CBP Exam 1: Practice Questions, Answers, and Rationales
1. What was the primary responsibility of the Customs Service for much of
its history?
o A) Immigration enforcement
o B) Revenue Collection
o C) Drug interdiction
o D) Agricultural inspections
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: Historically, the Customs Service focused on collecting
duties and taxes to fund the government.
2. Which of the following was an early challenge for the Customs Service?
o A) Lack of legal authority
o B) Small number of inspectors and hard-to-protect borders
o C) Excessive funding
o D) High public approval
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: Early inspectors struggled to secure thousands of miles of
border with minimal personnel.
3. Which Supreme Court ruling deemed state laws regarding immigrant head
taxes unconstitutional?
o A) Roe v. Wade
o B) Graham v. Connor
o C) Henderson v. Mayor of New York
o D) Terry v. Ohio
, o Correct Answer: C
o Rationale: This specific ruling struck down state-level head taxes on
immigrants.
4. What 1819 act led to the inception of passenger manifests?
o A) The Border Security Act
o B) The Immigration Act
o C) The Steerage Act
o D) The Manifest Act
o Correct Answer: C
o Rationale: The Steerage Act of 1819 required vessels to provide a list
(manifest) of all passengers.
5. Which U.S. President established the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA)?
o A) George Washington
o B) Abraham Lincoln
o C) Theodore Roosevelt
o D) Franklin D. Roosevelt
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: President Lincoln is credited with the establishment of the
USDA.
6. In what year did Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) take control of
port of entry inspection activities?
o A) 1924
o B) 1974
o C) 2003
, o D) 1789
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: PPQ assumed these responsibilities in 1974.
7. From which division did PPQ take control of port inspection activities in
1974?
o A) Internal Affairs
o B) Veterinary Services Division
o C) Border Patrol
o D) Customs Revenue Division
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: Control was transferred from the Veterinary Services
Division.
8. Name a technology used by CBP to target and stop terrorist activities.
o A) Polygraph testing
o B) National Targeting Center (NTC)
o C) Social Media Scanning
o D) Facial Recognition
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: The NTC is specifically listed as a technology/center for
targeting terrorist activities.
9. What is the role of the PPQ section under APHIS?
o A) Collecting duties
o B) Safeguarding agriculture and natural resources
o C) Patrolling between ports
1. What was the primary responsibility of the Customs Service for much of
its history?
o A) Immigration enforcement
o B) Revenue Collection
o C) Drug interdiction
o D) Agricultural inspections
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: Historically, the Customs Service focused on collecting
duties and taxes to fund the government.
2. Which of the following was an early challenge for the Customs Service?
o A) Lack of legal authority
o B) Small number of inspectors and hard-to-protect borders
o C) Excessive funding
o D) High public approval
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: Early inspectors struggled to secure thousands of miles of
border with minimal personnel.
3. Which Supreme Court ruling deemed state laws regarding immigrant head
taxes unconstitutional?
o A) Roe v. Wade
o B) Graham v. Connor
o C) Henderson v. Mayor of New York
o D) Terry v. Ohio
, o Correct Answer: C
o Rationale: This specific ruling struck down state-level head taxes on
immigrants.
4. What 1819 act led to the inception of passenger manifests?
o A) The Border Security Act
o B) The Immigration Act
o C) The Steerage Act
o D) The Manifest Act
o Correct Answer: C
o Rationale: The Steerage Act of 1819 required vessels to provide a list
(manifest) of all passengers.
5. Which U.S. President established the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA)?
o A) George Washington
o B) Abraham Lincoln
o C) Theodore Roosevelt
o D) Franklin D. Roosevelt
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: President Lincoln is credited with the establishment of the
USDA.
6. In what year did Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) take control of
port of entry inspection activities?
o A) 1924
o B) 1974
o C) 2003
, o D) 1789
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: PPQ assumed these responsibilities in 1974.
7. From which division did PPQ take control of port inspection activities in
1974?
o A) Internal Affairs
o B) Veterinary Services Division
o C) Border Patrol
o D) Customs Revenue Division
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: Control was transferred from the Veterinary Services
Division.
8. Name a technology used by CBP to target and stop terrorist activities.
o A) Polygraph testing
o B) National Targeting Center (NTC)
o C) Social Media Scanning
o D) Facial Recognition
o Correct Answer: B
o Rationale: The NTC is specifically listed as a technology/center for
targeting terrorist activities.
9. What is the role of the PPQ section under APHIS?
o A) Collecting duties
o B) Safeguarding agriculture and natural resources
o C) Patrolling between ports
