PRACTICE TESTGovernment and public service

Border Patrol entrance exam practice test

A free Border Patrol practice test: 10 original logical reasoning questions in the style of the Border Patrol agent entrance exam, each a short paragraph with five answer choices, every answer explained step by step.

Start the free test Get full access

10 free questions, no account
Timed like the real test
Cancel any time

Free sample: 10 questions · 30 min
Sections: Logical reasoning
Full-length mocks: The real number of questions and time limit

The short answer

The Border Patrol entrance exam is the computer-based test U.S. Customs and Border Protection gives applicants for Border Patrol agent jobs. It has two sections: an Experience Record about your background and a Logical Reasoning Test, where you read a short paragraph and pick the conclusion that does, or does not, follow from it. This free practice test has 10 original logical reasoning questions and takes 30 minutes.

Free sample: 10 questions in 30 minutes
Sections: Experience Record (40 minutes), Logical Reasoning Test (120 minutes)
Question format: A paragraph, then five answer choices
Going back: Not allowed; the reasoning test is computer adaptive
Pace: About three minutes a question

Try it free

10 questions in 30 minutes, at the real pace. Your score and every answer explained at the end.

Free border patrol entrance exam: 10 questions

10 questions in 30:00, at the same pace as the full test. Answers are checked at the end. Use the number keys to choose, N and P to move, F to flag a question. Your answers stay in your browser.

