The Candidate Experience Record: What It Is
It is a short assessment about your own background. CBP's guidance is that you do not need to prepare for it, and we agree — which is why we do not sell preparation for it.
What it asks
The Experience Record measures background experience related to success in the role. CBP's preparation guide states that you do not need any prior knowledge of the position to answer it, and adds that you also do not need to prepare beforehand. CBP Careers puts it more bluntly still: no need to study, these are questions regarding your personal experiences, and it should take less than an hour.
It runs to 40 minutes for Border Patrol Agent and 60 for CBP Officer, and it comes first in both.
Why RankHigh does not prepare it
Two reasons, and the second matters more. The first is that CBP says it needs no preparation, and we are not going to sell you something the administrator has told you not to buy.
The second is that coaching a background inventory means coaching you to describe experience you may not have. That is a different thing from teaching a skill, and it is not something we will build. Answer it honestly and quickly, and spend your preparation time on the test that actually measures something you can improve.
Sources
- CBP — Border Patrol Agent Entrance Examination Preparation Guide (rev. 12.31.2025) · checked 2026-08-22
- CBP Careers — BPA Entrance Exam · checked 2026-08-22