Report from the EQE Tutors Meeting - Oct 2018

In October, the EPO & epi arrange an annual meeting of EQE Tutors and members of the EQE Committees (EC's). Information & views are exchanged to help Tutors prepare Candidates for future exams, and to influence how future exams are made and marked. It is a good opportunity to learn about how each paper is made and tested, and to meet the EC's. In particular, anything highly relevant for the next exam (in this case EQE 2019) is communicated.
A full report usually appears in the December version of epi information (I don't make this anymore), but here are my most important conclusions:

1. ABCD: extra 30 minutes

• There were concerns that some papers (this year B and C) seemed to be longer than average, eating up the extra 30 minutes given to make the paper. The EC's assured us that the papers are made and tested based on the time limits defined in the Exam Regulations (REE). The extra 30 minutes remains extra time for candidates to make the paper, and compensates for slower reading and writing by those who do not do the paper in their native language. 
• My advice is to build & practice a methodology for doing the papers without the extra 30 minutes. You can then decide at the exam how to use this.

2. D: lower passing rate in 2018

• Only 33% of candidates got 50 marks or higher this year for the D paper (45% got 45 or higher). 

EQE2018 Examiner Reports with expected solutions

For those who want to practice the papers, or to analyse their own performance, the EQE 2018 compendium is now almost complete:

• Survey Results
• Statistics

Examiners Reports show the expected solutions and some of the alternatives that were accepted:

• Pre-Exam (recently corrected after appeals)
• Paper A
• Paper B
• Paper C
• Paper D

For anyone who unfortunately failed, a marking sheet will be provided with the official results letter, showing the number of marks per question awarded by each marker. 

Candidate's Solutions are usually added after the summer (one in each language). These are usually someone who scored about 80 points. In most cases, they are made by a native speaker who wrote a lot, so don't consider these to be typical. But they can be a good source of terminology and phrasing.

Congratulations to those who passed EQE 2018

The results for the EQE Main Exam 2018 are here. Congratulations if you passed at least something - none of the papers are easy, especially when you take into account the stress. There were many comments in the Candidate's survey this year that the extra 30 minutes seems to have been cancelled out by the increased length, particularly for C and D. C and D tend to require a lot of writing, so if more time is needed to read the papers, there is less time is available to score points.

The missing scores in the graphs below at 43, 44, 49, 50 are due to the extra check that is done - if you are just failing, everything you handed-in is screened to see if you are to be considered "fit-to-practice". If so, extra points may be awarded

Paper D

Well-done to those who passed D. The final passing rate is about 7% less than last year. The DI was a lot to get through. DII was a different style compared to recent years, but it was also shorter than in 2017. My advice for D is to skip one of the DI questions (the one you know will take a long time to look up and answer). Do the DII as fully as possible and the rest of the DI questions.

Paper C

C was 7 pages longer than in 2017 - I felt like it took forever to read everything. The passing rate is slightly (3%) lower than last year, so it does not seem to have been a problem. Unfortunately, with C, you have to go through every thing - even documents that are not to suitable for the major part of an attack may contain definitions or something else useful. On C, when you have enough for an attack, write it down - don't wait for the complete picture before starting.

Paper B

This was the second year with the universal technologies. The relatively high passing rate from 2017 (80%) has been maintained. It seems that more Candidates scored 60 - 80 points compared to 2017. The advantage of the B paper (compared to A) is that you are given the starting point (the claims and part of the description as filed), and you are pointed towards the solution by the objections of the examiner and the letter from the client.


Paper A

The A paper also has the same passing rate as last year (62%). To optimally prepare for A, you need to be familiar with both chemistry and electromechanical claiming practice, as well as know how to draft a method and product/apparatus claim.

See here for an easy-to-use site dedicated to the EQE statistics made by Joeri Beetz, allowing you to do your own analysis.

