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(Message started by: JoeB on Jun 21^st, 2007, 12:48pm)

Title: 1 month enough?
Post by JoeB on Jun 21^st, 2007, 12:48pm

I purchased the Patent Bar Review by BullsEye from EBAY and also have the Old Patent Bar exam questions and answers. I want to take the test before the second week of August as that is when my Law School starts. Will this be enough time to go through the material and pass the bar? I can put in about 4-6 hours a day for study. Please respond as soon as you can as I am trying to figure out if I should turn my application in to the USPTO now.

Also, does anybody know what the average response time is for the USPTO to approve/deny your application?

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by Jonathan on Jun 21^st, 2007, 1:08pm

At that rate, assuming you can keep it up every day till the bar exam, you can probably get thru the materials. You will probably be burnt out and may not necessarily get a proper understanding but you should be able to get thru it.

So, yeah, I would say give yourself more time. Just my opinion.

I don't have current info on how long the OED takes to process an application to take the exam.

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by MySquiggly on Jun 21^st, 2007, 1:21pm

You can figure 3-4 weeks to process your application to sit for the exam. Then you have your 3 month window. You may want to register for the test immediately upon receiving the exam ticket letter because I know that in some areas, spots fill up and so the first opportunity you may have may not be for a week or two, or maybe more.

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by willi173 on Jun 21^st, 2007, 1:50pm

What's the consensus, is it that hard to prepare for the patent bar solely using the Bullseye materials and old exams? Or would I be better served using PLI or BARBRI?

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by JoeB on Jun 21^st, 2007, 2:22pm

Thank you for the responses. My aim is to just pass the exam now. As you might have already gussed, I am not really looking at using this prep time to know all about the Patent system. Just enough to pass the bar .. thats all.

So, since there is no way I can spend the kind of money it takes to buy the PLI etc.. is there anyone here who studied on their own and still passed the exam on their first try?

If so, is there a good method to approach this whole thing?

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by lawstudent on Jun 21^st, 2007, 2:27pm

JoeB,
I took the Patent Bar after studying on my own for it. I'd say you'd waste your month. It's a really hard test and you must have a firm grasp on the concepts. It took me a couple months and I knew the topic somewhat before I started.

I'd still start. See how you're picking it up and reevaluate. If you want to do IP, then it's still background knowledge you can use. In my case, I've forgotten much of what I knew before law school. You'll read so much that you'll forget many of the rules and will have to re-learn them when you finish.

Best of luck...

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by Jonathan on Jun 21^st, 2007, 4:30pm

I 2nd lawstudent's thoughts on this topic.

I did not mean to imply that you need to know all there is to know know about the patent system to pass the exam. Instead, I meant to convey that there is a good chunk of knowledge you will need to absorb and understand in order to have any hope of passing.

From your original post, it looks like you will potentially be giving yourself at most 6-7 weeks of study time. You may succeed in passing, it is more likely that you won't though.

That being said, taking the exam a 2nd time is no better motivation for passing. I am not trying to be facetious. I failed the first time I took this exam and studying the second time around really made me digest the MPEP.. I am still burping from that effort, 7 years later.. :)

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by liddel on Jun 21^st, 2007, 11:30pm

I"ve been studying for a month with a full time job and have only just gotten thorugh to ch. 5 of the PRG course. I am aiming to take it at the end of July if at all before LS. Do I have enough time to complete the remiander of the course if I study full time for the month of July? I know the PRG course goes into great detail. Is there anything that is superflous so I can focux only on the material needed to pass the exam?

Thanks for your help.

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by plex on Jun 21^st, 2007, 11:44pm

It will be tough getting through what you need to study in a month if your are on chapter 5. I believe it would be possible to get through the rest of the PRG volumes in a month. But, you would still need to spend a few weeks, at the very least, going over old tests, studying patentbarquestions, and any other information you can find on past questions. The course gives you a general understanding, so that you will be able to answer questions you haven't seen before with a higher level of understanding, but the test has a LOT of repeats, and you will be making it exponentially harder for yourself if you are not at least familiar with most of the past questions.

