U.S. Customs and Border Protection Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 59 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
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13 roles · 59 reportsCandidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
CBPO
Mid Easy Positive experience No offer 4 rounds
Interview process
Take home Background check Background check Recruiter call
Interview formats
Behavioral Other
I applied online and then had to take the CBPO exam. After that, it was medical and PFT before the actual interview. It took about five months to get to the interview stage. The polygraph part is really tough because a lot of people fail it. But the interview itself was super easy.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Given a scenario, how would you respond or react?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Border Patrol Agent
Entry Average Positive experience No offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Background check Offer
Interview formats
Technical Other
First, you submit your application. Then there's a skills assessment test, which can be tough if you're stressed out and not focused. After that, you go through a medical evaluation, a polygraph, and then an interview. I had a lot of different parts to it, so honestly, my experience might be a bit all over the place.
Confirmed questions4 questions
- Can you describe a scenario where you had to handle a stressful situation?
- How do you remain focused when under pressure?
- Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Customs and Border Protection Officer
Entry Average Positive experience Accept offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Other
The interview site is to be reached at 8:30 AM and the interview itself starts around 10 o'clock. The interview assesses your ability to handle different scenarios, but the specifics cannot be disclosed due to a prior agreement. It primarily evaluates your moral compass, ethics, and common sense, so there's no specific material to study. However, reading about how law enforcement officers manage certain situations beforehand could be beneficial. If you have prior military service, you will likely do well, as the training received in Basic Training, NCO Academy, and BOLC prepares you to respond to these types of situations. It's important to remember that safety should always be the primary consideration in any given situation.
Confirmed questions6 questions
- Regarding hypothetical situations, what is your approach?
- Can you describe your moral, ethical, and common sense capabilities?
- How would you analyze a law enforcement officer's response to various situations?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Border Patrol Agent
Entry Difficult Neutral experience No offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Take home Background check Background check Background check Background check Offer
Interview formats
Technical Other Other Other Other
Applied on usajobs.gov, got invited for a placement test that's about 4 hours long and needs prep. It covers English, logic, and either an artificial language or Spanish test. Scoring 80% or higher leads to a conditional offer and then medical and physical fitness tests, which are manageable if you're active. A structured interview follows, which might seem intimidating but isn't too difficult. After these, the polygraph test, which feels like a psychological evaluation and is a major hurdle, with 2 out of 3 failing it. Border Patrol is known to be the toughest on this test among US law enforcement agencies. It's unfortunate this isn't an earlier stage, as it saves time and money to identify unsuitable candidates sooner.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Regarding hypothetical scenarios, what would you do?
- Apply common sense to situations similar to those in 'Border Wars'.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from U.S. Customs and Border Protection interview reports.
“Can you enforce US drug laws even if you don't personally agree with them?”
Read reports →“If you suspected a vehicle was smuggling illegal items, what steps would you take?”
Read reports →“It's the end of your shift, you're about to leave, and you see a passenger kick one of your K-9s. What would you do?”
Read reports →“Could you explain the CIA triads and different port numbers?”
Read reports →“What would you do if you were alone with a handcuffed suspect and another suspect was escaping?”
Read report →“In any given scenario, what is the immediate priority concerning safety?”
Read report →“If your coworker searched a passenger's bags, found nothing illegal, but then made fun of the items, how would you handle that?”
Read report →“You're inspecting a produce shipment and your coworker opens an unlabeled box. Inside is a foreign substance, and your coworker starts slurring and feels dizzy. What's your response?”
Read report →“How would you react in a violent situation?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 59 U.S. Customs and Border Protection interview reports.