Pre-Exam 2018 - congratulations to those with ambiguous answers

Several candidates who appealed their Pre-Exam 2018 failing grade of less than 70 have been successful. After taking the arguments provided in appeal into account, three more answers in the Pre-Exam Examiners' Report have been amended. See here for a track changes version (at the top of my Study Materials page).

Legal Questions:
4.4 True or False
5.3 True or False

Claims Analysis:
13.1 True or False

This is in addition to 12.2 and 12.4 which were already considered ambiguous at the time of marking.

Congratulations to those who have now passed - you have the weekend to celebrate. But not too long 😉- you need to enrol for the Main Exam between 9 July and 3 September for the Main Exam. And to make a study plan 😱.
A big thanks also to the Examination Board for objectively considering the arguments from those appealing.

EQE 2018 Paper C

Today I did paper C. If you want to look, here are official copies of the paper.

It felt very long, and it turns out it was 7 pages longer than 2017.

Most of the people I talked to had issues getting through everything, and the inventive step seemed very complicated to sort out. Almost every document had comments related to other documents, and some negative statements which were possibly meant to be teachings away.

There were some relatively straightforward novelty attacks (which you could do when you found them), but for the inventive step attacks you would usually read through everything first to see what the strongest was. By that time, there was not much time left to write out the attacks, and it was not so easy to pick the closest prior art. The comments I heard from others was that it was "overwhelming" and "endless reading".

In a few weeks you will get a copy of your answers. If you cut up the exam paper (with your childsafe scissors ,-),  and glued or taped it into your answer, check carefully to see if any piece is missing. Or whether there are pages missing. It can happen that pages get stuck together, and then are missed during scanning. Or pieces fall off. If you notice anything, notify the EQE secretariat.

EQE 2018 Papers A & B

Today I did papers A and B. This is the second year that the technlogies are combined, so as expected a combination of electromechanical and chemistry skills were required. If you want to look, here are the official copies of the A and the B papers.

I think these papers were nicely balanced and they have clearly added extra guidance in each paper for those from the other field.

- A was about using lasers to create protrusions in glass. So this mainly mechanical (physics), with some slight chemistry style (instructions about what is essential). It was good paper, although I heard different views afterwards about the claim categories that should be used. It was 5 pages shorter than last year.

- B was a chemical paper, with a lot of electrical elements. I really liked this paper, even though it was longer than usual (a lot of information in the application and a lot in the prior art - it was 5 pages longer than in 2017).
I thought it was a good mix, and shows the advantages of mixing the technical fields. I have had cases like this in real-life with electrical and chemical elements, and you need to understand how to claim in both areas and to be able to judge novelty and inventive step.
They also provided an extra set of clean claims this year from the client so you could choose to work from the claims as filed or the claims as proposed by the client. Everybody I talked to had a different answer for claim 1, so it should be interesting to see what was actually expected.

In a few weeks you will get a copy of your answers. If you cut up the exam paper (with your childsafe scissors ,-),  and glued or taped it into your answer, check carefully to see if any piece is missing. Or whether there are pages missing. It can happen that pages get stuck together, and then are missed during scanning. Or pieces fall off. If you notice anything, notify the EQE secretariat.

EQE 2018 Paper D

I sat the paper under exam conditions in Munich as a bench marker to give the examination committees some materials for their marking discussion. If you want to look through the paper yourself, here are official copies of the paper.

My impressions were that it was a reasonable D paper - they are never easy, but I think that there were a lot of parts that were do-able and they asked frequent EQE subjects.
Most of the DI questions were open, so you needed to make strict choices about what to do - otherwise you ran out of time. The DII was more manageable than last year, and anyone who is Dutch or has lived in The Netherlands for more than a year will have immediately understood the product produced by the invention.😋. DII had less exploitation to be discussed.

