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[jamornini]

The blog Passing the Patent Bar with PRG (http://passingpatentbarwithprg.tumblr.com/) describes a man's experiences as he studies for the Patent Bar Exam.  Any advice for him from other students or patent attorneys and agents who have already passed the Exam about creating a study plan, or advice on registering and taking the Exam?

[glob157]

Are you interested in a study group ?

[WTF_Over]

The blog Passing the Patent Bar with PRG (http://passingpatentbarwithprg.tumblr.com/) describes a man's experiences as he studies for the Patent Bar Exam.  Any advice for him from other students or patent attorneys and agents who have already passed the Exam about creating a study plan, or advice on registering and taking the Exam?

Yes, do not take the exam. 

Save your money, and go do something constructive.

[NJ Patent1]

jamornini:  I took and passed the exam way back when it was written, and you had to draft a real claim.  Don't mean to crow (ok a little) but the pass rate was < 40% (but that included re-takers who had previously bombed).  I took a 5 day course (PLI if I remember),  studied the big 4 for about 10 days, 6-8 hours per day thereafter (no more), and took as many practice exams as I could get my mits on.  Remember its multiple guess. Of the 4 or 5 answers you get to choose from (I don't know format), 2 or 3 will be stupid, ur down to 2 or 3.  Pick the best answer, there might not be a singularly right one.  When all else fails, pick "b" and move on, or flag and come back.  You will not score 100%, fuggedaboutit.   Standard rules for multiple guess exams apply.  Watch the clock and don't let a few questions throw you. You will get some wrong and it is pass-fail.  Think of it as a computer game (Objection!^(R)  helped me get an A+ in evidence and was a gas to play, even w/ ancient 1997 graphics).

There seems to be a split of authority here concerning whether prep courses are worth the money.  I took one (paid by my employer) and passed.  Could I have passed w/out it?  Maybe, maybe not.  We'll never know unless the USPTO institutes periodic recertification.  It's a matter of math.  What does the course cost?  How long would you work as an agent/atty?  How much $ would the money spent earn in interest over that period?  How much income bump to you rationally expect if you pass the exam?  Subtract the first and penultimate #s from the ultimate #, look at the result, adjust for inflation where necessary, and make a simple "economic man"decison.  QED.

As other practitioners have asked other agent/attorney wannabies on all "becoming a patent agent / lawyer" threads,  do you want to be an agent/atty?  If yes, give urself every opportunity to suceed.  Can't afford whatever they charge these days?  Stick to the big 4 and take every practice exam you can.  It's LSAT / GRE all over again.  Not sure ur are a wannabie?  Save ur $ and think it over 'till next exam.  You really want to do this? Then do it, take a PLI or PRG course and give urself every advantage.  Uncommitted?  Stay on the porch.   

[Opto]

I highly suggest getting a hold of previously administered test questions and practicing under exams conditions (e.g. time, MPEP resource nearby, etc.).  I took it when it was still scan tron administered as opposed to the PC version I believe is given now but nonetheless, nothing is superior to practicing the real situation.  This will likely be the case for any law school class or bar exam you take.

I didn't find the prep course helpful because the prep test questions tend to be easier than the administered ones.

[2ndcareer]

This website was extremely helpful for me.  http://patentbarquestions.com/Main_Page

They update it regularly.  The section on "questions reportedly on Patent Bar", contains all the most recent exam questions, reported and posted by Patent Bar takers.

But it is a lot of information, so I do not recommend trying to memorize everything. 

[chewbaccadefense]

Mypatentbar .com

I spent most of my time going through every nook and cranny of that site.  If you know the old tests cold (i.e. memorized), are familiar with all the reported questions, and have a good strategy for looking things up in the mpep (search for phrases in the questions), you'll be fine.

[NJ Patent1]

Don't know (thankfully) the total present format of the exam.  To the extent there are multiple guess questions, the "old school" bar exam rules apply.  Per Opto, take every practice exam you can "on the clock".  Cut-out the questions you miss and make-up ur own refresher exam, over and over until u get all missed questions right AND figure-out why the desired answer was the desired answer.  Get inside their heads. 

If you can't guess the "best" (i.e desired) answer - which may not be the "right "answer - in the alotted time (minutes of exam divided by # of questions), flag it to come back to, or, if hopeless,  pick "b" and just move on.  If you can walk erect, dress urself, AND have done ur prep, there will be plenty of remaining questions to which you will recognize the desired answer in a snap.  I don't agree - at least not 100% - w/ 2ndcareer.  My view; memorize everything you can, and forget half of it when you walk out of the exam.  The objective is not to learn patent law and procedure.  The objective is to pass the damn exam.  If you happen to hit two birds w/ one stone, great! 

IMO, even if you hit a "perfect score", it says little about your abilities to be a good patent atty (although I'd be impressed!).  You'll (re-)learn it as you practice.  The MPEP will be there to fall back on.  It took PLI and passed.  Would I have passed if i took something else?  Dunno.  Go w/ experiences posted by others who have more recently passed the exam.  Go for it.  Look forward to having you as a colleague at the patent bar.