European Qualifying Examination, EQE
This web site has been created for all those who are interested in the European Qualifying Examination, EQE.
People, who passed the EQE, can become European patent attorneys, i.e. professional representatives before the European Patent Office, EPO. This group of people is not big in Poland yet, but it is growing very quickly.
We hope that the links provided below and arranged into convenient groups would let you get the information, documents and law acts of your interest fast and easily. The web site is going to be systematically updated and supplemented.
You are more than welcome to use our little EQE compendium!
March 27th 2012
Latest announcement of EPO regarding EQE in 2013
Dear All!
Below please find some information coming from the latest announcement of the European qualifying examination 2013 - regarding pre-examination and main examination. This will be important for for those of you who intend to attend the European qualifying examination, EQE in 2013. Complete information on this exam can be found HERE.
Pre-examination will be held on 25 February 2013 and the main examination will be held from 26 to 28 February 2013
Candidates wishing to register and enrol for any of the examination have to meet certain requirements regarding their scientific and technical qualifications and confirmed crofessional activity, carefully and following the given instructions fill the electronical application forms 51015 or 51016 (with all the enclosures) and 51017 (certifikate), pay the relevant fees and provide the Examination Secretariat with their complete applications - no later than 11 June 2012. The deadline for participats of the main exam is different - their filled applications 51015 have to be filed no later than 5 September 2012. In both cases, the EPO date stamp constitutes proof of receipt.
Correspondence with the Examination Secretariat must be signed personally by the candidate - if an application is filed by fax, the signed original form and the certified copies of the required enclosures must be submitted within a non-extendable period of one month from the date of the fax. It is strongly recommended that applications posted to the Examination Secretariat be sent by registered mail with advice of delivery. Candidates may also hand in their application at one of the EPO post rooms (in Munich, The Hague or Berlin) and bring their own copy to be stamped to confirm receipt. Applications which are received after the relevant closing date or are incomplete will be refused.
Detailed information on costs of both examinations can be found HERE
September 29th 2011
EQE 2012 schedule now available!
Dear All,
Please be informed that EPO has just published further information regarding EQE 2012 including pre-examination. Exact times for the examination papers can be found HERE.
September 26th 2011
A new book 'Drafting & Amendment of European Patents' by Brian Cronin of PatSkills already on sale!
Dear All,
We are pleased to announce that a new book by Brian Cronin of PatSkills - 'Drafting & Amendment of European Patents' - is already on sale. A brief summary and the possibility to purchase online can be found HERE.
We wish you a fruitful reading :-)
August 10th 2011
DeltaPatents' courses preparing for the EQE 2012, now also organized in Warsaw!
Dear All,
Is is our great pleasure to inform you that this year reputed DeltaPatents courses preparing for the European Qualifying Examination 2012 will also be offered in Poland!
In Warsaw DeltaPatents will offer the following courses:
16 – 18 November 2011 - 3-day Paper AB Electricity-Mechanics - deadline to register is 16 October 2011
21 – 23 November 2011 - 3-day Paper DI-DII - deadline to register is 20 October 2011
5 - 7 December 2011 - 3-day Paper C - deadline to register is 5 November 2011
19 – 20 December 2011 - 2-day Paper AB Chemistry - deadline to register is 19 November 2011
Registration and more detailed information available here
and
here - training@deltapatents.com.
July 15th 2011
Introduction to the EQE
Dear All!
This seminar raises awareness of what is tested in each of the different examination papers and the knowledge and skills candidates need to be successful.
The concepts behind the different papers will be explained and a basic understanding of what the examination committees expect in a correct answer will be conveyed.
'Introduction to the EQE' will take place:
- in Prague on 19 September 2011 - Read more...
- in Budapest on 28 November 2011 - Read more...
Registration for both seminars will open soon.
April 15th 2011
The rules of the European qualifying examination, EQE have been revised!
Dear All!
European Patent Office has recently published the revised rules for the European qualifying examination, EQE. The full versions of relevant documents can be found in OJ no.3/2011 and in a special supplement to it. A pre-examination shall be held for the first time in 2012. The pre-examination will be held on March 5, 2012 and it will include questions of legal knowledge and questions of a technical nature (proposal of claims, prior art documents.) The pre-examination will last for 4 hours.
To register for the pre-examination one must complete the forms forms 51016 and 51017, pay a registration fee of EUR 140, pay a fee of EUR 140 for the pre-examination, have higher technical or scientific education and have at least two years of practice under the supervision of a European patent attorney. The forms should be sent to the Examination Secretariat before June 27, 2011.
The main exam, as before, will consist of four parts - A (claim drafting), B (amendments), C (opposition) and D (legal exam) and will be held from 6-8 March 2012.
