third binder later. It will be much easier to find information relating to the supplemental materials if they are placed together in one binder instead of having to shuffle through all of those documents stacked in a pile. In addition, placing those documents in a binder reduces the risk of one of them getting lost.

2. Label Required Materials – Consider using tabs to identify the chapters of the HTSUS. If you are looking for Chapter 61 and know that it's in the middle of the book, having a tab with the chapter number listed may help you to locate the exact chapter faster. Time is very important on the exam. We also suggest that you use tabs to mark each part of the regulations. Colored tabs can be used to indicate more important or frequently tested parts. Tabbing also makes certain parts easier to find and will save you time. Finally, you should consider using tabs on the supplemental materials you placed in the binder. As you add notes and other materials to the third binder, you will want to organize your notes so that you can easily locate them. Organizing our materials not only saves time, but it can also increase your comprehension and memory of large amounts of information.

Note: Even though you may use electronic versions of the HTSUS and CFR in your business, you must use the paper versions for the exam. It is a good idea to study using the paper versions to get used to looking up the information the same way you will on exam day.

3. Arrange Your Study Area – Remember the example of the colleague with the desk that looked like a disaster area? If that example sounds like your desk or study area, now is the time to clean it up. Don’t waste valuable study time digging through piles of paper. Get rid of the clutter in your study area and your office. If you have a desk or designated study area at home, create a special place for your study materials. If you study at the office, create a special place for your materials there too. If possible, create a study area that is comfortable and attractive. A bright cheery comfortable atmosphere will be more inviting for study than the dreaded cold gray metal desk with the uncomfortable wooden chair. Don’t get too comfortable; studying in the bed may result in sleep instead of productive study time.

4. Create a Study Schedule - Your schedule will depend on your experience and learning style. Someone who is new to importing may need to devote more time than someone who has more experience. Some students may need study that is more individual while others may prefer some group or interactive activities. Regardless of your preferences, you will be required to do a great deal of reading. Some people require more structure so that reading, tests and other assignments are provided on a regular basis. Others may prefer to create schedules that suit their schedules. Just remember that it is important to allow plenty of time for reading and taking practice tests. If you work full time and wait until two weeks before the exam to start reading the regulations, you may find yourself burned out and struggling on exam day. We’ve provided a few examples that may help you when creating your schedule:

• Consider how many weeks you plan to devote to study. If you have 16 weeks to study, then you will not need to read as much each week; however, if you only have eight weeks to study, you will need to read a little more each week.

• Divide the reading into manageable sections. You may consider reading similar sections together. For example, you might want to read and study the requirements for brokers and entry in one week. This would include Parts 111, 141 and 142. You may want to devote another week to the various types of entries and alternatives to entries.

• Determine how many practice tests you want to take and designate dates and times to take them. Students should take at least one complete 4-hour test and are encouraged to take more than one.

Now that you have placed the required exam materials in binders with tabs, arranged your study space and created a schedule, you are ready to begin your studies.

We welcome your comments on each of these articles. Share what has worked for you or what hasn’t worked so that others will benefit from your experiences.

Check the Boskage Trade News regularly for more helpful hints on studying for the Customs Broker Exam and other useful news for international trade professionals! We will explore “Time Management” in the next study tip.

The Customs Broker Examination, CH 2, Part 1: Mastering Apprehension & Anxiety

The following is an excerpt of The Customs Broker Examination, by Scott Warren Taylor and Andrew Moxon. This book is a part of the Customs Broker Exam Preparation Course from Boskage Commerce Publications. We'll be posting a large excerpt here, with new posts every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Click here if you want to read the whole book right away.

Chapter 2: MENTAL PREPARATION


Part 1: Mastering Apprehension and Anxiety

Many students could take a lesson from those who have attempted the CBE and failed. With each succeeding attempt, the hidden problem of anxiety diminishes and the real work of study, memorization, and strategy formulation begins. Talk to someone who is about to take the test for the first time and the comments are most often sprinkled with apprehension, but those who have tried and failed make specific commitments: “The next time, I’m going to start studying earlier,” or, “The next time, I’m going to take more practice tests.”

If you probe deeply enough, there is little doubt that anxiety – and its detrimental effects on study habits and performance – is the single most common reason for failure to pass the CBE. No one goes into the CBE without some level of apprehension, no matter how experienced they are. A manageable level of apprehension can actually heighten mental prowess and result in improved test scores. Low-level apprehension can be beneficial as it can keep a student from becoming complacent.

