Exam takers get six hours to answer 100 questions: half in a morning session, half in the afternoon. Six hours sounds like a lot of time. It is not. Every minute wasted looking up the correct passage in the MPEP cuts your chances of getting that question correct and moving on to the next question in a timely manner.
Tips from ABOUT THE PATENT BAR EXAM: The Definitive Guide
Prior to the day of the test, you should locate the test facility. Be sure you know exactly how to get there on exam day. Also search for the bathrooms, parking spaces, a place to eat lunch and anything else you can think of. The day of the test will be stressful enough; there’s no need to add to it.
On the day of your scheduled test date, be sure to bring a current ID with you (typically a Driver’s License). The exact types of identification considered appropriate will be outlined for you by Prometric and on your USPTO Patent Bar exam acceptance form.
Test takers are normally told to report to the testing facility no later than 8:30 a.m. on the day of the test. The computerized exams typically start then, but the exact Prometric testing center you take the exam at will provide you with the specifics when you schedule your test date.
Once the test begins, you’ll have exactly three hours to complete the first section of the exam consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions. You’ll have access to a PDF version of the MPEP on your computer terminal, some scratch paper, and a pencil.
Keep in mind that the temperature in the testing room may not be a comfortable 70 degrees. You may want to bring a light sweater or jacket. Another possibility is that you might become distracted with the noise of people at other computer terminals. You may want to consider bringing in sound-deadening earphones or ear-plugs on test day if you get easily distracted.
Prometric tips from one test taker:
- When you click on a document and scroll down you won't scroll to the next page until you press the “Scroll page” button on the bottom left of the program. This is frustrating because you must click it every time it launches if you intuitively scroll between pages.
- The exam tells you how much time remains not how much has elapsed.
- When you open a document the entire computer will freeze and take about 4 seconds to load.
- When you use the find feature you cannot use ctrl+F, you have to click the “Find” button on the top middle and click it again to find the next reference. No keyboard shortcuts. You can configure to search upward or downwards.
- When you close the document viewer and open it again while you are on the same question it will open again in the same document and page. It will reset on the next question. There is no way to minimize the document viewer, resize, or split screen.
- If you get there early they will most likely admit you early. Don't plan on cramming inside.
- If your first testing center has really slow computers during your first attempt, go to a different one. The speed at which your computer can load in sections of the MPEP is of paramount importance to your success. Mine could load the rules chapter in about 5 seconds and I ended each half of the exam with about 10 minutes to spare while searching for 95% of the questions.
