Customer Reviews

Border Patrol Exam

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I purchased this book 2 months prior to the US Border Patrol Exam. I can honestly tell you that it will prepare you for the Artificial Language Test. During our 10 minute breaks between the different sections of the test I overheard many of the applicants commenting on how incredibly difficult the ALT was...I on the other hand found it to be easy. Goes to show what a little bit of studying can do. I am not going to sit here and lie to you either...This 6 hour Border Patrol exam is no cake walk. In fact if you have little or no vocabulary, grammar or reading comp skills...you may as well not waste your time with this test. The vocabulary section includes words seen on the SAT. This book can not and will not prepare you for the 1st section of the USBP test. Like I said... you either have it or you don't...just that simple. Remember you are applying to be a federal agent and these agents are expected to be highly intelligent. So with that said... buy the book... study the ALT section and go pass that test!!!!

submitted by a US Marine

I have reviewed this study guide and I found it to be useful not only for getting the feel of the actual Border Patrol exam, but also for acquiring study and test-taking skills you will need to prepare for the very tough competitive exam.

There are other study guides available through Amazon.com, but they are extremely out of date and should not be used. This is the ONLY current study that I have knowledge of. I am the webmaster of The UnOfficial Border Patrol Hiring Web Site (use your search engine and look for "border patrol employment"), so I know of what I speak.

If you know DON'T anything about the Border Patrol but you are planning on applying and taking the test, this book would not be a waste of money. If you already have some knowledge or understanding of the patrol, don't waste your money on this book. There are study guides and practice exams you can get for free online. Funny thing is, they are the same, word for word, as you get in this book (You get the tests available on line as well as a couple that aren't available online in this book). I bought this book because I wanted extra tests to practice with. (I am taking the Alternative Language Test) I took a break from studying to write this review because I keep finding erroneous answers, terms and gramatical rules in the practice tests. The ONLY tests in the book that aren't full of errors are the ones available for free on the CBP website (look for the links). I have not tried the online tests offered with this book yet so I can not comment on those. I can tell you, as someone taking the test in 2 days, that I am NOT impressed with the lack of attention to detail in this book. The ALT is not an easy test and this book is only creating frustration and making me feel like I am wasting my time and money. I do not recommend this book. Read "Patrolling Chaos" or "On The Line" if you want to learn about the Patrol. This book just touches on life in the Patrol. It's funny, attention to detail is the key to passing this test and this book is almost comical in it's own attention to the details. I took the approach of getting all the info I could to help me pass the test and I recommend everyone else do the same. Just be forwarned that this book will frustrate you when you work on an answer just to find out the book is incorrect. Not 100% wrong, but incorrect often enough to make me say that I will never buy another book from learning express (the publisher) again. This may be the best prep book out there but again, I am not impressed. Hope this helps.

this book will give a good review so you don't go into the test cold no it doesn't go deeply into the vocab but any sat prep manuel like I used will prepare you for the vocab section. BUT BE ADVISED THE TEST IS GOING TO CHANGE ON JUNE 1, 2000 SO UNLESS YOU TAKE THE TEST BEFORE THEN IT MAY NOT HELP

I just took the compressed BPA in Chicago last Saturday (02AUG08)- the 3rd Edition exam guide was instrumental in helping me get an 85 (70 was the minimum for passing). Out of around 110 applicants, probably 50 passed. When we got to the ALT, you could hear people in the room deflating from the unplanned difficulty- DO NOT underestimate the Alternate Language section, for that matter, the entire test is long and not easy. (As a comparison, I recently got an 86 on the TEA which is supposed to be more difficult). Also, a LOT of the Spanish speakers did not make the cut either- DO NOT take the Spanish section unless you can teach it (or at least make sure you have a good handle on English for the verbal reasoning).

THE STAR RATING: I gave the study guide 4 stars because of some typos and errors. I can think of 5-8 instances where the correct answer as indicated by the book was, in fact, not correct. Other typos were when the editors were using the Homeland Security Border Patrol Prep Manual as a template and did not change the prefix/suffix to match their rules. There are no other guides out there, so at least we have this one.