For many, apprehension remains slight, sometimes virtually undetectable. For unfortunate others, however, apprehension evolves into anxiety. Anxiety is destructive; before it runs its course, anxiety can become completely debilitating. Therefore, its presence invites failure. In the clutches of anxiety, we tend to invent excuses for why we cannot succeed. We become ill. Sometimes we back out of the exam only days before we are due to take it, simply because of anxiety. By itself, it can destroy all other preparations, all methods of study, all abilities to use our carefully collected, hard-won knowledge.

The Results of Anxiety

• Anxiety causes us to invent sudden, additional responsibilities to avoid making a strong
• commitment to success. We leave ourselves an “out.”
• Anxiety causes us to procrastinate, avoiding the kind of intense study sessions necessary to pass the examination.
• Anxiety can make study time less effective.
• Anxiety can cause sleeplessness.
• Anxiety can cause us to back out at the last minute.
• Anxiety causes confusion and frustration in the examination room.
• Anxiety can cause us to avoid reaching out to knowledgeable people for help.

As you can see, anxiety can manifest itself in a myriad of subtle, unproductive ways. Once anxiety sinks in its claws, it is difficult to get rid of it – in many ways more difficult than fear. The reason is that fear in general is directed toward an object, like dogs, tall buildings, or airplanes. Confront or remove the object, and the fear generally disappears. This is not the case with anxiety. One must not conclude that by simply removing the object of anxiety, one will eventually destroy the negative emotion, because the “object” of anxiety is probably comprised of dozens of bits of information gathered in the course of our lives and (perhaps) bits of information given to us as a genetic “gift.”

Anxiety is not focused, as is fear, but is diffuse and therefore difficult to combat. Difficult, but not impossible, because like all emotions, anxiety is an emotion selected by us. We choose to be anxious as a response to feelings and thoughts. We cannot say that the object of anxiety is simply our fear of failure.

Failure in itself is not a direct object, but a collection of possible objects. Fear of failing the CBE carries with it dozens of implications of what our boss, friends, spouse might say or think of us, of our own self-doubts about our ability to succeed, of our personal esteem, and so on. We must learn to leave all of this out of the process of examination preparation.


This concludes today's excerpt from The Customs Broker Examination.

Customs & Border Protection is Hiring!

Unemployed? Need a job? Customs & Border Protection is hiring!

To prepare for vacancies that will be created as the baby-boomer generation starts to retire in the next few years, Customs and Border Protection intends to hire approximately 11,000 people to fill positions in the variety of agencies that operate under its umbrella.


What kinds of jobs are available? CBP and the agencies reporting under their umbrella have a wide variety of careers available including student employment. Some of the job titles include:

· Border Patrol Officer
· CBP Officer
· CBP Agriculture Specialist
· Import Specialist
· Contract Specialist
· Intelligence Research Specialist
· Attorney

These jobs include the standard benefits such as health, dental and vision insurance, vacation days, holidays, paid training and more. Depending on the job, location and experience, pay rates for full time positions range from $30,000 to over $100,000 a year. Click HERE to learn more about the various positions. Additionally, you can learn more about the jobs, salary and requirements by checking the current job listings at USAJOBS, the official job site of the U.S. Federal Government.

The Customs Broker Examination, CH 1, Part 5: Physical Techniques to Reduce Anxiety

The following is an excerpt of The Customs Broker Examination, by Scott Warren Taylor and Andrew Moxon. This book is a part of the Customs Broker Exam Preparation Course from Boskage Commerce Publications. We'll be posting a large excerpt here, with new posts every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Click here if you want to read the whole book right away.

Chapter 1: PHYSICAL PREPARATION

Part 5 : Physical Techniques to Reduce Anxiety - Diet


Notes on Diet

In addition to physical activity, one school of thought believes that diet is particularly important, and would have you blasting your system with vitamin supplements while preparing for the test. It is true that a vitamin deficiency can affect you in a variety of negative ways, both physical and mental. However, in America we live in a boundless ocean of diverse foods, and hopefully we have been taught by our mothers to adhere to a balanced diet. If you really want to add something to your diet, you might try vitamins B6, B12, niacin, and/or magnesium supplements if you are habitually nervous; B1 might help your memory; calcium is suppose to relax you, as is pantothenic acid found in rice, beans, etc. Of course you can be analyzed by a reputable nutritionist capable of diagnosing vitamin deficiencies and who can recommend a good diet and vitamin supplement program. Some find that eating too much makes them drowsy and they perform under stress slightly better if they are somewhat, though not excessively, hungry.

