U.S. Border Patrol Agent Exam - Border Patrol Exam Tips

If you come into the exam without any preparation then you must as well throw in the towel because you will not pass the test. A lot of applicants take the Border Patrol Exams without any sense of pressure. They think that the Border Patrol Exams will be very easy and once they are actually taking the test they find out that it is otherwise. Did you know that for every 30 people who apply to take the Border Patrol's written exam, only one enters the Border Patrol Academy. Only about 40 percent of the applicants pass the written exam.

If you are really serious about being a Border Patrol Agent you should really study for the initial exam. In order to pass the examination you need to know the following things.

- How to reason your way through issues efficiently and thoughtfully.

- How to apply the fundamentals of critical thinking to problems you'll face on the job.

- How to pass standardized tests that measure your ability to use logic, reason, good judgment, and think critically.

- How to comprehend and retain what you read-including processes and procedures.

- Good vocabulary spelling and grammar, to write good reports.

If you already know and possess the above criteria, then you can go ahead and take the exam and pass with flying colors. However not everybody knows the little things that the Border Patrol Agency is looking for that is why most of the applicant fail to pass the examination.

The initial exam 4 ½ hour test is directed towards determining existing skill levels in logical reasoning, plus the applicants' ability to learn a foreign language. The 3-part exam includes an artificial language test, which is instrumental in pinpointing this learning ability. Applicants who believe they are proficient in spoken Spanish will be required to pass a Spanish proficiency test instead of taking the artificial language test.

One part of the examination that most applicants fail at is the Artificial Language Test. All Border Patrol Agents are required to know the Spanish language, so it is very vital for the agency to assess an applicant capability to learn a foreign language. All applicants who successfully pass the entry-level examination battery for Border Patrol Agent are eligible to become Agent Trainees at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mexico. Applicants selected to become Agent Trainees will receive extensive training in many areas, including the Spanish language.

So if you are not really fluent in the Spanish language then you really need to know what to expect in the Artificial Language Test part of the Border Patrol Exams. The ALT is a fairly difficult test because the Artificial Language is similar to Spanish, which is not an easy language to learn.

Here a couple of tips an applicant should prepare for in taking the Border Patrol Agent Exams.

Follow the directions carefully - If the directions are given orally, listen to them. If they're written on the exam booklet, read them carefully. Ask questions before the exam begins if there's anything you don't understand. If you're allowed to write in your exam booklet, write down the beginning time and the ending time of the exam.

Pace and time yourself - Glance at your watch every few minutes, and compare the time to how far you've gotten in the test. When one-quarter of the time has elapsed, you should be a quarter of the way through the test, and so on. If you're falling behind, pick up the pace a bit.

Don't get stuck - Don't waste time on one question. If you don't know the answer, skip the question and move on. Circle the number of the question in your test booklet in case you have time to come back to it later.

Keep track of your answer sheet - If you skip a question, make sure you skip on the answer sheet too. Check yourself every 5-10 questions to make sure the question number and the answer sheet number are still the same.

Don't hurry - Though you should keep moving, rushing won't help. Try to keep calm and work methodically and quickly.

If you really want to pass the U.S. Border Agent Exam then I suggest to you check out Border Patrol Exams