Click below for some more details and spoilers about the subjects you had to deal with

I will be an epi benchmarker in Munich for EQE 2018

Every year, the Examination Committees rely on papers from "benchmarkers" to help fine-tune the marking. These papers are made by people who have already passed the EQE, and ideally they are looking for people who can get around 50 points.
The benchmarkers take the exam at the same time as everybody else under the same exam conditions. Their answers are then be used in the group discussions about what should be awarded points, and what is insufficient.
I am happy to support this on behalf of the epi. To anyone who has passed the EQE (or passes it this year), please volunteer next year when the epi sends the email in October. It is very much appreciated by the Examination Board and Committees. 

Last year I only did the D paper - this year I will do all 4 papers (D, A, B, C) in Munich. I just bought my safety scissors in case I need to cut up the papers.


Good luck!

Indexed EPO Guidelines (1 Nov 2017) now available to order

Recently, the EPO announced that it would no longer make the Guidelines for Examination available on paper. Although the electronic version is useful for searching, some people still  prefer to use a paper version, particularly when studying.

My version is available to order as an A5-sized book. It is suitable as a desktop reference for everyday use, or to take to the EQE.

It includes my own 33-page Detailed Contents:

• abbreviated titles for all sections - in almost all cases, a single line, so that you can scan through the contents faster
• the contents for all sections are combined into one section at the front - this makes it easier to scan to find sections you are looking for, without having to first guess which part it might be in 
• both the conventional section numbers and page numbers are given next to each title, speeding up finding the right page
• sections indicated that have undergone a major amendment in the last 3 years, so you can identify possible EQE questions

It is lighter (690g) and smaller (21 x 14 x 2.8cm with 880 pages) than the official paper copy that used to be available. Note that the paper used is thin - 50 gr/m2 - to keep the size and weight low.

In comparison, the Visser book weighs 1220 g and is slightly bigger (24 x 16 3.6 cm with 950 pages).

Suggested list of books & things to take to the Main & Pre-Exam - EQE 2018

Preparation:
- Check the exam times and plan to arrive early
- Since EQE2017, an additional 30 minutes has been given for papers A, B, C and D (REE OJ 2017 SE2 - page 43) to help candidates who do not have English, French or German as their mother language. The papers are designed to be made in the official REE duration (e.g. 5 hours for C and D) but an extra 30 minutes is given to make it at the exam (e.g. 5.5 hours for C and D).
- Read through the rules regarding the conduct of the exam (REE OJ 2017 SE2 - page 27-29). See the warning here about possible problems.
- See here what candidates from last year said about the location where you are taking the exam
- Be well rested in the days before the exam - many D candidates sleep badly on Monday night
- Take a suitcase with wheels, and limit the books to ones you have used in the last 6 months of your preparation
- After doing the papers of 2017, look at the Tutors' Report to help with interpreting the EQE Compendium (epi information 4/17 - pages 20-29)
- For the A & B papers, don't forget to do the Mock A (Examiners' Report) and Mock B (Examiners' Report) for additional practice. There is also a video explaining the philosophy behind the combined technology papers which were given for the first time at EQE 2017.
- If necessary, look here for some tips for reducing anxiety at the exam
- Be prepared to do the exams with a relatively small (possible as small as 60cm x 90cm) space. Normally, you can place books you don't need under the table.
- Look through the EQE Study Guide for other tips

General:
- Photo identification (passport or drivers license)
- several black or blue pens (gel-pens are preferred for quick writing, but they can run out quickly). Make sure the pens are not too thin or bring ones with different diameters - as your hand gets tired, it gets more difficult to hold a thin pen.
- no electronic devices: only a wrist watch with an analogue display (and without any additional options) is allowed on your desk during the exam.
- make arrangements to leave your phone & laptops at home or in your hotel or in a train station locker. Or take an A4 envelope with you. See the warning here about possible problems.
- correction roller
- highlighters for use when reading the exam paper (don't use blue highlighters on anything that will be handed in as it will not copy well)

PCT References books and National Law book now available to order on paper (A5 format) - EQE 2018

For those who cannot easily print out several hundred pages, I have made my EQE 2018 books (PCT References and National Law) available to order as books.