Summary

To summarize what you can do physically:

1. Find out how much rest you need naturally.
2. Routinize your sleeping patterns.
3. Be wary of outside demands – real or imaginary – that seem to be suddenly infringing on your sleep time.
4. Consider sleeping aids if nothing else works.
5. Begin immediately to establish a routine of physical exertion.
6. Make certain your diet is balanced.


This concludes today's excerpt from The Customs Broker Examination.

Customs Broker Exam Study Tip 3: Using Looseleaf and Bound HTSUS and Regulations

Let’s face it; the materials necessary to study for the Customs Broker Exam are burdensome. Who wants to carry around a bunch of big heavy books? While it’s possible to use online versions while studying, we don’t recommend that you make a habit of this practice. Why? Because you cannot use the online version of the Regulations or HTSUS on the day of the exam. You will also want to make notes in your materials and highlight key words, phrases and sections. Use the online versions after you’ve passed the exam or when you need a quick answer to a client question and you have the online version readily available.

Now that we’ve determined that printed versions are best, what are the options? There are three primary options, looseleaf, paperback (perfect binding) and coil bound.

Looseleaf
The looseleaf version is bulky; however, it can be easily updated when supplements are issued quarterly for the Regulations and in summer for the HTSUS. The print is larger than other versions, making it easier to read. There is also more room for making legible notes in the margin. If you use the looseleaf version, make sure you purchase a good quality binder so the pages turn easily and do not fall out of the binder.

Looseleaf editions can also be used in a publication rack, which allows them to sit open on a desk. The pages tend to turn more easily with a publication rack, and the disadvantage of bulkiness is essentially negated. This makes publication racks a popular choice for exam day.


Paperback/Perfect Binding
The Regulations produced using perfect binding resemble smaller paperback versions of the loose-leaf version (The paperback HTSUS is the same size as the looseleaf). The cover is made from heavier paper and is glued together at the spine with strong flexible glue. These books are lighter and slightly less expensive than the loose-leaf versions; however, they cannot be updated. If you are going to use the book regularly and make notes in the book, these might not be the best options. However, if you are looking for a book that is easy to carry for quick reference, then the paperback edition would be an excellent choice.

Coil-Bound
Coil binding is commonly used for publications that are frequently opened so that the pages lie flat or back-to-back. Generally, binding is accomplished by punching holes along the entire length of the spine of the page and winding a wire through the holes to provide a fully flexible hinge at the spine. Coil bound versions are smaller and more lightweight than their looseleaf counterparts are (they are the same size as the perfect-bound). Coil binding is similar to looseleaf; however, the pages cannot be removed and they cannot be updated.

For persons taking the exam, we suggest that you consider the looseleaf book or a coil bound version. Both books are sturdy and the primary differences relate to the ability to update the looseleaf version versus the ease of carrying the coil bound version.

Click HERE to view the various binding options for the CBP Regulations.

The Customs Broker Examination, CH 1, Part 4 : Physical Techniques to Reduce Anxiety

The following is an excerpt of The Customs Broker Examination, by Scott Warren Taylor and Andrew Moxon. This book is a part of the Customs Broker Exam Preparation Course from Boskage Commerce Publications. We'll be posting a large excerpt here, with new posts every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Click here if you want to read the whole book right away.


Chapter 1: PHYSICAL PREPARATION

Part 4: Physical Techniques to Reduce Anxiety - Exercise

The Role of Exercise in Combating Anxiety

Still, there remain the waking hours. We have examined what happens physically when the body begins the anxiety cycle; when the body, by way of a generous imagination, prepares for important action by rehearsing failure. Your mind cries “wolf!” and your body prepares physically for the wolf. When the wolf cannot be found, your imagination invents it. Extra energy is summoned forth, and what happens to this energy? It seems that there is nothing to do, but we are consumed with the notion to do something.

Humans move energy from place to place, trying different circuits for action. We tend to believe that if energy is present in this form, there is a need for it, and the consequent energy generated from the onset of anxiety is no exception. We look fervently for the wolf. Not finding it, we plumb our energy to our imagination, which creates a kind of “wolf” for us. This increases our anxiety, of course, so we create more protective energy, which we dutifully plumb back to our imagination. The dreadful cycle has begun. Our imagination systematically becomes a cruel conjurer, whipping up tales of failure and woe for this excess energy to feed on. But what we must realize is that the greater the wolf, the greater the biological, energetic reaction to it.

