Eligibility

An individual may apply to challenge the CCS exam if the following criteria are met:

• is currently employed by a CSCB member firm* and has employer-certified two years of work experience in a Canadian customs environment; OR
• has lost the CCS designation in the past 5 years. Individuals seizing this opportunity may do so only once.

*Applicants located outside of Canada must be employed by a CSCB member, and the CSCB member must be the party paying their salary.

CCS Exam Challenge application is available as of January of each year. Applications with payment must be submitted before July 24, 2024 to be eligible to write that year’s examination.

Fees

The fee to challenge the CCS examination is CDN $500.00. Please note the fee is taxable. 
 
Registration for the CCS examination will not be finalized until the CSCB National Office has received full payment of the examination fee. There will be a CDN $35 fee for NSF cheques. 

Candidates may withdraw their application at any time; however, there will be no refund of examination fees after the application deadline date. An administrative fee of CDN $50 will be assessed in cases of withdrawal prior to the application deadline date.

Examinations

The final examination will be held on Saturday, September 7, 2024. 

The final exam is being held online and is a 3-hour closed-book proctored exam. It requires stable internet access, a webcam, a mic, a computer that allows you to install software, and a quiet private area to work in during the exam. 
 
The final exam can be completed from any location including those outside of Canada.
 
Within three weeks of the final exam, challengers will be provided with their final course grade. Completed examinations will not be returned to the student.

Examination Deferrals

There is a fee of CDN $100 for those who write the CCS final examination on a date other than its scheduled date. Deferral requests must be submitted to the CSCB in writing as early as possible. Each deferral request will be considered on a case-by-case basis. In some cases a medical certificate will be required if you are deferring for medical reasons.

Preparing for the Exam

Challengers should have a strong working knowledge of the legislation (Customs Act, Customs Tariff, SIMA, etc.) and the D memos. All of these items are available publically online. CCS course materials are only provided to registered CCS students.

Certificates

A mark of 65% or higher is required to pass the CCS exam.

Upon successful completion of the CCS exam, the challenger will be mailed an official transcript, a CCS designate certificate, and a pin. They may also use the designation, CCS (Certified Customs Specialist), as long as the designate meets the ongoing renewal requirements.

Communications

Challengers are responsible for maintaining the reliability of all their contact information through their CSCB accounts. Failure to do so may result in delays of marks, certificates, or other documents.