Checked on October 20, 2026, against USAJOBS Announcement BPA DH 27-1 (open October 1 to 31, 2026) and the previous Announcement BPA DH 26-10 (closed 07/31/2026), CBP's Applicant Hiring Process FAQs (December 2023), the BPA PFT-1 Physical Readiness Program (last edited December 10, 2015), CBP's Border Patrol Academy video transcript and the 2022 preparation guide. The announcement governs where they differ.
Border Patrol agent hiring follows one path. The Border Patrol hiring process runs from a USAJOBS application through the entrance exam and a set of pre-employment steps to a final offer and training at the Border Patrol Academy. This guide lists each step the official sources describe, including the exact Border Patrol fitness test numbers, the step test, the polygraph and the academy, and it notes where CBP's own sources disagree.
Step 1: Apply on USAJOBS
Border Patrol Agent jobs are filled through USAJOBS announcements. Announcement BPA DH 27-1 is open to the public from October 1 to 31, 2026, at GL-5, GL-7, GL-9 or GS-11, with pay of $51,632 to $124,717 a year (the top figure includes overtime, if worked). Applicants selected at GL-5 or GL-7 take the entrance exam. The previous one, BPA DH 26-10, was open in July 2026. You list preferred duty locations when you apply. The rules for who can apply are in the Border Patrol Agent requirements and age limit guide.
The order of the hiring steps
The most recent announcement lists the steps but not their order, and all of them are conducted in English. The 2022 preparation guide showed this order: apply, entrance exam, qualifications review, background investigation (with the medical exam and the fitness test done at the same time), interview, polygraph and random drug test. The 2026 guide no longer has that chart, so treat it as a past example, not a fixed schedule.
The entrance exam
You must pass the Border Patrol Agent Entrance Exam: an Experience Record of up to 40 minutes and a Logical Reasoning Test of up to 120 minutes, at home or at a test center. The format, scoring and retake rules are in how the Border Patrol entrance exam works.
Border Patrol fitness exam: the PFT-1 and PFT-2 standards
The most recent announcement requires the fitness test (PFT-1) under the Pre-Employment Fitness Test Physical Readiness Program. CBP's PFT-1 guide, last edited December 10, 2015, describes two pre-employment tests. It says the standards are the same for all candidates and are not based on race, age or gender, and you must pass each event to move on.
PFT-1:
- Sit-ups: 25 with proper form in 60 seconds.
- Push-ups: 20 with proper form in 60 seconds. Your chest touches a foam block: 4 inches high if you are under 5 feet 9 inches, 5 inches if you are taller.
- Step test: 5 minutes on a 14-inch step at 120 steps per minute, in an "up-up-down-down" rhythm.
- There are 3-minute breaks between events.
PFT-2: 25 sit-ups in 1 minute, 20 push-ups in 1 minute and a 1.5-mile run in 15 minutes.
The 2015 guide is the newest official source with these standards, and its page warns that it may be out of date. CBP's recruiter FAQ (December 2023) gives the same PFT-1 events, 25 sit-ups, 20 push-ups and a 5-minute step test at 120 beats per minute, and says one retest is allowed. The most recent announcement names only PFT-1, and no current official source we could read says whether or when PFT-2 is given.
The Border Patrol step test
The step test measures whether you can hold a set pace for 5 minutes. Under the PFT-1 guide, the test stops if you lose the cadence for 3 sequences in a row or 6 in total, put your hands on your legs or stop.
How to train for the fitness test
The PFT-1 guide sets out a six-week training program, 5 days a week, with sessions of 30 to 60 minutes.
The polygraph exam
You need favorable results on a polygraph exam. The announcement says a prior federal polygraph may be accepted, and certain veterans may get a waiver. CBP's recruiter FAQ says the polygraph takes about 4 hours, but little of that time is on the equipment, 10 to 15 minutes at a time with breaks. The questions cover your suitability for employment and national security, and every question is explained and reviewed with you before the exam. CBP does not publish the questions, so we do not list any.
The medical exam
The announcement requires a medical exam after a tentative offer. The recruiter FAQ says the medical exam, fitness test and polygraph are done at the closest CBP-contracted facility, and CBP does not pay for travel to them.
The structured interview
The announcement lists a structured interview among the steps. It does not describe the interview further.
The background investigation and drug test
You need a Tier 5 background investigation or its equivalent and a drug test under the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Program. Because agents must carry a firearm, certain convictions, protection orders and unlawful drug use make you ineligible; the requirements guide lists them.