One preventive measure for avoiding this cycle is physical exertion, which will employ the excess energy in less destructive ways. If you are typical of ninety-nine percent of the people who take the CBE, you probably spend the majority of your days in a sedentary manner. After all, the Customs brokerage business is not a particularly athletic one.

Your choice of physical activity and the degree of it are yours and will reflect your personal habits and character. Don’t overdo, but you might try pulling a few of the less important muscles.

I can promise that a routine session of physical activity, no matter how slight, will reduce the likelihood of more destructive uses of anxious energy. Additionally, a routine schedule of physical activity has the accompanying benefit of bolstering your confidence through improved self-image and greater discipline of your being.

And finally, while exercising, we become mentally preoccupied by the physical activity. I have been impressed by the mind’s ability to be enormously distracted by such things as breathing, perspiration, leg pain, muscle fatigue, and certain injustices to the feet, and to therefore forget such things as imagining yourself telling your boss that you failed the CBE. But again, the choice of physical activity is an individual one. If you have never exerted yourself physically, don’t try to repent suddenly now - you really could injure yourself. Talk to a doctor first and start slow. Even the simplest form of routine physical action is helpful.

This concludes today's excerpt from The Customs Broker Examination.

Are American Flags Made in America?

What is red, white and blue and made in China? Take a look at your American flag for the answer.

Although U.S. companies still dominate the flag market, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that $5.3 million worth of U.S. flags were imported from other countries in 2006, mostly from China. On February 13, 2009, Rep. Dan Boren [D-OK] introduced the “Genuine American Flag Act”, H.R. 1082 which proposes a prohibition on the importation of American flags manufactured by foreign countries.

Several states already have laws containing various provisions from requiring American-made flags for use in schools and public offices to banning the sale of foreign-made flags in the state. While the proposed law may not meet with much opposition, it may violate international trade agreements with other countries. Current World Trade Organization policy states that products made in foreign countries cannot be treated "less favorably" than those made in the home market.

We want to hear from you. Do you think this bill violates the WTO policy? Do you think this bill pass even though it may violate an international trade agreement?

The Customs Broker Examination, CH 1, Part 3: Physical Techniques to Reduce Anxiety

The following is an excerpt of The Customs Broker Examination, by Scott Warren Taylor and Andrew Moxon. This book is a part of the Customs Broker Exam Preparation Course from Boskage Commerce Publications. We'll be posting a large excerpt here, with new posts every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Click here if you want to read the whole book right away.


Chapter 1: PHYSICAL PREPARATION

Part 3: Physical Techniques to Reduce Anxiety – Sleep Patterns

Having pointed out the importance of the CBE and subsequent license, it is relevant to discuss what can be done, from a physical standpoint, to reduce harmful anxiety. Anxiety is principally a mental phenomenon and functions as a mental detriment to performance, but it has physical qualities as well, and there are steps you can take to combat anxiety on a physical level. In this chapter, we will be discussing some common-sense actions one can take to physically fend off unproductive anxiety and physically prepare for the CBE.

Sleep Patterns
If I were helping my over-imaginative friend to pass the CBE today, I could offer ideas for avoiding a repeat performance. One of the first things I would suggest is that he routinize his sleeping patterns. He complained that certain demands kept him from sleeping regularly, but the fact is that one greatly reduces one’s chances of overcoming anxiety in a state of physical stress caused by lack of sleep or irregular sleeping patterns. Criteria for a routine sleep pattern are largely individual. All of us, for whatever biological or psychological reasons, need different amounts of sleep, but we should additionally admit that we need different amounts of sleep at different points in our lives. To determine how much sleep is sufficient for top mental performance at this particular point in your life, try this exercise: simply choose a regular time to retire each night, say 10:00, and then allow yourself to sleep undisturbed until you awaken naturally, without an alarm clock. Repeat this method for five days, and by the fifth day you should be able to average the number of hours spent in slumber each night, and arrive at a fairly realistic indication of your personal sleeping habits. Violate your sleeping requirements and you increase your chance of failure accordingly.

