Checked on October 19, 2026, against the current USAJOBS Announcement CBPO DH 27-1, CBP's Applicant Hiring Process FAQs (December 2023), the 2024 preparation guide and the closed Announcement CBPO 25-2. The current announcement governs where they differ.
The CBP Officer hiring process runs from a USAJOBS application to a tentative offer, a set of pre-employment steps, a final offer and training at the academy. This guide lists each step the official sources describe, including the exact CBP Officer fitness test numbers, the polygraph, the background investigation and the 103 days of academy training, and it notes where CBP's own sources disagree.
Step 1: Apply on USAJOBS
CBP Officer jobs are filled through USAJOBS announcements. The current one, CBPO DH 27-1, was posted on October 1, 2026, and is open through October 31, 2026, as of October 19, 2026. It lists "many vacancies" nationwide at GS-5 to GS-9, and applications are reviewed in the order they are received throughout the open period. It is a Direct Hire announcement. You must meet the qualifications by the closing date, with a resume of two pages or fewer. The rules are in the CBP Officer requirements and age limit guide.
You state your preferred duty locations in the application. The announcement lists ports in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Texas, Vermont and Washington, but the final location depends on operational need.
Step 2: The tentative offer
The pre-employment steps start only after you receive and accept a tentative offer. All of them are conducted in English.
The order of the pre-employment steps
The current announcement lists the steps but does not say in what order they happen. The 2024 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 (GS-5 and GS-7)
The announcement says applicants selected at GS-5 or GS-7 must complete and pass the CBP Officer Entrance Exam. It has three parts on a computer: an Experience Record, a Writing Skills Test and a Logical Reasoning Test, and you can take all three at home. The parts, time limits, scoring and retake rules are in how the CBP Officer Entrance Exam works.
The medical exam
The announcement requires medical screening. CBP's recruiter FAQ describes a physician's exam with your medical history, a vision test (acuity, color, depth and peripheral vision) and a hearing test. The exam is at a CBP-contracted facility, and you travel there at your own expense.
CBP Officer fitness test: 20 sit-ups, 12 push-ups and a step test
The announcement requires a fitness test, and CBP's recruiter FAQ (December 2023) gives the CBP Officer standard:
- 20 sit-ups
- 12 push-ups
- a 5-minute step test at 120 beats per minute
One retest is allowed. CBP offers a six-week Physical Readiness Program, and its study guides page links the CBPO Candidate Physical Readiness Program. The sources we could read do not give the time limit for the sit-ups or the step height. For comparison, the same FAQ lists 25 sit-ups and 20 push-ups for Border Patrol Agents, with the same step test.
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. The recruiter FAQ says the polygraph takes about 4 hours.
The drug test
The drug test is part of the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Program. The recruiter FAQ describes a urinalysis that screens at least for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates and PCP. It also notes that marijuana is still illegal under federal law and that using it can affect your eligibility.
The structured interview
The recruiter FAQ says the interview uses hypothetical situations and has two or more interviewers. It looks at judgment and decision-making, emotional maturity, interpersonal skills, cooperativeness and sensitivity to the needs of others. A pre-security interview may happen the same day.
The CBP Officer background investigation
The job is rated Critical-Sensitive/High Risk, and you need a Tier 5 background investigation or its equivalent. The announcement says a security clearance is not required. Under the Lautenberg Amendment, certain convictions, protection orders and unlawful drug use make you ineligible, because officers must carry a firearm.
The final offer
The recruiter FAQ says the final offer comes about two weeks after you finish all the steps.
CBP Officer academy and training at FLETC
New officers attend the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA. The current announcement says the training lasts 103 days and covers basic law enforcement skills and immigration laws, among other subjects. You must complete it to keep the job. Some duty locations also require a Spanish training program.
Older CBP sources give other numbers, so the length can change:
- Announcement CBPO 25-2 (2024): about two weeks of paid pre-academy orientation at your home port, then 101 days at FLETC. Officers assigned to the southern border, Miami or Puerto Rico had to pass an online Spanish program.
- Recruiter FAQ (2023): an 89-day Field Operations Academy, with 8 written exams and 25 practical exercises to graduate, and 6 weeks of Basic Spanish for officers without Spanish who are assigned to the southern border, Miami or Puerto Rico.
CBP does not publish academy class dates in the sources we checked.
After the academy
- Probation: one year, under the current announcement. A veterans-only announcement, CBPO VRA 25-6, listed a two-year trial period instead.
- Firearms: you must carry a firearm and keep up firearm proficiency.
- Schedule: rotating shifts and regular overtime.
- Location: you can be reassigned based on operational need.
Grades, overtime and promotion potential are in the CBP Officer salary guide, and the daily work is in what a CBP Officer does.
How long does the 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: CBPO VRA 25-6 asked applicants to complete the Experience Record within 48 hours of its email, the recruiter FAQ says the final offer comes about two weeks after all steps are done, and the academy lasts 103 days under the current announcement.
All our CBP Officer guides are listed on the CBP Officer Entrance Exam page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CBP Officer hiring process?
Apply on USAJOBS, accept a tentative offer, then complete the entrance exam (GS-5 and GS-7), medical screening, a fitness test, a polygraph, a drug test, a structured interview and a background investigation. A final offer follows, then 103 days at FLETC.
What is on the CBP Officer fitness test?
CBP's recruiter FAQ lists 20 sit-ups, 12 push-ups and a 5-minute step test at 120 beats per minute. One retest is allowed.
Is the customs and border protection officer fitness test the same as Border Patrol's?
No. The same FAQ lists 25 sit-ups and 20 push-ups for Border Patrol Agents. The step test is the same.
How long is the CBP Officer academy?
The current announcement says 103 days of training at FLETC in Glynco, GA. Older CBP sources said 101 days plus orientation, and 89 days.
Where do CBP Officers train?
At the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA. Some duty locations also require Spanish training.
How long is the CBP polygraph?
About 4 hours, according to CBP's recruiter FAQ. A prior federal polygraph may be accepted, and certain veterans may get a waiver.
What does the CBP Officer background investigation involve?
A Tier 5 background investigation, because the job is rated Critical-Sensitive/High Risk. A security clearance is not required.
When do I get the final offer?
About two weeks after you finish all the pre-employment steps, according to CBP's recruiter FAQ.
Official sources
- USAJOBS: Customs and Border Protection Officer, Announcement CBPO DH 27-1
- CBP: Applicant Hiring Process FAQs (December 2023, PDF)
- CBP Officer Entrance Exam Preparation Guide, Publication No. 3706-0524 (2024, superseded, PDF)
- USAJOBS: Customs and Border Protection Officer, Announcement CBPO 25-2 (closed)
- USAJOBS: Customs and Border Protection Officer, Announcement CBPO VRA 25-6 (closed)
- CBP: study guides and practice tests
PrepRaven is an independent exam-prep site. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection 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