Intro
Comparing courses can be a frustrating and time consuming. You also need to be careful to carefully read how the companies state their pass rates. UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law does not endorse any company. Sharing one data point - over the last 30 years I have worked with most patent students, I estimate that 90% have taken the PLI course either before or after entering law school. This is in part because PLI gives a discount to law students. They increase the discount when more students at a school join. If you are a law student, contact PLI or look for the local student representative to help assemble a bundle deal.
Here is the current comparison by Wysbridge with PLI presented as an example of factors you might consider in assessing a course
| WYSEBRIDGE | PLI | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost for non-students | $594 (or $189/mo) | $2,895 |
| Cost for students (ask for applicable student discounts) | $495 | $1,895 |
| Duration of access | Unlimited till you pass | 12 months |
| In Person Seminars | no | yes |
| First Time Patent Bar Passing Rate(National Avg = 47%) | 81% | unknown |
| Refund If Not Approved (OED Denies Application) | yes | no |
| Free Demo Trial | yes | no |
| Month to Month Access | yes | no |
| Payment Plans | yes | no |
| MPEP: online & downloadable | yes | yes |
| MPEP: content & chapter summaries | yes | yes |
| Must know content reviews | yes | - |
| Exam question types & searching tips | yes | - |
| Quick memorization tips | yes | - |
| Tested Subject Frequency Charts | yes | no |
| Repeated Exam Question Frequency Charts | yes | no |
| Content overviews (Videos) | yes | yes |
| Course outlines | yes | yes |
| Pause, bookmark & resume within courses | yes | yes |
| Statistics & course completion charts | yes | yes |
| Post AIA exam questions | yes | yes |
| Answer explanations and references to MPEP | yes | yes |
| Practice questions one by one | yes | yes |
| 50q mock exam simulations | yes | yes |
| Statics and data insights on practice results | yes | yes |
| Review previous practice or exam sessions | yes | yes |
Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Patent Bar Review Course for Success
Advertised Pass Rates
Elite - not disclosed
Our current pass rate is 98.1%, which includes all students who have signed up for our online course from its inception in 2004 through January 2015. We also typically teach between 20% to 30% of all those who take the patent bar examination. Therefore, when you compare our student pass rate with the USPTO's published pass rate of 47% for all takers in 2013, you can see why OmniPrep's Patent Bar Review Course is the best choice for your Patent Bar Exam preparation.
Patent Education Series - not disclosed
When our students sit for the Patent Bar Exam, more than 80 percent of them pass. (Over 25-plus years, our pass rate has fluctuated between 80 and 90 percent.) Since most of our students pass on the first try, they earn their way to a lucrative career that much faster.
PLI - not disclosed. Senior instructor Gene Quinn provides dated rates in his blog - "The PLI pass rate for first time takers is approximately 90%, which live course takers having a slightly higher first time pass rate." In another post he reports, "The pass rate for those who take the live version of this course is generally around 89% and the pass rate for those who take the home study version is roughly 87%, with both percentages reflecting first time takers."
2023 Wysebridge Passing Rate : 81%. This is the Wysebridge Passing Rate for first time exam takers.
Testimonials on Course Websites
Elite - none