SJC Customs Training

Here are a few tips on submitting an appeal to CBP should you believe a sufficient number of the questions for which your answer differs from the official answer can be interpreted as accommodating your answer as well.  What is a “sufficient number” of appealable questions?  Enough to get you to 60 credited answers.  So, if you have 58 credited answers, you need to appeal (successfully) at least two of your 22 non-credited questions.

Above all, remember that you (and only you) need to come up with the substance of the arguments that you submit in your appeal.  A quick look at the procedures for submitting an appeal confirms this.  There is a clear prohibition against having someone else write your arguments.  If you think about it, this rule, while requiring more work on your part, does mesh with the overall purpose of the exam, which is to test your knowledge of and competence in CBP regulations.  You could even view it as a “take-home” part of the exam.

Once you come up with some arguments concerning a sufficient number of the questions, present them in a way that is most persuasive.  Here are some tips:

1. EXACTLY follow the formatting requirements issued by CBP.  If they say to use purple paper (they don’t), use purple paper.  If they say to use separate pages for separate questions (they do), use separate pages for separate questions.

2. Be succinct.  State your arguments in short paragraphs no more than 3-4 sentences in length.  Almost every official argument starts with the request for relief, or in this case, credit.  So, at the beginning of an argument about a particular question, ask for what you want as in “I should receive credit for Question __ because” and then state your reasons.

3. Be respectful.  If this is your 5th exam and 3rd appeal, no one will blame you if you’re a little demoralized.  CBP probably would be sympathetic, especially if you had devoted a significant time in studying.  But, allowing your emotions to get intertwined with the appeal is not recommended because they are a distraction from what may be very reasonable arguments.  Would you want CBP to grant appeals based on how loudly someone complained? Overall fairness would suggest that they must base their decisions on whether the appeals demonstrate that an alternative answer reasonably exists.

4.  Conclude by repeating your request.  Again, try to be succinct with your arguments–usually one page for each question should suffice.  In the last sentence or paragraph, summarize your strongest point(s) and say one more time what it is that you want,  as in: “Because of the reasons stated, I should receive credit for Answer __”.

These are just some basic suggestions for writing your appeal.  Ask around–most likely there are others who have submitted successful appeals that might be able to give you some additional pointers.