[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 250 (Friday, December 27, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68335-68336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32915]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Customs Service


Customs Broker Licensure Examination

AGENCY: U.S. Customs, Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: General notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the United States Customs Service 
has entered into an interagency agreement with the United States Office 
of Personnel Management to assist in the development and administration 
of the Customs Broker Licensure Examination. Customs invites the 
general public to comment on what areas the broker's examination should 
focus. Customs is also inviting the general public and Customs 
employees to generate multiple choice items to be used on the 
examination.

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before January 31, 
1997, to be assured of consideration.


[[Page 68336]]


ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments and test items to Office of 
Personnel Management, Attn: PRDC, Room 6457--Customs Broker Project, 
1900 E St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20415.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to U.S. Customs Service, Attn: Broker Examination, 
Room 1328, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20229, Tel. 
(202) 927-0051.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The written Customs Broker Licensure Examination, pursuant to 19 
U.S.C. 1641(b)(2) and 19 CFR 111.13(a), is designed to determine the 
applicant's knowledge of Customs and related laws, regulations and 
procedures, bookkeeping, accounting, and all other appropriate matters 
and his fitness to render valuable service to importers and exporters. 
The applicant must obtain a grade of at least 75 percent to pass.
    Customs has entered into an interagency agreement with the Office 
of Personnel Management to assist in the development of the broker 
examination. Customs invites the general public, other federal agencies 
and Customs employees to comment on what areas the broker licensure 
examination should focus and to suggest multiple choice items to be 
used on the examination.

Comments

    Please use the following guidelines when generating your multiple 
choice items:
    First, identify your topic and make sure it covers information:
    (1) contained in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of The United 
States (1996) or Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations (19 CFR Parts 1 
to 199) Revised as of April 1, 1996; and
    (2) important to the work performed as a Customs Broker.
    The use of regulations in your own experience may be a good 
starting point.
    Second, write a question or a stem of a question (e.g., Which of 
the following is sufficient to establish the right to make entry for * 
* * ?). The statement may take the form of either a direct question or 
an incomplete statement. Simplify the item as much as possible. This 
means eliminating unnecessary information from the question 
(information not needed to answer the question), using easily 
understood words where possible, and placing most of the information in 
the question/stem, not in the response options. Make sure the item only 
addresses one concept and is not asking multiple questions or 
addressing multiple content areas. After the question/stem is written, 
generate a correct response. The correct response should be defensible 
as being the only correct answer listed in the options.
    Finally, generate at least four parallel and attractive response 
options. Try to ensure that the response options are similar in 
grammatical structure, length, and complexity to the correct response. 
Try to make sure the other response options are good distractors (i.e., 
they may seem attractive to test takers whose knowledge is 
superficial). The responses ``none of these'' or ``none of the above'' 
should not be used as options. The following may be helpful in creating 
distractors: Use of true statements that do not answer the question 
correctly; use of familiar phrases; and use of common mathematical 
mistakes or inverted numbers.
    All items should contain the following information when complete:
    (1) the item stem or question;
    (2) at least five responses, one of which is the correct answer;
    (3) an indication of the correct answer by marking it with an 
asterisk;
    (4) a reference for the item (e.g., Title 19, CFR, Section 111.36 
paragraph (b)(2)(I)). It is important that all items be referenced to 
either the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of The United States (1996) or 
Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations; and
    (5) the item writer's name and work phone number.
    If you would like more information on writing appropriate test 
items, please contact Ernest Paskey at 202-606-1160. Once you have 
written the test items, please send your items to OPM through either:
    (1) fax: (202) 606-1399, Attn: Christelle La Police; or
    (2) postal mail: Christelle La Police, Office of Personnel 
Management, Attn: PRDC, Room 6457- Customs Broker Project, 1900 E St., 
NW, Washington, D.C. 20415.


    Important Note: To ensure security of the test items and avoid 
misplaced/lost items, we request that you call OPM at (202) 606-0820 
and ask for a member of the Customs Broker Team prior to 
transmitting a FAX. Test items will be accepted no later than 
January 31, 1997. Copies of the items that you develop and other 
related materials should not be distributed to anyone else.

    Dated: December 20, 1996.
Philip Metzger,
Director, Trade Compliance.
[FR Doc. 96-32915 Filed 12-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4820-02-P