They are available in A5 format, and are printed on thin 50grs paper.

• A5 paper version (21 x 14cm):

Part I - General	0.4cm thick	88 pages (75g)
Part II - International	1.7cm thick	544 pages (440g)
Part III - National	0.7cm thick	210 pages (185g)

Please note that you need to order each part separately as they are considered separate books on the Boekbestellen website.

• A5 paper version (21 x 14cm):

National Law & Validation

1.5cm thick

456 pages (375g)

The links are also found on my company website under Study Materials.

The download links will remain, so you can choose what you want to do.

Most of the contents are sourced from WIPO/EPO websites and Official Journal, and no copyright is claimed for these parts. This book is provided for study and exam purposes only.

Good luck!

My printable National Law Book for EQE2018

For the exam, it is important to have up-to-date details from the tables, particularly if there is a DI question on the translation requirements after grant, for example.

Unfortunately, the printed version of the National Law book is no longer available. The last version from Oct 2017 (355 pages) can be found here and can be printed on A4 paper yourself. But, not everyone likes the horizontal tables, and the small font makes it difficult to read if printed on A5 paper.

I have produced an up-to-date printable version - downloadable from my patent firm's website - using the latest information from the EPO website which has a bigger font. Tables I and VIII are irrelevant for the EQE, so leaving them out saves 150 pages. I have added an index, and also included the validation information published in the OJEPO for Morocco & Moldova.

My book is 456 pages - unfortunately, it is difficult to further reduce the length due to the way that the EPO website generates the printable pages. Unfortunately, it is difficult to further reduce the length due to the way the EPO website generates printable pages. So either you use this, or print the official one (355 pages) on A4 paper. Feel free to pass on the link to anyone who needs it. To save paper when printing, it should be printed with 2 pages on each side of an A4.

As I have included information on the validation states, I have titled the book "National Law and Validation Agreements".

• Tables I and VIII are irrelevant for the EQE, so leaving them out saves 150 pages. 
• I have added an index with some reminders about what is in each table
• I have added some legal basis
• I have included the validation information published in the OJEPO for Morocco & Moldova which has not yet been added to the on-line version of the tables.

My FREE printable PCT Applicants Guide for EQE2018

Every year, the WIPO produces an official printable version of the complete Applicants Guide, including all annexes, specifically for the Pre- and Main Exams. The current version can be found here.

However, it is 1950 pages and much of it will never be required at the exam.

I have produced this abbreviated & improved version to lighten the load and to save a few trees. Using the EQE Regulations, past D papers and comments from the D Examination Committee, I have limited it to adequately cover what you should actually need. In addition, I have added several useful overviews from the WIPO & EPO websites which can speed up answering questions during the exam.

My book is 850 pages and free of charge - it can be downloaded in three parts from my patent firm's website. Feel free to pass on the links to anyone who needs them. To save paper when printing, it should be printed with 2 pages on each side of an A4.

Update: for those who cannot easily print out several hundred pages, you can also order a copy on double-sided thin A5 paper. See the links on my patent firm's website. Each part is listed as a separate book, so they must be ordered separately.

Changes compared to last year’s version:

• Following Decision of the EQE Supervisory Board (29 Sep 17), cut-off date for legal changes is 31 Oct instead of 31 Dec 
• Limited I–11. Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilots to only EPO, JP & US 
• Added I–11. OJ 2016, A106 explaining PPH procedure with CN, EPO, JP, KR & US 
• Added note that I-12. PCT Fees contains overview of competent ISA’s for each RO 
• Added II-1. Overview of competent ISA’s for all RO’s (from PCT Fee table) 
• Added notes in II-7 that 22m (not 19m) time limit to request SIS (from 1 July 2017) 

Good luck at the EQE,
Pete Pollard