Read the 10 questions first

At a land port of entry, every traveler who is referred to secondary inspection is held in the secondary area until an officer completes a review. Some travelers are referred to secondary inspection because of a random selection rather than any concern about their documents or their answers. No traveler who is held in the secondary area may return to his or her vehicle without an officer's permission. Officers record the reason for each referral in an electronic log, and supervisors review the log at the end of each shift to make sure referrals follow agency policy. Travelers are told at the start of the review that being referred does not mean they have done anything wrong. Which of the following can be validly concluded from the paragraph?
- All travelers referred to secondary inspection are referred because of a concern about their documents.
- Supervisors review only the referrals that were made because of a random selection.
- Some travelers referred because of a random selection may not return to their vehicles without an officer's permission.
- No traveler who is selected at random is held in the secondary area.
- Some travelers held in the secondary area may return to their vehicles without an officer's permission.
Travelers entering the country must declare all fruits, vegetables, plants and meats they are carrying. Some of these items are allowed into the country after inspection, while others are prohibited because they can carry pests or plant and animal diseases. All items that are prohibited are seized and destroyed. No traveler who declares a prohibited item is fined for that item, although a traveler who fails to declare a prohibited item may be fined. Agriculture specialists, some of whom work with detector dogs, inspect baggage to find items that were not declared. Which of the following cannot be validly concluded from the paragraph?
- All prohibited items that a traveler declares are seized and destroyed.
- No traveler who declares a prohibited item is fined for that item.
- Some items that travelers must declare are allowed into the country after inspection.
- All travelers who fail to declare a prohibited item are fined.
- Some agriculture specialists work with detector dogs.
Under a federal export rule, certain items cannot be shipped out of the country unless the exporter holds a license for them. All night vision devices of one particular class are covered by this rule. Some exporters who ship night vision devices hold a license, but others do not, because they ship only devices of classes the rule does not cover. An exporter who ships a covered item without a license is in violation of the rule, whether or not the exporter knew the item was covered. Officers who inspect outgoing cargo check the documents for every package that is declared to contain night vision devices. Which of the following can be validly concluded from the paragraph?
- All exporters who ship night vision devices hold a license.
- Any exporter who ships a night vision device of the covered class without a license is in violation of the rule.
- An exporter who did not know an item was covered is not in violation of the rule.
- Officers check the documents only for packages that contain covered devices.
- No exporter who holds a license ships devices of classes that the rule does not cover.
Only travelers who hold a valid trusted traveler card may use the dedicated commuter lane at a certain border crossing. To receive a card, an applicant must pass a background check and complete an interview. Some applicants who pass the background check do not complete the interview within the required period, and their applications are closed. A card holder who is found carrying undeclared goods in the commuter lane may lose the card. Cards are valid for five years, and holders may apply to renew their cards before they expire. Travelers without a card use the general lanes, where waits are often longer. Which of the following can be validly concluded from the paragraph?
- All travelers who hold a valid card use the dedicated commuter lane.
- Every applicant who passes the background check receives a card.
- Card holders who are found carrying undeclared goods always lose their cards.
- Some travelers whose applications were closed use the dedicated commuter lane.
- No traveler without a valid trusted traveler card may use the dedicated commuter lane.
A shipment of commercial goods may not be released from a port unless the importer has filed an entry and paid or secured the duties owed. Some shipments are selected for examination before release. A shipment that is selected for examination is not released until the examination is complete, even if the entry has been filed and the duties have been paid. Importers may hire licensed customs brokers to file entries on their behalf, and many importers do, because the filing rules are detailed and change from time to time. Brokers are responsible for the accuracy of the entries they file. Which of the following can be validly concluded from the paragraph?
- A shipment for which no entry has been filed may not be released from the port.
- All shipments for which an entry has been filed and the duties paid are released at once.
- No shipment selected for examination has had its duties paid.
- All importers hire licensed customs brokers.
- Some shipments selected for examination are released before the examination is complete.
All agents assigned to a remote station must complete a course in emergency medical care. Some agents who complete the course also serve as instructors for new agents. No agent may serve as an instructor unless he or she has at least two years of service. Agents at the remote station often work far from the nearest hospital, which is why the course is required there. Agents at other stations may take the course if they wish, but they are not required to. The course is offered four times a year, and agents who are newly assigned to the remote station take the next available session. Which of the following cannot be validly concluded from the paragraph?
- Every agent who serves as an instructor has at least two years of service.
- All agents who have completed the course are assigned to the remote station.
- Some agents who have completed the course have at least two years of service.
- Agents at other stations are not required to complete the course.
- No agent assigned to the remote station is excused from the course requirement.
Travelers who carry currency above a set amount into or out of the country must file a report with customs. Carrying any amount of currency is legal, so the report is not a tax, and no money is taken from travelers who file it. However, currency that should have been reported but was not may be seized. Some travelers who carry large amounts divide the money among family members traveling with them, but the amounts carried by family members traveling together are counted as one total. Officers often ask travelers directly whether they are carrying currency above the set amount. Which of the following can be validly concluded from the paragraph?
- All currency carried above the set amount is seized.
- Travelers who file a report must pay a tax on the currency they carry.
- Carrying currency above the set amount is against the law.
- A family traveling together whose combined currency is above the set amount must file a report, even if no single member carries more than the set amount.
- Every traveler is asked whether he or she is carrying currency above the set amount.
Every item seized as evidence must be sealed in a bag and labeled with a case number. No officer may open a sealed evidence bag except in the evidence room and in the presence of a second officer. Some seized items are sent to a laboratory for testing; these items are logged out of the evidence room when they leave and logged back in when they return. Items that are not needed after a case ends are either destroyed or returned to their owners, depending on the type of item. The evidence room is checked against the log once a month by a supervisor who did not handle any of the items. Which of the following can be validly concluded from the paragraph?
- Every item sent to a laboratory is destroyed after the case ends.
- Some sealed evidence bags are opened by officers outside the evidence room.
- Every seized item that is sent to a laboratory has been labeled with a case number.
- An officer may open an evidence bag alone if the item is needed for testing.
- No seized item is ever returned to its owner.
All shipments of live wildlife entering the country must be declared to wildlife inspectors. Some species may be imported only with a permit issued before the shipment arrives. A shipment of a species that requires a permit is refused entry if the permit is missing. No shipment of live wildlife may be cleared at a port that is not designated for wildlife, unless the inspectors have granted a special exception in advance. Inspectors examine many, but not all, declared shipments in person, and they may hold a shipment until a specialist can identify the species. Which of the following cannot be validly concluded from the paragraph?
- A shipment of a species that requires a permit is refused entry if it arrives without the permit.
- No shipment of live wildlife is exempt from the requirement to be declared.
- Some declared shipments of live wildlife are not examined in person.
- A shipment of live wildlife cleared at a port not designated for wildlife had a special exception granted in advance.
- All species of live wildlife require a permit issued before the shipment arrives.
Only supervisors may approve the use of a tire deflation device at a highway checkpoint. All supervisors at the checkpoint have completed training on the device. Some agents who have completed the training are not supervisors. Before a device is used, the approving supervisor must confirm that no pedestrians are near the road and that other traffic has been stopped. A written report must be completed each time a device is used, and the report is reviewed by the station's training officer. The devices are inspected weekly and replaced when damaged. Which of the following can be validly concluded from the paragraph?
- Every person who may approve the use of a tire deflation device at the checkpoint has completed training on the device.
- Every agent who has completed the training may approve the use of a device.
- No agent who is not a supervisor has completed the training.
- Some uses of a device do not require a written report.
- Supervisors approve every request to use a device.

Loading practice questions

Choose your plan

Unlock the full practice

Border Patrol: full-length timed mocks, plus every other test

Monthly$15/monthCancel any time. Practice for as long as your job search takes.Most popular30-Day Pass$24one timeOne payment, 30 days of access, no renewal.

Start the monthly plan

Full-length timed mocks for this test
An explanation for every question
Your score by question type, and your history
All 93 practice tests included
Works on phone and laptop

7-day refund if you have taken no more than one full mock. Prices in USD.

