Category B patent bar registration Forum

[lblelalr]

I looked over the patent bar requirements recently and was surprised/pissed to find out that my major isn't listed under category A even though several very similar outdated majors are. Anyone have any experience submitting an app with category B? Does it generally take longer to be registered? And did you really have to attach catalog descriptions of every class you want them to consider under option 4? Thanks in advance!

[BriaTharen]

Don't have personal experience with it but yes, it does take longer to get approval to take the patent exam since they have to look at every single class you are claiming as qualifying rather than just looking to make sure you have an approved degree and that your college program is accredited. I believe you do have to attach the catalog descriptions of the classes at the time you took the class for it to be approved. Read the requirements in the instructions, and they'll let you know exactly what you have to do. Good luck!

[rinkrat19]

I think I qualify under category B as well, but you're right, the requirements for the app are ghastly. So I'm really glad I also qualify under category C.

Although, I've given up on taking the exam my 0L summer...hopefully my 1L summer job will be relaxed enough that I have time to study for it then.

[BriaTharen]

I think I qualify under category B as well, but you're right, the requirements for the app are ghastly. So I'm really glad I also qualify under category C.

Although, I've given up on taking the exam my 0L summer...hopefully my 1L summer job will be relaxed enough that I have time to study for it then.

Good luck with that. I said the same thing but was super busy with a clerkship, taking a class, and working as an RA that I didn't have time. But try to take it before August, since I think then is when they are changing the test to add all the new law.

[rinkrat19]

I think I qualify under category B as well, but you're right, the requirements for the app are ghastly. So I'm really glad I also qualify under category C.

Although, I've given up on taking the exam my 0L summer...hopefully my 1L summer job will be relaxed enough that I have time to study for it then.

Good luck with that. I said the same thing but was super busy with a clerkship, taking a class, and working as an RA that I didn't have time. But try to take it before August, since I think then is when they are changing the test to add all the new law.

I have zero prior knowledge of patents. I read like the first six chapters of a study outline of the MPAP and was so far underwater that there's no way I could do it this summer. (I'm not still in UG; I work full-time.)

[angrybird]

i wouldn't bother studying the MPEP besides learning the chapter headings. it's all about drilling past exam questions.

[lblelalr]

I think I qualify under category B as well, but you're right, the requirements for the app are ghastly. So I'm really glad I also qualify under category C.

Although, I've given up on taking the exam my 0L summer...hopefully my 1L summer job will be relaxed enough that I have time to study for it then.

Good luck with that. I said the same thing but was super busy with a clerkship, taking a class, and working as an RA that I didn't have time. But try to take it before August, since I think then is when they are changing the test to add all the new law.

I have zero prior knowledge of patents. I read like the first six chapters of a study outline of the MPAP and was so far underwater that there's no way I could do it this summer. (I'm not still in UG; I work full-time.)

I don't know anything either but someone I talked to who passed it recently said the amount of time you need to study is extremely exaggerated. He said he spent around 35 hours and passed it easily. I think if you put in 2 months worth of packed weekend studying it would be doable?

[rinkrat19]

I think I qualify under category B as well, but you're right, the requirements for the app are ghastly. So I'm really glad I also qualify under category C.

Although, I've given up on taking the exam my 0L summer...hopefully my 1L summer job will be relaxed enough that I have time to study for it then.

Good luck with that. I said the same thing but was super busy with a clerkship, taking a class, and working as an RA that I didn't have time. But try to take it before August, since I think then is when they are changing the test to add all the new law.

I have zero prior knowledge of patents. I read like the first six chapters of a study outline of the MPAP and was so far underwater that there's no way I could do it this summer. (I'm not still in UG; I work full-time.)

I don't know anything either but someone I talked to who passed it recently said the amount of time you need to study is extremely exaggerated. He said he spent around 35 hours and passed it easily. I think if you put in 2 months worth of packed weekend studying it would be doable?

Have you looked at the material? It is DENSE.
As a sort of cold diagnostic, I did a quarter of a test (25 questions) in an hour (1/4 of the total time). I got through 12 questions, because I didn't know the MPAP and it took me forever to find any chapters that looked like they sort of applied to the questions. Of those 12, I got 5 right. You need a 70% to pass.

So...I don't really know. 8 weekends with, like, 6 hours a day might do it. I, personally, can't commit that kind of time. I need to spread it out a little more.

[angrybird]

Have you looked at the material? It is DENSE.
As a sort of cold diagnostic, I did a quarter of a test (25 questions) in an hour (1/4 of the total time). I got through 12 questions, because I didn't know the MPAP and it took me forever to find any chapters that looked like they sort of applied to the questions. Of those 12, I got 5 right. You need a 70% to pass.

So...I don't really know. 8 weekends with, like, 6 hours a day might do it. I, personally, can't commit that kind of time. I need to spread it out a little more.

don't give up too easily. i started by trying to study an MPEP outline, and then i took a practice test and got about 50% right. i thought i was fucked, too. but i switched to studying past exams and it got much better. start by going through past exams/answers in detail - read the explanations and try to understand what's going on that way. it'll be much easier to figure out what they're looking for that way than to read the MPEP. then memorize past questions, especially known repeats (tls search 'fatduck uspto' for some flashcards). all you really need to know about the MPEP is where stuff is located. get a feel for the subcategories in the big ones like 700, 900, 1200, 2100. the subcategories are usually more descriptive and will ring a bell with the answers more than the first level of the TOC.

tl;dr: past exams, past exams, past exams. memorizing repeated questions is like a free 25%.