You may imagine, as my friend did, that demands from outside sources are suddenly infringing upon your sleep time. Carefully examine the circumstances that interfere with achieving routine sleep. It is highly probable that what appear to you to be legitimate reasons for not sleeping regularly are, in fact, inventions you yourself are creating as obstacles to success. If this seems to be happening, ask yourself: Am I really suddenly required to spend 12 hours a day at the office? Or am I preparing a case of justification for my predicted failure? Is there a correlation between the number of days left before the CBE and the increased demands on my time by outside sources?

If you seem to have an unresolvable conflict between the demands of preparing for the CBE and demands from outside sources, test the conflict by asking yourself if there is a course of action that you can take, no matter how difficult the action may seem, that will satisfy both demands.

It is true that certain personalities seem to have a compulsion for justifying failure in ways that are perceived to be acceptable to their peers, long before the failure occurs. One of their favorite tricks is to push themselves to the point of exhaustion due to seemingly unavoidable demands placed upon them by outside sources. They do not sleep. They drag themselves, hollow-eyed and stoop-shouldered, into the examination room on the verge of collapse. These people do sometimes succeed, but if they fail it is with the reassurance that their peers will see how unfairly they were beset by destructive and time-consuming demands.

All of this is calculated to avoid humiliation and to preserve the notion that they could have passed, had those outside demands not occurred.

One further note: be wary of too much sleep. It can be as detrimental as not having enough. Too much sleep may be symptomatic of depression or regression from the perceived demands of the upcoming test. Sleep too much and you’ll find your mind feeling fat, groggy, generally sluggish and unresponsive. The key is to “routinize” your sleep to the correct amount you require.

Most of all, pay special attention to the night before the CBE. If you are prone to sleepless nervous nights, you may want to consult your physician for a mild, sleep-inducing drug, or a natural supplement such as melatonin. If you do take this alternative, try the substance out a few weeks before the examination to check your mental preparedness the next day.

This concludes today's excerpt from The Customs Broker Examination.

Customs Broker Exam Study Tip 2: Exam Study Aids

In our first study tip, we discussed the importance of obtaining all of the required resources that are necessary to take the exam. This study tip will focus on the various study aids and materials that will help you prepare for the exam.

The percentage of people who pass the Customs Broker Exam the first time is low, ranging from 3% to 25%. While it is possible to pass the Customs Broker Exam using only the required exam materials, most people find using a variety a supplemental materials and exam study courses significantly increases their potential of passing the exam. The use of additional study materials also improves comprehension and makes better use of limited study time.

Some people learn better by actually doing a task, while others need to read the instructions or hear the instructions. Determining your style of learning and how you learn the best is the key to studying for the exam. If you do not have time to go to lectures, you may prefer correspondence or online courses. If you comprehend better by hearing the information, you may prefer audio lectures or classroom instruction. You should seriously consider the time you have to commit to studying and your learning style when selecting study courses and training materials. We have listed just a few options for using supplemental study aids and courses here.

1. Past Exams
Taking the past exams is a good way to become familiar with the format and types of questions that appear on the test. Using past exams as a study aid also helps you learn the materials, boosts confidence, shows your progress, as well as areas that need improvement.

2. DVD's and CD's
If you want the convenience of learning at your own pace CD's and DVD's allow you to study from the comfort of your home or office and may be reviewed as often as you like. CD's provide audio which is great for listening to on your daily commute. The DVD's usually simulate a classroom environment but the advantage is that you can view the lectures at your convenience rather than commute to a class.

3. Online Study Courses
For students who want the convenience of studying at their own pace, online courses provide instruction, examples, quizzes and other tools that are usually available 24/7 and anywhere you have an Internet connection.

Boskage Commerce Publications offers a variety of courses, study plans and other materials designed to fit different learning styles, experience levels and needs of students. Click HERE to view a variety of materials and courses. Consider your learning style as you review each of these options. We sincerely believe you will find that one or a combination of several that fits your needs perfectly; however, we may be able to customize plans to fit your needs. Be sure to check out the Customs Broker Exam Room Guide, a perfect resource for regular study and use on test day. This coil bound book contains all CATAIR sections, Directives and miscellaneous resources that will be tested on the upcoming exam. The Guide also contains includes quick-reference fact sheets such as Incoterms, trade program indicators, types of appraisement, acronyms, CBP fees and more.