What's inside the full practice

Full-length mocks in the real format and timing, each with a full review when you finish.

FreeFree sample10 questions · 30 min
Full-length mocksThe real number of questions and time limit
Logical reasoning practiceTimed, with every answer explained
A full reviewYour score by question type after every mock
Score historyYour progress across attempts
Phone or laptopPractice wherever you are

EXAMPLE RESULT72%Full mock · finished with time to spare

Logical reasoning90%

Work on next: logical reasoning.

Free sample or full practice

Feature	Free	Full
Questions in the real style
Every answer explained
Full-length timed mocks
Score by question type
Score history across mocks
All 93 practice tests

Free study guide

Everything to know about the real test, in short lessons.

Lesson 1

What the real test usually looks like

The entrance exam has two parts. CBP's August 2024 preparation guide says the exam is taken on a computer, at a test center or at home, in two sections (CBP guide):

Section 1, Experience Record: up to 40 minutes. Questions about your background and experience related to the job. The guide says you do not need to prepare for it.
Section 2, Logical Reasoning Test: up to 120 minutes. The guide says it measures reasoning, decision making, judgement and problem solving.

The times are the most you are allowed; the guide notes many people finish in less.

How the Logical Reasoning Test works. Each question is a short paragraph followed by five answer choices. A positive lead-in asks for the one conclusion that can be validly drawn, with four invalid choices beside it. A negative lead-in asks for the one conclusion that cannot be validly drawn, with four valid choices beside it (CBP guide).

The test is computer adaptive: it starts at average difficulty and chooses each next question from your earlier answers. Because of that, the guide says you cannot go back to a question after you submit it, and you cannot skip one. If you are unsure, you give your best answer and move on. It suggests spending about three minutes on a question on average. It does not publish how many questions the test has (CBP guide).

What our mocks cover. Each full mock is 40 logical reasoning questions in 120 minutes, three minutes a question, in the same paragraph and five-choice format, with both positive and negative lead-ins. Like the real test, you cannot go back to a question once you move on. Every answer is explained.

What our mocks leave out. The Experience Record, because it asks about your own background and has no right answers to practice. Our mocks are also not adaptive: every learner gets the same fixed set of questions in a mock.

Lesson 2

Question types with worked examples

The Logical Reasoning Test uses one question type, but two lead-ins, and a few kinds of statements turn up again and again. One worked example for each, with the trap most people fall into.

1. "All" statements and their reverse. Paragraph: "All agents at the station carry radios." Valid: "Some people who carry radios are agents at the station." Not valid: "All people who carry radios are agents at the station." Trap: flipping an "all" statement. "All A are B" never tells you that all B are A.

2. "Some" statements. Paragraph: "Some trucks were inspected at the bridge." Not valid: "Some trucks were not inspected at the bridge." Trap: reading "some" as "only some". In logic, "some" means at least one, and it may be all.

3. "None" statements. Paragraph: "No visitor may enter the evidence room." Valid: "No one who may enter the evidence room is a visitor." Trap: thinking a "none" statement cannot be turned around. Unlike "all", "no A are B" does mean "no B are A".

4. "Only" and "unless". Paragraph: "Only licensed brokers may file entries for clients." Valid: "No one without a broker's license may file entries for clients." Not valid: "All licensed brokers file entries for clients." "Not released unless the fee is paid" means the same as "if the fee is not paid, it is not released." Trap: treating "only" as if it were "all", which reverses it.

5. Negative lead-ins. When the question asks what cannot be validly concluded, four choices follow and one does not. Test each choice against the paragraph and pick the one that is not guaranteed. Trap: switching back to "find the true one" halfway through the choices. Before you answer, read the lead-in again.

6. Words like "may", "often" and "many". "A driver may be fined" does not mean "a driver is fined". Trap: letting a likely outcome count as a certain one. A valid conclusion has to be certain from the paragraph alone.

Lesson 3

How to prepare

Read CBP's guide. It explains each kind of statement and includes practice questions with the reasoning for each answer (CBP guide). Read the explanations even for questions you got right.
Use only the paragraph. The guide reminds you not to use outside facts to reach a conclusion. On test day, a choice that is true in real life but not stated or implied in the paragraph is wrong (CBP guide).
Mark the key words. The guide points to "all", "some", "none", "unless", "except" and "only", and to negative prefixes such as "non-". On scratch paper, write each statement in a short form such as "All A are B".
Do not avoid "all" or "none" answers. On many tests those words signal a wrong answer. The guide says that advice does not apply here: you will see them in right and wrong choices alike (CBP guide).
Check the lead-in every time. Before choosing, ask yourself whether you want the one that follows or the one that does not.
Practice without going back. Since the real test does not let you return to a question, train yourself to finish each one before you move on. Take your time to be sure, then commit.
Practice at three minutes a question. Take full timed mocks of 40 questions in 120 minutes so the pace feels normal, then review every explanation, including for the questions you got right.