FREE ONLINE TEST: I could have done without this freebee. I was coming off an excellent practice test of 92% on both sections and took the online test the night before my real exam. When the online exam was graded, I got a 76, but after looking at the explanations, the answer key was rife with errors. I was closer to 84% as far as I could tell. Not a great confidence booster before the test. I see no excuse for this.

HOW I USED THE GUIDE: I started studying about 2 weeks out, focusing on the ALT section (there are 2 different tests in the guide, and the Border Patrol sends you a prep manual that has an ALT test). My biggest recommendation is to translate ALL words, not just those requested, and in the section where you indicate if each of the three words is RIGHT or WRONG, if it is wrong, figure out the CORRECT word. You will have a better understanding of the formation of words. If you aren't right, you'll see what you were thinking at the time and make a note of it. (My biggest issue was remembering adverbs DID NOT always end in "LY"- it was reflexive because of the examples in the guide). I took each practice test 2 times (1st x test 1: 65%, 1st x test 2: 72%, 1st x BPA manual 68%, 2nd x test 1: 90%, 2nd x test 2: 92%, 2nd x BPA manual 2nd: 89%). I was averaging 65 minutes per section. I was really amazed that by the end of two weeks, I could read the Alternate Language without using the translation sheet- it was funny. After you get the hang of the ALT, practice answering the questions without writing in the booklet- you won't be able to on test day either.

RECAP: I guess some who did not prepare for the Border Patrol test felt like they were trying out for the minor leagues or something. This is to be a Border Patrol AGENT, a federal agent of the United States. Study the ALT and work on your verbal reasoning- put the time in and get the reward.

I purchased this book only two weeks prior to the test and made a serious effort to "cram" before the test. It REALLY helped me on the artificial language test. Its practice tests were acurate to those on the actual test. As for the vocab, don't pay much attention to the words, study the prefixes and suffixes that they give you. I hope this helps.

I bought this review guide 2 weeks prior to the Border Patrol Exam for the sole purpose of "fine tuning" my speed and accuracy with the Practice Exams, and, unfortunately, I was very disappointed to find that it had too many errors. Explanations for the correct and wrong answers were vague. Many times they didnt make sense. Also, the spanish review was terribly written. Wrong use of verbs, sentence structure, etc. Its unbelievable that this "updated" edition is being sold as is. Save your money. Heck, for all I know I shouldve just reviewd LSAT Logical Reasoning questions. But I'm still glad that I passed with a high score without the help of this study guide. Good luck on your test! :)

This is a great book for those who want to pass the Border Patrol Exam. My husband bought this book one month before the test and our first language is Spanish. The Comprehension part of this book is excellent. My husband studied day and night in his free time out of work and I am glad to say it was not a waste of time. He took the test 2 weeks ago and he past it with an 82% and I am very proud of him because after all the time he spent studying he made it. Of course the real test will never be revealed but the examples these people give in this book are very alike. THE KEY OF ALL THESE IS TO STUDY HARD, VERY HARD AND TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

If you are a horrible test taker and know nothing about the Border Patrol you may find this book somewhat useful. However, if your test taking skills are adequate and you have already read up on the Border Patrol this book is a waste of money. I bought this book to use the practice exams to gauge my speed and technique. The book let me down terribly as there was no apparent editing of the tests in the back and they are full of errors. Once again if you are looking to get this book to practice with the tests it is a waste of money.

From the editor:

This version, published in October 2006, is the updated version. It was actually edited by a former U.S. Border Patrol Agent (13 years) as opposed to previous editions edited (and compiled) by people outside the field of law enforcement altogether. The beginning chapters, which cover basic information on the agency, entry requirements, job conditions, academy experience, probationary periods, life as an agent, and other critical information are far more comprehensive than previous editions. This is information every applicant or potential applicant needs to know before making a decision to apply for the Border Patrol; the good, bad, and the ugly.

No book will pass a test for you. However, the Learning Express System is well tested with proven results. Many current agents have utilized this book when applying and testing for the Border Patrol. Combine the comprehnsive agency information and learning system, and you simply have an authoritative text on the subject matter.