To register for the exam one must have a master degree in sciences of technical education and, until March 5, 2012 have at least 3 years' practice under the supervision of a European patent attorney, and also send the application to the Examination Secretariat and pay the examination fee. Candidates signing up for the main exam for the first time, should complete forms 51014 i 51017 and pay a registration fee of EUR 140 and EUR 140 for each of the selected parts A, B, C or D, before 16 May 2011.
Candidates admitted to the main exam in previous years, have to complete the form 51015 and pay fees at the time and in amount as described above. Candidates waiting for the results of EQE 2011, may submit their applications after the publication of these results, but not later than on 12 September 2011. Candidates who are going to re-sit the parts they have already sat in 2010 and 2011, will have to pay for this part 150% of the examination fee, i.e. EUR 210.
Candidates previously allowed to sit the main exam, regardless of whether they have sat it or not, are not obliged to take the pre-examination.
December 1st 2010
Invitation Mock EQE with epi tutorial in Prague on 14-16 December 2010 and 13-15 January 2011
Dear All!
Epi has just sent us the information that a Mock EQE with epi tutorial will be organized in Prague for the first time. It is a very good news
for all potential candidates who might be interested in this event.
Please feel free to forward this information to any of the candidates you know!
The mock EQE provides participants with the chance to sit the EQE exams under exam like circumstances. The participants will sit the
various exams (A[Ch], A[E/M], B[Ch], B[E/M], C and D) in the same order as the real exam and will be given exactly the same time to sit the paper.
The exam papers will be selected from previous EQE exams and are chosen for their didactic value. The papers will be reviewed by experienced epi tutors.
About one month after the mock EQE the tutors will discuss the papers in small groups. Each participant will receive personal feedback on his/her work.
The invitation / registration form can be found HERE.
The filled in form should be returned to the epi at the latest by December 3, 2010.
If you have any further questions, please contact
Ms Martina Fromm from epi - info@patentepi.com
epi - European Patent Institute
Secretariat: P.O. Box 26 01 12 | D - 80058 München
Tel: +49-89-242052-0 | Fax: +49-89-242052-20
October 18th, 2010
Statistics on the results of the European qualifying examination since 2002
We are pleased to inform that statistics on the results of the European qualifying examination since 2002 can be found on European Patent Office web page. In 2010 - 631 candidates (29.06%) passed.
August 10th, 2010
Passed!!!
We are very pleased and proud to inform that a patent attorney form our office - Jakub Sielewiesiuk - has passed the European Qualifying Examination (EQE) as a second person in Poland. This way Jakub has gained the qualifications of a European patent attorney. Congratulations!!!
July 8th, 2010
Examination results will be published very soon!
According to the information from the EPO's website , the results of the European qualifying examination 2010 will be available there as of 10 August 2010. AOMB will keep fingers crossed for all candidates!
May 20th, 2010
CEIPI Pre-prep seminars in Warsaw, Poland!
According to OJ EPO no. 4/2010
CEIPI introductory seminars (so-called 'Pre-prep') for EQE cadidates will be organized in October 2010 in Warsaw, Poland.
Each of the seminars will start on Friday afternoon and end on Saturday evening.
The seminars in Warsaw are scheduled as folows:
A/B - 11/12 October,
C - 18/19 October,
D - 25/26 October.
The fee for each seminar is 750 euro.
You can apply via e-mail:sylvie.kra@ceipi.edu until July 5th 2010.
The 'Pre-prep' seminars allow candidates to achieve the level of knowledge about European patents required for more advanced EQE preparatory sessions, also organised by CEIPI.
More information about the 'Pre-prep' seminars in other locations and advanced preparatory sessions in Strasbourg (France).
Information concerning EQE:
EQE ONLINE
General information
EQE compendium – examination papers of the current and former years including exemplary answers and discussion
EQE regulations
EQE 2011 enrolment
Useful information from EPO:
EPC 2000 (on-line version)
Guidelines for examination in the European Patent Office (April 2010)
National law relating to the EPC
Searchable database of Boards of Appeal decisions
Official Journal EPO (on-line)
London Agreement
Schedule of fees
EPC 1973 (on-line version)
Useful information from WIPO:
PCT – general information
PCT Treaty, Regulations and Administrative Instructions
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Seminar Materials
PCT Newsletter (on-line)
Range of the international agreements:
Member states of the EPO (with dates of accession)
Contracting parties of the Patent Cooperation Treaty, PCT
(with dates of accession)
Contracting parties of the Paris Convention, PC (with dates of accession)
Members and observers of the World Trade Organization, WTO (with dates of accession)
PCT/PC/WTO members (one table)
Other useful links:
DeltaPatents web site including useful information for EQE candidates
DeltaPatents – EQE Blog (discussion on exam papers)
Pete Pollard’s “Salted Patent” EQE Blog (brief, useful and fresh information)
EQE tools
EQE Courses and trainings:
CEIPI (different locations)
DeltaPatents
PatSkills