New version of e-EQE FAQ available
A new version of the e-EQE FAQ is now available on the EQE webpages, here.
The FAQ has been extended with more questions, and now provides answers to the following questions (go to the FAQ for the answers):
- Where can I sit the online EQE and is anyone else allowed to be in the room with me?
- Can I sit the EQE in an examination centre?
- Will I be allowed to print out the examination papers?
- Will the papers be made available in the three official languages of the EPO?
- Will I be able to familiarise myself with the examination software in advance?
- Will I need an internet connection?
- What software will be used and what will be the requirements in terms of the operating system?
- Will the examination papers be provided in digital format?
- Will it be possible to print the examination papers?
- What sort of computer screen do I need?
- What text editor will be used?
- Will copy/paste be possible?
- Will I be allowed to write my answer on paper and scan and upload it afterwards?
- Will I be allowed to make notes on paper?
- Will I be allowed to switch to writing on paper if I don't feel comfortable with the PC?
- How much time will be allowed for each paper?
- When will more information on the e-EQE be available?
The answers indicate (cited in part; emphasis added):
- You can sit the online EQE at any suitable location, e.g. your home or workplace. However, no other person is allowed to be in the room with you.
- There will not be any examination centres.
- You will need a stable internet connection for the duration of each paper.
- The examination system will make use of a locked browser.
The operating system must be either Microsoft Windows 7 or MacOS/X10.10, or higher versions.
You will need administrator rights on your computer to install, start and use the browser.
Candidates will be allowed to test the browser well in advance of the examination.
Further information will be made available in due course. - The examination papers will be available in PDF in a viewer.
- You will have to type your answers using the editor provided in the locked browser. It will not be possible to scan and upload your answers.
- The text editor is a simple tool for text entry with basic formatting functions (underlining, bold, italic, bullets and numbering).
- Copy/paste will be possible in the editor, so you will be able to copy and paste parts of the text which you have written yourself in the text editor.
Copy/paste will also be possible from any text part of the examination paper. - You will be allowed to make (handwritten) notes on paper, but they cannot form part of your answer (as you cannot scan and upload those).
- You will not be allowed to switch to writing on paper if you don't feel comfortable with the PC.
- Candidates will be allowed to print parts of the pre-examination and main examination papers before the start of the respective paper.
When it comes to deciding which parts can be printed, consideration will be given to ensuring the confidentiality of the questions while enabling candidates to work comfortably and ergonomically.
- Only one screen will be allowed. It should be big enough for you to work in the editor and read the examination paper.
Not all parts of the examination paper can be printed, so those parts which cannot be printed will have to be read on the screen.
Further information will be made available in due course. - The time allowed for each paper will not be less than in the past.
However, the exact start and end times as well as the break times have not yet been decided. Tests will be carried out to find the best option.
Candidates will be informed in due course.
Please note that the EQE 2021 will take place over five days (see Notice of 2 October 2020 & blog).
The e-EQE FAQ can be found at https://www.epo.org/learning/eqe/faq.html.
SHARE:
"Not all parts of the examination paper can be printed, so those parts which cannot be printed will have to be read on the screen."
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be a puzzle...
Cristina RO
It's ridiculous. Why would they allow to print only parts of the papers? What does "ensuring the confidentiality of the questions" mean?
DeleteWell, they don't want us to know the questions before the start.
DeleteMy guess is that we'll be able at least to print the prior art documents of paper C and possibly also those of of A, B and the pre-exam. As long as we don't know the questions, we can't make much use of the content of these documents before the start of the exam, so the risk of fraud is minimal.
At the same time, especially for C, it's much easier to find relevant information in a paper version of the documents than in a pdf document displayed on half of a single screen while you use the other half of the screen.
For D, I don't see which parts of the papers would be disclosed in advance.
@Blink
DeleteYou could be right with your guess regarding A-C. However, in my view, a printed version of DII is also essential for many candidates :/
I agree: DII would be also nice.
Delete@Ano 15 Oc 08:17
Delete"ensuring the confidentiality of the questions" means that a candidate cannot hand the complete paper to someone sitting in the neighboring room... or print it on full a second time so that that person can get it from the printer.
I agree. They must let candidates print out DII.
DeleteActually, there will be alot more mistakes this year because it is harder to read and spot things online.
