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!

Advice on preparing for EQE Paper D in about 160 hours - updated

This post has been updated for EQE 2019 here: https://saltedpatent.blogspot.com/2018/07/advice-on-preparing-for-paper-d-in.html

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

The official answers to the EQE 2017 papers are now available

The Examination Committe's have published their Examiners' reports containing a good "possible solution", some alternatives and comments on how the papers was actually answered by candidates.
A: Report, B: Report, C: Report, D: Report
If you unfortunately didn't pass, you should be able to get some idea what you missed using your marking sheet (which is sent by post) and these Examiner' Reports.
Note that these are not model solutions and there may be other comments/arguments that got points.

Congratulations to all those who passed one or more EQE papers

The EPO has published the results for the EQE Main Exam 2017 here. Congratulations to all those who passed at least something - none of the papers are easy, especially when you take into account the stress.

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

Paper D

In particular, well-done to those who passed D - it was a difficult paper to get through to the end. The final passing rate is about the same as last year.

Paper C

Well-done passing C - the amount of documents and text you have to deal with always makes this sometime unpredictable.

Paper B

Together with A, this was the first year with the universal technologies. It looks like a success.


Paper A

This was expected to be quite difficult for some technical backgrounds. Of all the distributions, this is the most spread out. On A, the maximum number of points you can score is limited if you begin with a inferior solution - that may explain it to some extent.
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Take an A4 envelope for your telephone & tablet

Remember that having electronic apparatus (phone, laptop, tablet, digital watch) in the examination room (even if turned off) is not allowed. You should preferably leave them in your hotel or at home. It is also possible to hand them in, but you need to take an A4 envelope YOURSELF with your name and date of birth noted on it. See below for more detail.

Good luck to all!

Reminder sent to candidates this week: