Every year, the epi asks for volunteers for the EQE committees - as expected they need more help for EQE 2021. New members are mainly needed to mark papers - after approx. 2 years, you may be asked to help draft papers. The Official notice and application form
is here under Examination Committees. Some highlights:
- EB expects more candidates than usual in 2021, and would therefore appreciate receiving a large number of applications to guarantee a fair marking of papers
- You can indicate your paper preference
- For 2021-2022 term, applications need to be received by June 9, 2020
- Membership of epi and successful completion of EQE is required
- For marking, a minimum commitment of 120 hours per year, including a minimum of four days of meetings
- Also expected to help with testing and checking of new papers, bench marking or acting as an EQE official, which might require further or different time commitments. These tasks are distributed fairly among members.
- Volunteer, so no remuneration. But travel expenses are reimbursed by epi.
- In particular for this year: those who can can mark papers in German or French
- Appointment is for at least 2 years
It is clear from the epi email that they need more people next year, both for marking and supervision.
ReplyDeleteYou can see how the system is so dependent on finding enough volunteers to mark.
Hopefully more people will sign up this year, but I know it is difficult to find people.
I would not mind helping with supervision, for example, but I cannot free up enough hours to do the marking that they require.
Hi Pete, do you know what the typical motivations are for volunteering?
ReplyDeleteHi Egna, I think most want to contribute is some way to the profession. A lot of them enjoy being involved with exams. There are also some who want the chance to draft an exam in the future.
ReplyDeleteI am actually concerned about this.
ReplyDeleteThe EPO is going to recruit hundreds of new examiners, provide no/little training and expect these new examiners to mark hundreds/thousands of candidates papers. Little/no supervision will be given. How is the EPO going to ensure everyone is up to speed with so little time available? Will the EPO mark papers in time for 2022? Will training new Examiners be adequate.
Candidates work extremely hard and this must not undermine the standard and quality expected from candidates and others.
I believe that new markers are given test papers to train on.
ReplyDeleteThe actual marking is based on a standardised marking sheet, which is finalised after the exam based upon the guinea pig papers and discussion within the Committee before the marking starts. This becomes the Examiner's Report in the compendium - what was expected, what was awarded marks and how many, what was not awarded marks.
Each paper is then marked independently & anonymously by two markers. If the results deviate too much, then they are marked by a third person.
learning as a candidate for the EQE is bad enough. Only being reimbursed for being a EQE supervisor/marker, is a joke! Employers won't give you time off for this privilege. The EPO president could sacrifice some of his salary to make the offer more attractive!
ReplyDeleteThat is currently the way they keep the fees for candidates relatively low. If all the markers were paid, then they would have to increase the fees 3x or 4x.
DeleteThere is also the argument that they want people to do it who are motivated by more than money.
who becomes a patent attorney unless they are motivated by money and money alone?
ReplyDelete