Good luck next week, and a final test for the D paper

Good luck to everyone taking an exam next week

Remaining tips:
- get plenty of rest in the weekend

- look through the exams before you start writing to see what you have to do
- if the exam looks different than previous exams (e.g. different number of questions, different order, less prior art, more prior art), don't panic. If you can do the previous exams, then you can do this one
- don't rush madly to get to the end - 3/4 of the points for 3/4 of the exam is also a pass

- if you discuss the exam afterwards, remember that no candidate actually knows the solutions which will be accepted

- take a few days off afterwards, and think about something else ;-)

Just in case you need a last test for D, you will find a multiple choice test on the EQE forum based on an old DI paper which I updated:
http://www.eqe-online.org/paper-d/multiplechoiceD1/

Standard abbreviations - German

Never make an abbreviation list as part of your EQE answer – it wastes time and these abbreviations may be used on the EQE without giving the meaning. They are completely clear to all who mark the exam.

Our FREE printable versions of the PCT Applicants Guide - available now for EQE2012

The Examination Board has a printable version available (here on the right-hand side of the page)

However, this document is 1700 pages with a lot of information that will never be asked on the EQE, such as details on African, Asian and South American states.
Also there are other things on the WIPO web-site which you should have with you that are not even included in the 1700 pages, such as the Reservations and Incompatibilities, and the agreement between the WIPO and the EPO.

As an alternative, I have captured and assembled 3 books. They are intended to be printed with 2 pages on each A4 sheet and double-sided. The specific information on states is restricted to EPC states, the largest patent offices, the 13 most popular rO's, and the 13 most popular dO's & eO's.

http://www.deltapatents.com/data/uploads/downloads/PCT_Ref_EQE2012_Part_I_General.pdf 

 – 72 pages

Comprising various overviews from the WIPO website such as Paris Convention states with accession dates, overview of all states that accept restoration of priority, Reservations & Incompatibilities and PCT fees of December 2011.

http://www.deltapatents.com/data/uploads/downloads/PCT_Ref_EQE2012_Part_II_International.pdf 

- 492 pages

Comprising the PCT “Guidelines” (Introduction to the international phase)

and the annexes for the selected states most likely to be needed on the EQE

Also comprising a useful guide to procedural safeguards,  the Request form with notes, the agreement between the WIPO and EPO, how to file at the IB and the EPO as SISA

http://www.deltapatents.com/data/uploads/downloads/PCT_Ref_EQE2012_Part_III_National.pdf

- 160 pages

Comprising the Introduction to the national phase, national phase summaries for the selected states, and the national chapters for the states most likely to be on the exam. 

Also comprising a complete overview of all national entry time limits, EPC contracting and extension states (with access dates) and the EP entry form 1200 with notes.

Improved EPO Guidelines index available

The Academy has now made an improved index available for the Guidelines (for the version of April 2010)

Importantly, the references are now to paragraphs instead of page numbers, so it will work with all language editions, not just the English ones.

So print it out and take it to the exam - many aspects of EQE answers are in the Guidelines.

Latest REE available

EPO has now made the latest version of the EQE exam regulation (REE) here.

The only real change seems to be the inclusion of the latest Instructions to candidates concerning the conduct of the examination.

Read this document before going to the exam so that you know what is allowed and what is not. In particular, you will only be allowed to use a watch with an analog display if you want to take your own clock.

For the pre-exam, you especially need a black medium soft HB pencil, eraser and sharpener

Update of Instructions To Candidates

The Examination Board has updated the Instructions to candidates concerning the conduct of the
European qualifying examination to include the details for the Pre-Exam :
http://archive.epo.org/epo/pubs/oj011/11_11/11_5851.pdf

Important are the instructions relating to the pencil for the pre-exam.

Also important to realise that you are only allowed to bring a wrist-watch with an analog display to the exam. All other clocks are not allowed.

Coming soon - Questions & Answers Book for Pre-Exam

After successfully completing our first Pre-Exam Methodology training, and being about to complete our 12-day integrated training and distance training courses specifically for the Pre-Exam, we are now putting the finishing touches to a new Question and Answer book .

We have identified about 250 questions that cover the core subjects that candidates may need to deal with at the Pre-Exam. About 100 of these are provided in a True/False format, so that candidates can practice answering such questions, and test their progress in an efficient manner. 