The final offer
The recruiter FAQ says the final offer comes about two weeks after you finish all the steps.
Border Patrol Academy and training in Artesia, New Mexico
New agents train at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mexico. The most recent announcement says the training lasts approximately 6 months, and you must complete it to keep the job. CBP's academy video gives more detail:
- 117 days of instruction over 24 weeks.
- Subjects include 182 hours of Spanish, immigration law, firearms, driver training, physical techniques, tactical training and an operations program.
- Recruits must pass written multiple-choice tests and field scenarios.
- You receive your normal salary while you train.
Spanish is part of the course for everyone; CBP's recruiter FAQ says "Students cannot test out of Spanish." The FAQ also says there is a final physical training test about 5 months in.
The 2015 PFT-1 guide gives the Academy Fitness Graduation Standard as a 1.5-mile run in 13 minutes, a confidence course in 2 minutes 30 seconds and a 220-yard run in 46 seconds. The 2023 recruiter FAQ lists the 220-yard run as 40 seconds, with the same 1.5-mile time. CBP's Border Patrol overview page still says 13 weeks of training, which does not match the current announcement.
After the academy
- Probation: one year, under the most recent announcement. The veterans-only announcement BPA VRA 25-5 listed a two-year trial period instead.
- Duty location: the announcement lists preferred stations in the Big Bend, Del Rio, El Paso, El Centro, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, Tucson and Yuma sectors on the southwest border and the Grand Forks, Havre, Houlton and Swanton sectors on the northern border. If your preferred stations have no vacancies, you may be offered a location elsewhere in the U.S.
- Firearms: you must carry a firearm.
Grades, overtime and incentives are in the Border Patrol Agent salary guide, and the daily work is in what a Border Patrol Agent does. If you are weighing this job against the port-of-entry role, read Border Patrol Agent vs CBP Officer.
How long does the Border Patrol hiring process take?
CBP does not publish a total time from application to the academy. The only timings in the official sources we checked are these: the final offer comes about two weeks after all steps are done, and the academy lasts about 6 months. All our Border Patrol guides are listed on the Border Patrol Agent Entrance Exam page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Border Patrol hiring process?
Apply on USAJOBS, pass the entrance exam, then complete a polygraph, medical exam, fitness test, structured interview, background investigation and drug test. A final offer follows, then about 6 months at the academy in Artesia, New Mexico.
What is on the Border Patrol fitness exam?
PFT-1 is 25 sit-ups and 20 push-ups, each in 60 seconds, and a 5-minute step test on a 14-inch step at 120 steps per minute. The 2015 guide adds PFT-2: the same sit-ups and push-ups and a 1.5-mile run in 15 minutes.
How does the Border Patrol step test work?
You step up and down on a 14-inch step at 120 steps per minute for 5 minutes. The test stops if you lose the cadence 3 times in a row or 6 times in total, put your hands on your legs or stop.
Can I retake the fitness test?
CBP's recruiter FAQ (December 2023) says one retest is allowed.
What questions are on the Border Patrol polygraph?
CBP does not publish them. Its recruiter FAQ says the questions cover suitability for employment and national security, and every question is explained and reviewed with you before the exam.
How long is the Border Patrol polygraph?
About 4 hours, according to CBP's recruiter FAQ, with only 10 to 15 minutes at a time on the equipment.
How long is the Border Patrol Academy?
The most recent announcement says approximately 6 months. CBP's academy video says 117 days of instruction over 24 weeks.
Where is Border Patrol training?
At the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mexico. Training includes 182 hours of Spanish, and you are paid your normal salary.
Official sources
- USAJOBS: Border Patrol Agent, Announcement BPA DH 27-1 (open October 1 to 31, 2026)
- USAJOBS: Border Patrol Agent, Announcement BPA DH 26-10 (closed 07/31/2026)
- CBP: BPA PFT-1 Physical Readiness Program (December 2015)
- CBP: Applicant Hiring Process FAQs (December 2023, PDF)
- CBP: Hiring Process Deep Dive, Preparing for the Border Patrol Academy (video transcript)
- CBP: Border Patrol Agent Entrance Exam Preparation Guide (2022, superseded, PDF)
- USAJOBS: Border Patrol Agent, Announcement BPA VRA 25-5 (closed)
- CBP: Border Patrol Overview
PrepRaven is an independent exam-prep site. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Border Patrol or the Department of Homeland Security. Always confirm the rules in the current USAJOBS announcement and the current CBP preparation guide.
Last updated October 2026