Results EQE main exam 2017 are out

The results are out and can be found here. Congratulations to all that passed one or more papers!

The statistics for all papers (percentages of actual sitters):

EQE2017
A
B
C
D





# sitters
848
783
1107
1003
no show
11
10
27
41





pass
473
539
595
406
comp fail
61
100
115
140
pass + cf
534
639
710
546
fail
314
144
397
457





pass
56%
69%
54%
40%
comp fail
7%
13%
10%
14%
pass + cf
63%
82%
64%
54%
fail
37%
18%
36%
46%





average
52
57
50
46
max
93
95
89
81

The Examiner's reports are not yet available (30 June, 11:49).

Update 6 July: the Examiners' Report are now also available (in English only so far). If you wish to comment on them or your answers, please post your comments on our blogs for the specific papers (and, for D, for the specific DI or DII parts).


Comments

  1. Does anyone know if the EQEReg stay the same from one year to the other? I have my 2016 EQEReg number (main exam) but not the 2017!

    Best,

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mine did (I just checked my 2017 letter and 2016 letter and they are the same).

    So so pleased I passed all 4!! Really hope they weren't hacked and it's all a lie!x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too! So relieved not to have to come back next year. I thought I'd definitely failed the drafting paper.

      Delete
  3. Thanks S! (means that I pass it!)

    Can anyone else confirm?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congrats! I'm sure they wouldn't change it..too much faffing!S

      Delete
  4. I just got the confirmation by the secretariat! EQEReg number stay the same

    ReplyDelete
  5. The results seem to confirm that D is particularly difficult this year.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Extremely difficult? Compare those results with the results in 2012 or 2013, e.g.
    These are high pass rates, for pass as well as for cf. I assume there will be discussions if it was too easy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. They gave a "high" percentage of comp.fail for papers B, C and D compared to previous years but the percentage of comp.fail for paper A is low in comparison. any reasons for that? I missed the paper A by just 2 points!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Why should there always be discussions on whether it was too easy or not? There have always been fluctuations in the results.
    Anyways, the scope of the introduction of the pre-exam was to improve the outcome of the main exam.
    Furthermore, it was also expected that this years Paper A and B would be a bit easier than the past years due to the significant changes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The purpose of the pre-Exam has actually been missed if one looks at the results of the Main Exam.

      An argument could be that some old candidates that still sit the Exam are struggling to pass from before the pre-exam has been introduced and lower the statistics

      Delete
  9. StockholmSmile1 July 2017 at 17:26

    Passed D at least. When will you make the graphs that you usually have?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. StockholmSmile1 July 2017 at 21:44

      Here: saltedpatent.blogspot.nl/2017/07/congratulations-to-all-those-who-passed.html

      Delete
  10. Guess I will be back next year to do D. Just missed it with 43. Anyway, I will wait for official letter just to be sure. I wonder if it worth appealing ...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Highest score on D is 81. Wouldn't it be expected to shift all points up by 10 points, then?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Then the passing rate would be 65% - passes & compensable fails would be eve higher add up to 75%.

      Delete
    2. ... or even 20 points

      Delete
    3. @StockholmSmile Thanks for the graphs - I am not sure what it should look like for an exam. Paper A looks strange.

      Delete
  12. I missed Paper C by a single point for a cf. What is the criterium for checking if one is fit for practice?

    ReplyDelete
  13. In paper C I have everything according to the delta-patents solution, expect the attacks on claim 2 and 4, and I missed it!?

    ReplyDelete
  14. I had all attacks right in paper C and and I did quite an extensive arguing, and
    got only 45 points? At least I have passed:)
    In paper B, I missed 10 microns limit and I failed:(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I meant in paper A, sorry..

      Delete
  15. I do not believe Paper B was a well drafted paper because it appears that it allowed too many possible ‘correct’ answers which in my opinion was not the intention of the rejigged Paper B. This is reflected by a high (+CF) pass rate of 82%. I used D2 as CPA and still passed with marks to spare even though I suspect that D2 was not intended to be the CPA…..

    ReplyDelete
  16. My 2 cent about the D Part
    We got extra 30 minutes for what? The complexity of the content was increased, too (more text, more fuzzy details). In the end, the 30 min extra are for nothing - just more pain ...

    Passed, B and C, missed D only by some points ....

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anyone knows when the Examiners Report will be published? thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. End of next week. Cheers

      Delete
    2. they are public now

      Delete
  18. Deltapatents tutors - will you be posting your thoughts on the Examiner's reports?