The provisional contents for the book are:
• 1: Introduction - how to prepare for the Pre-Exam and how to use this book
• 2: Pre-Exam Study Guide - references to essential reading for each module - key topics, relevant articles and rules, Guidelines & Applicants Guide references
• 3: Legal Questions and Answers - to test the absorption and comprehension of studied EPC and PCT topics
• 4: Claim Analysis Questions and Answers - to test substantive legal topics such as novelty, inventive step, extension of subject matter and clarity
• 5: Claim Analysis Cases – to test application of the legal concepts to small cases, based on previous EQE exams
• 6: Two mock Pre-Exams – the papers of March and September 2011 from the EQE Examination Board, together with our proprietary model solutions explaining why the answers should be True or False

Any enquiries may be addressed to: training@deltapatents.com
It should be available from early November 2011

Time of pre-exam are available

On the EQE page of the EPO's website, the times for all the 2012 exams have been published, including the pre-exam

Take a pencil and eraser to the pre-exam 2012

Buried on the EPO web site, a new mock pre-exam has been made available for extra practice.
Most importantly, the answering scheme is given - you fill in a true-false answer sheet with a pancil, so that answers may be corrected.
So bring a black medium soft HB pencil, and an eraser to the pre-exam

Both mock pre-exams are available here.

Figuring out what went wrong on EQE 2011 - help for resitters

This week, candidates receive the official EQE results, confirming the results published last week. Included is a marking sheet, showing the number of points per question.
Candidates who unfortunately need to resit C and/or D will be trying to figure out how to do it differently in 2012. The marking sheets and the Examiner's Reports in the Compendium are generally not enough to figure out where points were lost.
DeltaPatents offers Correction of  EQE papers, where we offer correction of your EQE 2011 C, DI and DII papers. Deadline to sign up and hand them in is 30 August 2011, together with your marking sheet. We then provide individual comments, suggestions for improvement, our own detailed marking sheet and our proprietary model solutions.

Enrolment for EQE 2012, including pre-exam

There is an announcement for EQE 2012

The very first pre-exam will be held on Monday 5 Mar 2012.
The last day to enrol will be 27 June 2011

The old-style EQE will be held for the last time on 6 - 8 Mar 2012
The last day to enrol for first-time sitters is 16 May 2011
and for resitters it is 12 Sept 2011

Be aware that these enrolment dates are final, and cannot be extended. If you miss them, you have to wait an extra year.

Now confirmed - pre-exam in 2012, it will be multiple choice

The exam committee has made an announcement yesterday on the EPO website that the pre-exam will go ahead in 2012.

The only thing that is not in the REE is the confirmation that the exam will be multiple choice. This was always the most likely because they need to keep the marking workload as low as possible and you need to know very quickly to give you time to prepare for the rest of the EQE.

First ever pre-exam training for EQE 2012 now available

We are the first in Europe to offer a training program for those who want to do the pre-exam in 2012, and the full EQE in 2013. Some background details on what is required can be found here in a presentation I gave at CEIPI.tutors' meeting in June.

We are offering a 4x 3-day combined pre-exam training (legal topics, A/B topics and exam training) sessions. It does require 4 trips to Eindhoven in June, Sept, Oct & Nov 2011, but this is designed so that you get optimal feedback on the homework questions you make between the sessions. The legal topics will include both substantive and procedural modules.

We are also offering a 3-day exam training for the pre-exam (both legal and A/B parts) in June 2011, to be repeated in September and December, for those who have already followed a legal training elsewhere.

If interested, please contact training@deltapatents.com
We also offer an in-house variant of 10 days just covering the legal issues.

For those succesful in the pre-exam, we will also offer an EQE training course in 2012 which will bring candidates from the pre-exam level to the full EQE level.

More news on the EQE pre-exam

A new version of the REE (EQE exam regulation) has appeared on the EPO website here
I have not looked into all the differences, but some form has now been given to the EQE for 2012 and beyond.

Mock pre-exam - questions & answers

The Examination Board has published the questions and answers from the mock Pre-Exam, held last week.
As they indicate, this may not necessarily reflect the final format.

It comprises some legal questions based on the DI 2007, and some claim interpretation based on A 2004.
So, for anybody preparing for EQE2010, you may want to do it as an extra check during your preparation.
The questions of DI 2007 (and answers) have been updated with more recent dates.
The questions are here in German / English / French. An answer sheet is provided on the last page
The answers are here

Pre-exam EQE 2012 - update

I have heard from some candidates preparing for EQE 2010 who have been invited to help try out a mock version of the pre-exam in Munich and London. This seems like a very smart way to test both the format and level of the pre-exam using guinea-pigs of about the right level.
Although we still have to wait until March to hear definitely what will be tested and how, we know that the mock pre-exam has:

Pre-examination for EQE 2012 possible

At the tutor's meeting of 6 Nov 2010, we were told that the Examination Board is aiming to implement the new pre-examination in 2012.
The idea of a pre-examination is to provide an initial test of knowledge and competence. Candidates may only sit the EQE if they pass this pre-examination.