Lesson 4

How scoring usually works

CBP's preparation guide does not publish how the Logical Reasoning Test is scored or what score you need to move forward in the hiring process (CBP guide). Because the test is adaptive, the questions you see depend on your earlier answers. The guide advises not trying to guess how you are doing from how hard the questions feel, and to put your attention on answering each one correctly.

The guide does say that if you do not complete the entrance exam, your current application is treated as abandoned, and you may apply again in the next open period. Your application and test instructions are the place to check for how results are shared.

Our practice score is the number of our own questions you answered correctly, out of 40 in a full mock, with every question explained so you can see which kinds of statements trip you up. It is a practice score: it is not a CBP score, and it does not predict whether you will pass.

Lesson 5

Common mistakes on logical reasoning questions

Bringing in outside knowledge. A choice can sound sensible and still not follow from the paragraph.
Reversing "all" and "only". "All agents are trained" and "only agents are trained" say different things.
Treating "may" as "will". Possibility is not certainty.
Losing track of a negative lead-in. On "cannot" questions, four of the five choices are valid.
Rushing the last sentence. Key conditions such as "unless" or "except" often sit at the end of a sentence.

Lesson 6

A one-week study plan

Day 1: Take the free sample above. Note which statement types cost you time.
Day 2: Read CBP's guide and do its practice questions. Study every explanation.
Day 3: "All", "some" and "none". Write ten short statements and their valid and invalid reversals.
Day 4: "Only", "unless" and "except". Rewrite each as an if-then sentence.
Day 5: A full timed mock, 40 questions in 120 minutes, with no going back. Review it.
Day 6: Negative lead-ins and your weakest statement type from the mock.
Day 7: A second mock in the morning, then rest. Check your test center or at-home setup.

Original practice questions, never real or leaked ones. Cancel the monthly plan any time, and ask for a refund within 7 days if you have taken no more than one full mock.

Frequently asked questions

What is on the Border Patrol entrance exam?+

CBP's 2024 preparation guide lists two sections: an Experience Record about your background (up to 40 minutes) and a Logical Reasoning Test (up to 120 minutes), where you read a paragraph and choose the conclusion that does, or does not, follow.

How many questions are on the Logical Reasoning Test?+

CBP does not publish a question count. The guide gives up to 120 minutes and suggests about three minutes a question. Our mocks use 40 questions in 120 minutes to match that pace.

Can I go back and change an answer?+

Not on the real Logical Reasoning Test. The guide says it is computer adaptive, so you cannot go back after submitting an answer and cannot skip questions. Our full mocks also do not let you go back.

Do I need to prepare for the Experience Record?+

CBP's guide says you do not need to prepare for it, and it has no right answers to practice, so our mocks do not include it.

Are these real Border Patrol exam questions?+

No. These are original practice questions written by our team in a similar format. Intellect Council is not connected with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Border Patrol or the Department of Homeland Security.

Sources

U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Border Patrol Agent Entrance Exam Preparation Guide (August 2024), checked 2026-11-08

About this page

Written and reviewed by the Intellect Council team. Last reviewed 2026-11-08. Read our editorial policy.

EXPLORE

Practice tests for job seekers

Free timed practice tests for employer tests: aptitude, reasoning, psychometric, Wonderlic-style, CCAT-style and Excel. No account needed to start.

Explore

EXPLORE

Correctional Officer Exam Practice Test

Free correctional officer practice test: reading, report writing, rules and procedures, reasoning and judgement questions, timed and explained.

Explore

EXPLORE

Police entrance exam practice test

Free police entrance exam practice: 10 original questions on reading, report writing, rules, reasoning and math, each explained. Then full timed mocks.

Explore

See all 93 practice tests

Full timed mocks with explanations.Get full access

YOUR TEST IS COMING. BE READY.

Walk in prepared.
Leave knowing you did your best.

Timed practice in the real format, with every answer explained.

Start a free practice test Or see the full mocks Free sample. No account needed to start.

Border Patrol entrance exam practice test

The short answer

Try it free

Free border patrol entrance exam: 10 questions

Unlock the full practice

What's inside the full practice

Free sample or full practice

Free study guide

What the real test usually looks like

Question types with worked examples

How to prepare

How scoring usually works

Common mistakes on logical reasoning questions

A one-week study plan

Frequently asked questions

Sources

About this page

Related practice

Practice tests for job seekers

Correctional Officer Exam Practice Test

Police entrance exam practice test

Walk in prepared.Leave knowing you did your best.

Free border patrol entrance exam: 10 questions

Walk in prepared.
Leave knowing you did your best.