    J

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anyone know how long it normally takes for your name to appear on the list of representatives? I've sent the form in and keep checking the EPO website, but if it takes weeks I guess I'm wasting my time.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I noticed that GB candidates (nationality and place of residence) have relatively high pass rate for all exams. What are your secrets?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We sit the GB qualifying exams the October before - those exams are generally considered to be more difficult than the EQEs, so GB candidates tend to be well prepared.

      Delete
    2. Have button will push27 July 2017 at 12:49

      I think it is unfair to simply state that the UK nationals are more difficult. As posted above the variance in marks awarded reduces the quality of the exam and contributes to a feeling of them being a lottery.

      I would say, although I know nothing of the other national qualification systems, that the EQEs have broad parallels with the UK nationals so they are not as alien to UK entrants as to perhaps entrants from nations with significantly different exam systems.

      Is language still an issue for entrants from nations other than GB, FR, DE? Everyone I meet normally has a really good grasp of English and really puts my miserable excuse for knowledge of French and German to shame.

      Delete
    3. Typical example of a FC1 question (2015):

      "You have filed a UK patent application. It does not claim priority. What prior art effect do the following documents have:

      a) A UK application with a filing and publication date before the filing date of your application?"

      UK exam more difficult than EQE? Give us a break! :-)

      Delete
    4. In my view (and experience) the UK papers are much more difficult than the EQEs, it is rare for candidates to pass all UK Finals papers first time, whereas it is fairly common to pass all 4 EQEs – the technology is simpler in EQEs, the language is less complicated and arguably there is less time pressure. EQEs also have more ‘crank the handle’ type answers.

      Delete
    5. @Unknown - that is a question from a UK foundation level paper - I am talking about the advanced level papers (FD), which are much more difficult.

      Delete
  21. There is a rumor that German graders are more fussy and less willing to give a point when in doubt. Also, a DP tutor mentioned that the German language requires you to write about 30% more - which will give you a setback in an exam where time management is the essence.
    But if it is really the case that "all" GB candidates pass an exam the October before with apparently so much overlap with local law compared to EPC, so that it prepares you for the EQE rather than confuse you, than that certainly is an advantage. Whether it is more difficult or not should not matter in that case, as long as it makes you study the same stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I don't think it's true that GB candidates pass the advanced UK papers prior to the EQE. I know a number of attorneys that passed the EQE before the UK papers because they had to resit UK papers more times than the EQE.

    It's widely acknowledged in the UK that the EQE is easier to pass largely for this reason. I think also the overlap with local law helps and IIRC UK candidates tend to have slightly lower (relative) pass rates on Paper C, probably reflecting the lack of an opposition procedure under UK law.

    I think EQE examiners are more lenient with marking though. You seem to get more marks for being able to argue a 'wrong' answer, whereas in the UK, you seem to get very little for arguing something the examiner's didn't want. The UK papers also seem to be written more ambiguously too, so it's often less clear what answer they are looking for.

    The FC1 2015 question recited above is from a foundation paper, and is worth a single mark. It's also from Part A of the paper which isn't particularly difficult (so long as you know the law, and remember, we don't have open book in the UK exams like the EQE, you have to know it off by heart - which actually may help UK candidates in the EQE as we then spend less time looking things up?). Part A is worth 40% of the paper in total. The remaining 60% for Part B involves more applied questions and obviously requires a decent stab in order to pass.

    While the foundation papers are easier than the EQE (they're more in line with the Pre-exam, and many UK candidates take one of the available university courses instead of the foundation exams here anyway), the advanced papers, which are equivalent to the EQE, tend to have lower pass rates than the EQE equivalents for UK candidates.

    For 2015 as mentioned above - the pass rate for that FC1 (foundation paper) was 90%. For the advanced FD1 law paper (cf paper D) the pass rate was 58%. Same year paper D for UK candidates? 80%. (I'm ignoring the compensable fail because the UK system doesn't have this).

    AK

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Correct, FD1 is equivalent to paper D, but it's closed book! At least with the EQE you know that the answer is on the desk somewhere during the exam :-)

      Delete
    2. Have button will push28 July 2017 at 17:18

      Or that the questions asked will from the syllabus. Can't find where it is stated in the FD1 syllabus that interim injunctions will be tested but they had it in a question in the 2016 paper regardless.

      Delete

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