Stay tuned to the Boskage Trade News for more helpful hints on studying for the Customs Broker Exam! The next article will provide the pros and cons of using the loose-leaf version of the CBP Regulations. We also welcome any suggestions on topics you would like to see discussed.

The Customs Broker Examination, CH 1, Part 2: Hidden Cause of Failure

The following is an excerpt of The Customs Broker Examination, by Scott Warren Taylor and Andrew Moxon. This book is a part of the Customs Broker Exam Preparation Course from Boskage Commerce Publications. We'll be posting a large excerpt here, with new posts every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Click here if you want to read the whole book right away.

Chapter 1: PHYSICAL PREPARATION

Part 2: The Hidden Cause of Failure

Behind each of the five main reasons given for failure to pass the CBE lies an evasive culprit: the problem of anxiety. When students are asked why they failed, their answers fall into one or more of the five categories of causes. Discuss the problem further, and the problem of anxiety will nearly always surface.

Students enter the examination room on test day and find that the test is more difficult than they thought. They are surprised at the questions asked the level of knowledge required. “How could this be?” the student may wonder. In fact, tests change very little from year to year. The wording and format of questions may change, new questions are added to accommodate new Regulations, but the areas of law that are tested remain fairly consistent.

The reason students are surprised at the difficulty of the test often has to do with anxiety. When taking practice examinations, they simply were not honest with themselves when evaluating their study progress. To do so is to confront the fear of failure. To avoid accurately and honestly simulating the test in order to evaluate progress is to suppress the fear of failure or the anxiety over the possibility of failure.

Other reasons – that there was not sufficient time, that work or personal demands interfered – have a similar root in anxiety, or fear of failure.

The truth is that behind the justifications, the prevalent cause of failure is test anxiety that is present (in greater or lesser degrees) in all broker aspirants prior to and during the taking of the CBE. Such fear prevents a student from preparing properly prior to the examination, and can greatly impede the student’s test-taking ability during the actual time in the examination room.

Solve the problem of anxiety and you will greatly increase your chance of success, but the secret is to first recognize its presence. Simple anxiety, as opposed to acute or clinical anxiety, is a debilitating emotion, rather than a crippling one. In most cases, the presence of simple anxiety merely makes the effort at hand more difficult without actually bringing progress to a halt. It is for this reason that the first two chapters of this book are devoted to understanding the effects of anxiety and understanding ways to work toward overcoming those effects. Time spent with these two chapters will influence the degree of success you will have in learning from the other chapters.

This concludes today's excerpt from The Customs Broker Examination.

The Customs Broker Examination, Ch. 01, Pt. 01: Causes of Failure

The following is an excerpt of The Customs Broker Examination, by Scott Warren Taylor and Andrew Moxon. This book is a part of the Customs Broker Exam Preparation Course from Boskage Commerce Publications. We'll be posting a large excerpt here, with new posts every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Click here if you want to read the whole book right away.


Chapter 1: PHYSICAL PREPARATION



Part 1: Why Most People Fail the Customs Broker Examination

The Customs Broker Examination (CBE) can be a long and arduous exam, generally 80 questions and four hours long. The test is given in a quiet examination room. Test takers are usually allowed a desk, a pencil, a calculator and printed material, including notes and reference materials.

Few people pass the CBE – a pass rate below 10 percent is not uncommon, and one higher than 20 percent is rare. That means that, on any given examination day, it is likely that out of ten students seeking a license, nine will leave the examination room without a passing score. But what is perhaps even more phenomenal is that of the 1 in 10 that are likely to pass, most have failed the test before. They pass on the second, third, or fourth attempts.

Causes of Failure, as Stated by the Student

There are perhaps as many reasons for failing the CBE as there are students attempting to pass. However, as you can see by looking at the most common reasons given for failure, there are some predictable problems:

1. THE TEST WAS HARDER THAN I THOUGHT.

Quite common for first time test takers who may, nearly on a whim, use one or two prior tests and a few hours of study as preparation for the CBE. Their first encounter is shocking and sobering at the same time. Typically, this student will decide that the test is either not passable or not worth the effort. For this student, the first attempt is often the last attempt. For a smaller percentage of those who fail the first time, the failure serves as motivation to take more time preparing: study harder, seek help, and take a lot more practice examinations without sneaking a peek at the answers (which gives a false sense of knowledge).