Thanks for updating on this!
ReplyDeleteLocked browsers usually do not allow other applications to run. Still, having a pdf viewer running to navigate the exam papers and other material (guidelines, case law book, etc) would be useful. It is still not clear whether candidates can work with pdf versions of the syllabus or if they have to print everything out.
This will be very interesting.
ReplyDeleteBesides the standard attempt to pass the Exam, this will be an experience!
this is ridiculous! if the examinee can only print out the paper couple of minutes before the testing, how could they disclose the paper and break the confidentiality? the paper will be disclosed in the EPO's website anyway after the examination!
ReplyDeletesecondly, in the previous pilot project on Electronic examination, all examinees are allowed to have a printed version of all papers. Now it is not allowed for the candidates this year! Just wonder what would happen if these examination board members have to sit in this test this year?!
I don't see how the possibility to print out the entire exam instead of only parts is compromising its confidentiality. Neither why the restriction to one screen is necessary.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is, that we will be able to print out at least "parts". A very generous and balanced approach- thank you! (*Irony off*).
For C with only 1 screen, I'd really really really like to have ALL Annexes - basically the entire exam apart from the letter from the client. So this information is only partly a relief.
Again, we don't know what parts, and this makes it difficult to start rehearsing the exam under its real conditions.
"Neither why the restriction to one screen is necessary."
Delete=> technical reasons related to a locked system, no second screen possible
You all seem to miss the biggest problem: "You will need administrator rights on your computer to install, start and use the browser."
ReplyDeleteI see a big problem for people who want/need to take the exam from their office environment. Most companies block their network for non-company devices and don't give administrative rights on company devices.
Furthermore the requirement that "only one screen is allowed" is also problematic/bizarre. Does this just mean that the browser can only be displayed on one physical screen? I get that you want to create an equal playing filed, but "one screen" can still lead to very different available screen real-estate.....
Why is administrator rights a problem? You can simply go to any major computer store, buy a cheap laptop which is your own (and which is cheaper than a few nights in a hotel and a flight to Munich) and use the guest WiFi network that most firms have to provide visitors with a WiFi connection.
DeleteI have the above problem: my firm blocks WiFi as well as LAN for non-company devices and does not give administrative rights on company devices.
DeleteThe FAQ says I need administrative rights not only to install, but also to start and use the browser and the integrated editor.
The information is well in time, so I can arrange that our IT installs it (I may need an official letter from the EPO indicating that the need).
BUT I can then still not then start and run it when sitting the exam?!
I guess that once the browser is installed on your device, you will also be able to start and use it without limitations. We will find out once the EPO provides the browser to the candidates (hopefully in early January)...
DeleteLot of detail about the system. Locked browser, editor details, one screen, and more. Choice has been made? Why wait until January to make the browser available? With the 2019 Pre Examination and with the 2019 main exam papers? So I can practice and get confident that it may work for me!
DeleteWill the text editor allow only 1 file/editor window to be edited? That would be problematic...
ReplyDeleteOr can I open a second file/editor window, e.g., to edit my claims in paper A when I am in parallel editing the introduction? Of my amended claims in B in one window while I am editing the response letter in another window? Etc?
"the exact start and end times as well as the break times have not yet been decided."
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean that there will be fixed break times, for all candidates at the same time? I hope not, as I may then be forced to take a break in the middle of a claim attack in C or a DI answer!
"Only one screen will be allowed. It should be big enough for you to work in the editor and read the examination paper."
ReplyDeleteIs there a limitation to the resolution? Min? Max?
Can I use a 32 inch 1920 x 1200, such as a Samsung LC32F391FWU (about 210 euro)?
Can I use a 4k TV/monitor, such as a 3840 x 2160 Philips 288E2A/00 (about 275-300 euro)?
Absolutely dumbfounded by the decision from the EPO board to allow some parts of the paper to be printed but not other parts. Why are they making these exams even more complicated. COVID is already causing havoc and they decide to add more complications. Unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteDoes not make sense why parts of papers can be printed, parts of it can be copied/paste. I do not understand why you can't give 10-15 minutes for candidates to print and see the whole paper before the exam start. You have a whole year to sort this out - Please have some common sense and stop causing more anxiety for candidates.
