Original post is on IP.appify blog.
EQE is now a qualification lottery – it is only fair that you can buy more tickets😉. Preparation => Passing is now completely disconnected for Papers B / C. So please sign the Petition to Increase the Frequency of the EQE.
A “Fit to Practice” European Patent Attorney = mother language: Eng/Fre/Ger, an IT-specialist, follows the advice of experienced tutors: “don’t think, just write a lot“, “do exactly what the client says“, “don’t worry about understanding“, just assemble the pieces“, “finish reading PaperC1 during your lunch“.
There was always a random factor to A & B exams, but it was very rare for someone to fail twice. For those doing it in a 2nd language, the chances of passing are even lower – you do not even have time to read everything once.
And with the unpredictability of WISEflow (random crashes, missing features, new pop-up warnings), it is getting worse. A crash loses at least 20 mins. The blame is now solely directed to the student – e.g. from the secret EQE complaint form that you have to fill in immediately after the exam: “If any of the above peripherals were connected via USB hub or switch, please indicate which one“, “Did you have full admin rights on the PC/laptop you used?“, “Was any anti-virus software on the PC/laptop installed? Which antivirus was it? How was it configured?“, “How were the software updates configured on your PC/laptop?“, “CPU type?“, “RAM Size?“. The secret EQE complaint form also has vague questions, such as “Have you followed the instructions / recommendations from Wiseflow? – Yes or No” without specifying. Hopefully, no-one accidentally answered “No”.
Many candidates do not even bother to fill in the complaint form because they believe it is their own fault. Only 1x chance is given to complain using the well-hidden complaint form links on the EPO EQE page.
The conditions for doing the exam are continuously changed by just putting them on the EPO website. When was the last time that “Instructions To Candidates (ItC)” was published in OJEPO?
The IPREE has recently been amended (Feb 2025): “Rule 19(3) Complaints made by a candidate concerning the conduct of the examination are not entertained by the Examination Board unless a written statement of the facts is submitted in accordance with the instructions to candidates on the day of the examination paper in question.” This amended rule entered into force “with immediate effect” and even applies retroactively to “papers A, B, C and D under the IPREE dated 13 December 2018“.
Even with the best preparation, health is unpredictable, making it impossible or difficult to take the exam on the scheduled date. If you have temporary or permanent disabilities making it difficult to sit facing the camera for periods of more than 1hr, you are disadvantaged. E.g. From the secret EQE complaint form: “Please note that complaints cannot be considered if based on sickness during the exam*
Informing the EQE organisation before the exam is answered with a standard answer “We sincerely regret to hear about the challenges you are currently facing and understand the difficulties this situation presents. Rule 17 IPREE is intended for long-term or permanent disabilities, which does not apply in the case of a sudden illness. Since your condition arose only some weeks before the EQE, there is no possibility of considering any adjustments. This is why candidates must inform us of their condition when enrolling in the EQE. If you feel you would benefit from being allowed to take unscheduled (toilet) breaks we would allow this upon presenting medical evidence. Even in this case breaks would have to be kept to a minimum and be reported to the invigilator. We appreciate your understanding and extend our best wishes for your recovery“.
We need to make the qualification process straightforward and predictable. Otherwise, we are the last generation of European Patent Attorneys. I am not the only one saying this: information.patentepi.org/issue-4-2024/listening-to-our-members-delegations.html
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