The best way for the student to gauge readiness for the CBE is to take several previous CBE's under controlled conditions. This means carefully timing the test-taking period and using only the resource materials allowed in the examination room when taking the practice test. If none of the practice scores are below 75 percent and the average score is in the 80-percent range, the student can walk confidently into the examination room on test day. Anything less is questionable preparation. If you have purchased this book as part of our Study Plan, the last six exams are available as part of our software.

2. I DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO STUDY.

This catchall excuse is really a variation of the above justification. “I didn’t have enough time to study” often means, “I didn’t realize how much study was involved.” Confront the difficulty of the CBE and you will either find the time for adequate preparation, or will simply retract the license application in anticipation of a time when more preparation time will be available. The test is so demanding that unless a student is prepared and able to allocate 100 or more hours of preparation toward study, drill, and memorization, the chances of success are very small.

3. THE DEMANDS OF WORK WERE TOO GREAT.

When a student sits for the CBE, it is often at the request of an employer. Employer decisions often can lag behind need and are made as a result of an existing problem instead of being made in anticipation of a problem. Hence, at a time when the company is increasing business or broadening its services, the employed student must allocate additional time to prepare for the CBE. This two-hammered demand is a common element in failure.

4. PERSONAL DEMANDS INTERFERED.

Because a number of months must be dedicated to preparing for the CBE, and because few students can exclusively devote their time to preparation, personal demands frequently interfere. True failure of this kind is rare, however, and this justification for failure serves most often as a comforting excuse.

5. THE MATERIAL IS TOO DIFFICULT.

The final cause of failure is the least-often admitted: that the materials themselves – the U.S. Customs Regulations, related trade and tariff acts, and the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) – were simply too difficult for the student to comprehend. Soon after reviewing the material, most students conclude that it is the volume of material, not the level of difficulty, that impedes comprehension. Most students believe that if they can find the time and materials to help them prepare, they can pass the test. The few students who cite reason number five as the cause of failure are often students for whom English is a second language or those who are far removed from school and therefore are not accustomed to study and testing.

But there is another cause of failure, one that is rarely stated, and one that, once comprehended, can be avoided.

This concludes today's excerpt from The Customs Broker Examination.

Customs Broker Exam Study Tip 1: Required Resources

Now that you have made the decision to take the October Customs Broker Exam, it is important develop a study plan that guarantees your chances of success. Boskage wants to help you achieve your goal of passing the exam; therefore, we are starting a series of articles to support you on your journey to success! Our first topic in this series focuses on exam resources.

The first step in your plan should be acquiring the required texts and study materials. These materials come in two categories, “required” and “study aids”. Required materials are those that students must have because questions on the exam have been selected from these sources. CBP lists the required materials in the Notice of Examination. The required materials are listed below and you should obtain them now if do not already have them. All of the required materials can be purchased from Boskage Commerce Publications.

Required Exam Resources
1. Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (2008 version - Supplement 1)

2. Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations (revised as of April 1, 2008 Parts 0 to140, 141 to 199 and 200 to End) (no supplements)

3. 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

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

5. C-TPAT - Minimum Security Criteria for Customs Brokers (3-20-2007)

6. Submission Changes for Supplemental Information Letters and Post Entry Amendments

7. CBP 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
• 3550-067, Entry Summary Acceptance and Rejection
• 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

Note: The use of any versions of the listed references other than those recommended is at the applicant's own risk.

Seeing this list of resources on paper and as a stack of documents on your desk can seem quite overwhelming. We’ll discuss organization of your materials in an upcoming article. Stay tuned to the Boskage Trade News for more helpful hints on studying for the Customs Broker Exam! The next article will cover the second category of exam resources, the “Exam Study Aids”. We also welcome any suggestions on topics you would like to see discussed.

Coming Soon: Boskage Book Club

Boskage Trade News is excited to announce a groundbreaking new blog series, which will feature excerpts of popular international trade publications from Boskage Commerce Publications. The book we choose will be serialized, and when we're done, a very large portion of the selected book will be available for you on the blog for free!

Since we are approaching the time of year when trade professionals begin their study for the Customs Broker Exam, the first book we discuss will be The Customs Broker Examination by Scott Warren Taylor and Andrew Moxon. Each Tuesday and Thursday starting on February 10, we will post short sections from our selected book for our readers to enjoy. We encourage you to provide feedback and discuss this with other readers. Of course, our very own Wizard will be on hand to answer questions related to the posted materials.

Join us on Tuesday for our first “meeting” of the Boskage Book Club!