ReplyDeletecannot agree more! I do not see any reason to be afraid of confidential information being leaked out this way! In any case, the examination paper is out once the examination is finished.
DeleteI cannot imagine that I have to switch between the paper parts and the parts displayed in my screen by dipping and upping my heads all the time.... Quatsch!
I'm not sure the committee have got their thinking caps on. The IT requirements are not practical at all for most candidates especially for those who take them in firms.
ReplyDeleteCandidates must be given sufficient time to adapt to the new changes.
Don't forget that candidates may prefer a English, German and French version so enough time needs to be given to download and print off these documents in all languages.
I hope they take some feedback on this blog. Some very good points here and they should certainly do a webinar and show candidates how the software runs before the trial.
ReplyDeleteI think releasing parts of the paper is not a bad idea. However, they will need to give candidates more time to complete the exam OR reduce the contents of the exam. No one wants to sit still for 8 hours staring at the screen. Many will have exams one after another so its not healthy or fit to stare at the screen for 6-8 hours every day for a week.
ReplyDeletePersonally, what I find extremely unfair is the fact that for the 2021 EQE we can only type our answers with an editor and it is not allowed to make handwritten responses.
ReplyDeleteI trained myself of doing the handwritten exam, as the majority of the people I guess. If I am not mistaken only about 80 people in 2020 were allowed to do the exam with the PC.
Of course, I am used to use the PC at work but doing an exam with strict time constrains is completely another story.
In my opinion with this solution people are not treated equally, everyone should have the same opportunities to pass the exam without additional hurdles (having less that 2 months to train in typewrite is absolutely not enough).
Additionally, I find crazy that we cannot print the papers, all the courses we did are based on highlighting and taking notes on paper. Also people that where supposed to do the exam with the PC used the paper copy to take notes, how we can manage without that?
It is clear at the moment that handwriting will not be allowed, so you have not 2 but almost 5 months to practice several papers each exam in typing the answers.
DeleteIn plus, I'm practicing at the moment to do main exam papers paperless and it is doable. You have to start right now and not wait until January when we'll have the complete system
I am not saying that it is not doable but it is unfair. This is a solution that does not put people in the same condition of doing the exam, in particular the ones enrolled for the 2020 EQE already trained to do the handwritten exam.
DeleteThe 2020 EQE candidates have been already mistreated enough by the current situation I just think that this is an additional unfairness.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI recently wrote papers A, B, C solely on PC, w/o any paper tools PC and thought it might be useful to share some thoughts and ideas.
ReplyDeleteFor Paper A: It was generally good for me. Even though I did not use any tables, one could copy ft.+EFF into Word, change positions, shuffle between them and start creating claims or highlighting of ft. from prior art, generally I was surprised how good it was. There is one caveat, the drawings in A2018 were super easy and almost not needed (and there were no picture in the prior art docs.) – this was a great issue in B-2018 (below)
For Paper B: In comparison with A it was just awful, especially the beginning! The biggest pain were the draft claims from client and his amendments. I follow an approach, which I find very helpful for B, where I start indicating what are the changes in the draft claims mentioned in clients letter and pending objections from ex. report - this takes a lot of time when done on PC (if we assume that we will be unable to print the paper/draft claims). Best was to copy the claims into Word BUT in this way you lose the indicated amendments, so you have to do them manually. There should be a way that we either can print the draft claims or that we already have them in word with indicated changes or at least be able to input text into the pdf of the claims to indicate the changes as in paper (as can be done with ordinary pdf). I was really frustrated when starting paper B… later the actual writing was ok, one could copy-paste and it was quite user friendly. As for the drawings, if there is no possibility to print them all (both for application and prior art) it would be really harsh! The way I approached that was opening another pdf window with the exam, so having two exam papers open one with reading the text of prior art and in other having the pictures and writing (inputting text windows) to the reference signs – again probably something that will not be possible?!
For Paper C: I have followed paper C-2012 by doing the analysis table in Word (again C-2012 was without any complicated pictures). For the primary analysis of the prior art I plan to use my paper sheet (dates, priority etc.) but I have not decided about the analysis - the problem is in the table. We should assume, as it was explained, that the text editor will be very simple and not capable of creating tables, so navigating through all the features in plain text seems not possible, then one could use its own paper sheet like for normal exam, but then you lose the great possibility to copy-paste, so I wonder about the solution to this problem?
