Guide

Exam day

The CBLE is open-book and computer-based. The designated references are available electronically in the exam software — but the search is deliberately limited, so most candidates bring their own paper copies as a faster backup.

The electronic viewer

You get the HTSUS and 19 CFR on screen, but the search behaves like a bare Ctrl+F — no jump-to-next-match, no copy-paste. If you can't navigate your paper references fast, the clock beats you. That's the exact skill our mock simulator trains.

Bring your own paper references

CBP recommends bringing printed copies of the designated references as a backup. Candidates typically wheel them in on a small rolling crate (commonly cited around 16 × 18.5 × 15 inches — confirm the current dimensions on the CBP exam-day notice before you go).

Print checklist

• HTSUS 2026 Basic Edition — tabbed by section and the GRIs
• Title 19 CFR 2025 Annual — tab Parts 111, 141, 142, 152, 159, 163, 171, 181
• ACE Entry Summary Instructions v2.4a
• RTME Directive 3530-002A
• ACE Entry Summary Business Process Document v12 (Ch. 1–24)
• A one-page “where things live” map of 19 CFR + a GRI flowchart