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by bond007 on Jun 22^nd, 2007, 2:55am

Liddel: i am also studying for the exam using PRG material. I am on chapter 15, have been studying for a month on and off. Now i will be studying for 10 days straight as i took time off from work. Hopefully, will be able to finish the chapters in 10-15 days. I think it will be possible for you to finish by the end of July provided you put in 3-4 hours a day. I have worked as a patent examiner for some time, so its easier for me to understand many concepts. I don't know if you have any patent experience, if you do, you will definitely can do it by the end of July if you put couple of hours everyday. Lemme know if you need any help regarding PRG or anything. Goodluck!

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by dovn on Jun 22^nd, 2007, 1:31pm

JoeB,

I think a lot of it depends on how well you pick up new concepts. I used a introductory Patent Law book and the old exams and passed on the first try while studying about 40 hours over the course of 10days while working full time. My personal opinion is that the point of the exam is to not know everything there is to know about patents and the MPEP but more to know the basics of patents and how to find the rest in the MPEP efficiently.

You can read about what I did in a thread on the second page of this forum. Its titled "10-day crash course for the patent bar exam".

Good luck whatever you decide.

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by liddel on Jun 22^nd, 2007, 3:48pm

Thanks for everybody's responses. I guess I'll take the bullet and dish out the money to register for the exam. I have a EE degree. how long should it take to get approed?

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by plex on Jun 22^nd, 2007, 6:01pm

You'll get a response in 2-4 weeks.

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by JoeB on Jun 26^th, 2007, 2:22pm

Thank you everybody for the replies. I will start working on the patent material immediately and see where I stand a month from now.

What is discouraging is that if I am not ready to take the test before October, I will have to go through the application process all over again.

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by BioGeek on Jul 1^st, 2007, 3:10pm

Regarding the 3 months rule, it says “An application for the USPTO administered examination must be received three (3) months before the scheduled date of the examination” on the requirement bulletin. Does it mean you have to take the exam within 3 months after you get the approval from the USPTO?

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by plex on Jul 1^st, 2007, 5:10pm

When accepted to take the exam, the letter will have a range of time, which will be about 3 months, in which you can take the exam. If you do not take the exam in that time frame, you must resubmit the application and fee, though you will not have resubmit your credentials unless you re-apply over a year (it may be two years) later.

The three month time-frame begins 1 week after the USPTO sends the letter of acceptance to take the exam, regardless of when you receive the letter.

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by MrJoe on Jul 1^st, 2007, 7:49pm

on 07/01/07 at 15:10:06, BioGeek wrote:

This rule only applies if you are taking it at the USPTO (USPTO administered examination). They give an annual written exam for those who wish to take it that way.

Otherwise, you have 3 months from the date of mailing of the acceptance letter to schedule and take your exam at a Prometric testing center. Failure to do so will result in you having to send another application fee and reapply. If you schedule within the 3 month window, you can re-schedule to a different time within the same window without penalty.

All of this is very well explained in the General Requirements Bulletin (the document used to apply for the exam). See sections X and XI, pages 19-24.

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by dsnutter on Jul 2^nd, 2007, 10:46pm

Hey everyone, I have a somewhat similar question. I will be starting my 1L year in the fall (going part time and working full time). I am interested in patent law, but am not 100% sure that is what I want to do. I have been studying with the PLI course for the last couple weeks, and do not feel as though I am retaining much informaiton. I have another 6 weeks before I sit for the exam (this is my estimate, I have yet to send in my registration to the PTO).

Should I keep studying and try to take it in 6 weeks, or put it off until I graduate and know Patent Law is my true calling? Note: I am working about 50hrs/week right now so cannot study full time. Thanks for the advice!

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by dsnutter on Jul 5^th, 2007, 9:46am

Hey guys. I am bumping this in hopes that somebody will be able to give me some advice on my above posting. I would greatly appreciate any input anyone may have. Thanks!

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by liddel on Jul 6^th, 2007, 4:03pm

Six weeks is not that much time to prepare, especially if you are working full time. If you have not had any prior patent experience, I would suggest saving the money and retaking it when you are sure patent law is what you want to do and when you have adequate time to prepare for the exam.

Good luck

Title: Re: 1 month enough?
Post by dsnutter on Jul 7^th, 2007, 3:03pm

on 07/06/07 at 16:03:30, liddel wrote:

Thanks a lot for the advice. I was thinking along the same lines.