It would be generally be really helpful to know, asap, what will the text editor be able to do (exactly highlighting/underlining - colours? as in pdf; inserting text into pdf?). Will it be possible to open more pages/windows of the text editor to just shuffle between each windows or will we be able to use just one and have to scroll through everything in this one page. Would we be able to open a new fresh word document, even if it would not be possible to send it, but to use as scrap book for notes, including the tables and everything word does - I believe this would be a fair approach, as the PC would anyway be offline, but you could make notes in it, but it was somewhere said that the SW will block any other programs, right? I don’t know...
Generally, another thing to consider, is that the EPO is planning to, hopefully, implement some previous papers into the new program that is planned to be open for candidates testing (only) in January – but which paper? As we, the 2020 candidates have written almost all recent papers, it would be really good to know which one could we test on the actual SW, so that we do not write it for the third time in a row?!
Thank you!
Delete> Best was to copy the claims into Word BUT in this way you lose the indicated amendments, so you have to do them manually.
But how is that different from a hand-written answer?
> already have them in word with indicated changes or
DeleteThe FAQ says you can underline - it it can also do striketrough, you can type the amendments-marked version in the editor that is integrated the locked browser
> The way I approached that was opening another pdf window with the exam
DeleteAgree.
Indispensable that we can view multiple pages of the pdf at the same time. And that we can have multiple edit windows of the same file (the answer file). And prefer also of additional files to use as scrap book for notes etc.
And that editor supports tables. For example for feature tables.
Will autocorrect be available to the EQE editor?
DeleteI think copying claims etc will be quite difficult as word sometimes do not correctly copy over odd symbols e.g. a TM symbol from pdf into a word document. Therefore, I think they really need to provide a word edited client claims already when we open the exam paper.
DeleteAnonymous (20 October 2020 at 15:31)
ReplyDeleteWhen on paper, you can directly in the draft claims write notes to the features that where added and you directly see the amendments (added, effects, linked with features on other pages etc.). You could do this by placing free text directly into the exam sheet inpdf, but its not sure, whether we will be able to do this, right? Otherwise when you copy it in text editor you lose the indicated amendments.
Anonymous (20 October 2020 at 15:35)
Underlining and striking out, ok good! I did not realize this. We shold note somewhere all the features as we get to know them, gradually :D
Anonymous (20 October 2020 at 15:42)
Exactly, totally agree for all points! But fear however that neither of them will be available :(
Some interesting speculation here on Salted Patent blog. The proposal to not use Word for practice, but a html-based editor, makes sense if that is to be closer to the actual system.
ReplyDeleteThe big disadvantage is that you cannot have multiple windows open for your answer - only two: the exam in the pdf viewer and the editor.
Being able to search in both your answer and the exam is a big advantage for long papers, like C or DII. But if you cannot have the exam on paper, it will be hard to cope with jumping around between annexes.
They have now transferred all the risk to the candidates - you will have 1000 people from all over Europe uploading at the same time for a period of 5 hours. I have used a system like this for a joint coding project, and sometimes it will freeze and you lose part of what you just typed.
Also, you do not know for certain that what you have on the screen has actually been saved at the end.
At least the UK system allowed you to use Word, so you had a local copy and you can actually define pages yourself. So, for example, you can have a page with amended claims at the end of your answer in B and keep jumping around. This is typically what you do on paper - you complete parts of your answer in parallel. The UK risk is only the uploading at the end.
The UK system was also free in paper distribution and printing, even of your own answer. The EQE system seems to solve every issue by restricting what the candidate can do. If they are adapting the papers, so that you can answer in short pieces, then that is doable - Pre-Exam, DI can be split up into separate questions.
The UK system also allowed some people to write on paper and scan it themselves using their phone. Even if this was allowed, you do not want to do this unless they are providing an app that automatically uploads into the exam system. If you have ever done this for 1 sheet, you know the problems you can get. Imagine doing this at the end of an exam for 30 pages :-(
By the way, strike through has not been officially confirmed yet for the EQE - only underlining, bold, italic, bullets and numbering.
It would be trivial for the EPO to already make their test environment publicly available for people to try and use. I suspect that they are avoiding this because they do not want people trying to hack it.
