Patent Question Forum

[DwightSchruteFarms]

Looking to sit for the Patent Bar. Had a few questions. Was Pre-med but dropped by junior year.

1. What is a "semester hour"? It says I need 8 semester hours in Chemistry. I took 4 Chem classes in college. Is that enough? Is there a individual or Board I can ask?

2. How difficult is the Patent Bar compared to the CBX?

3. How long did it take you to study for the Patent Bar and pass?

Thanks guys

[Anonymous User]

1. Usually hours you spent in class in a semester/number of weeks in the semester = semester hours. Chem labs will underestimate this, but assuming you did freshman chem I+II plus the associated labs, that will be good, but since you went to some weird college that doesn't think education can be quantified by, like, numbers, man, you will probably has to spell this out for the Patent Office.

2. I once interviewed with a patent barred PhD who said the cbx was the hardest thing she has ever had to do.

3. 150-200 hours is kind of the sweet spot for knowing enough terminology concepts and--importantly--knowing where stuff is likely to be in the MPEP.

[DwightSchruteFarms]

Awesome, thank you!

[rinkrat19]

If your school was on the quarter system, your credit hours probably have to be converted. I think usually a 3-credit hour quarter class = 2 semester credit hours.

Also make sure your classes qualify. Not any old chemistry series will fill that 8 hour requirement; it has to be chemistry for science/engineering majors (at my school it was the Chem 221/222/223 series).

(I didn't actually take the patent bar; I just researched the requirements when I thought I might do IP law.)