The PEB in the UK realised that clarity as early as possible was important for candidate piece of mind. The EQE is difficult enough without all these extra risks and worries.
No strike through? If so, how do I need to present my amendments in paper B?
DeleteYou wrote
Delete"It would be trivial for the EPO to already make their test environment publicly available for people to try and use. "
No, because procurement has to be completed beforehand, as an international organisation they have rules to follow
I am a bit lost, this is the topic for the EQE or for IT experts?
ReplyDeleteThe only think I hope is that the exam is not more difficult than it already is!!
Unfortunately, it an extra burden and shouldn't be taken lightly. If you lose connectivity or your computer crashes, you may lose part of your answer. If the webcam picture is lost, they may flag it as suspicious. If someone comes in the room by accident, they may also flag it as suspicious. You may need to reboot your computer during the exam.
DeleteIf you take the exams from home, you need to be able to work uninterrupted for possibly 5 hours with no IT problems, so you will need some IT knowledge and some effort to setup a home office.
If you want to minimise the IT risk, then you need to work from an office in a separate room where you will also not be interrupted. But some offices will have to set up a special system with administrator privileges and possibly no internal network access (patent attorney offices need to maintain a high degree of security).
Scrolling up and down and crossing over multiple prior art documents is simply not possible on a computer.
ReplyDeleteWorse - scrolling up and down of your own answer paper eg. To look at your amended claims on B or check your answer to C is near impossible.
There will be a lot more errors in candidates scripts this year as a result of doing it on a computer.
The solution I feel is to reduce the content and burden on candidates.
I ask that the exams this year are held fairly. Please bear in mind that most candidates will not have any tutorials or any training from their mentors in these times. Some are furlouged and some candidates are just working to help their firm survive in this pandemic.
ReplyDeleteMost candidates will not go on any course and almost everyone has had an interrupted year to their personal life.
I hope the exams are held fairly taken into the account the lack of supervision and training most candidates actually received this year.
In the UK - the exam boards for GCSE and A levels and university courses are doing just that - taking into account a very disruptive year to learning so the EPO should take the same approach/view. Many many candidates would have a completely abnormal, disruptive and difficult period of their job.
DeleteAny news on EQE setup?
ReplyDeleteSome readers have experienced problems with posting comments with some browsers.
ReplyDeleteIf you also could not post your comments: see "Problems with commenting?" in right frame (https://dp-patentlaw.blogspot.com/p/problems-with-commenting.html)
I want to sit the exam at the office.
ReplyDeleteWill I be able to use the network printer?
We have an open office space, so I cannot sit it at my desk in the office. But we also have a large meeting room.
ReplyDeleteCan I sit the exam in the meeting room in our office together with 2 colleagues?
The room is big enough so that we cannot see each others screens and paper, and a senior EQE-qualified colleague offered to supervise us.
Can I also print part of my answer? So I can easily check my response in B to match my amendments?
ReplyDeleteHi, which guidelines is recommended to use?
ReplyDeleteThanks
For Pre-Exam: the ones om force on 31.10.2020 ("EQE2021 syllabus)"
DeleteFor main-exam: due to the decision of the Supervisory Board of 20.04.2020, it is exceptionally allowed to alternatively use the EQE2020 syllabus. So a main exam candidate can choose between the EQE2020 syllabus (law on 31.10.2019) and the EQE2021 syllabus (law on 31.10.2020).
The version of the Guidelines needs to be in line with the 31.10 that you selected, so the GL of Nov 2018 (in force on 31.10.2019) or Nov 2019 (in force on 31.10.2020).
Note that where the Guidelines are superseded by OJs, Rule changes or Case Law by the time of the the cut-off date, you need to use the new legal provisions and using the GL texts is wrong! So, update your Guidelines (or reference books taking the info from it) to the law as valid on your 31.10!
I would like to sit the examination at my office. but we only have network printer in the office and the printer is located out of my office. can I use that printer out of my office?
ReplyDeletethanks
I donot know. I assume not, but there is no information on it yet, so maybe yes.
DeleteSee https://www.epo.org/learning/eqe/e-eqe.html, which says:
"If you have any questions about any aspect of the e-EQE, please contact the EQE helpdesk (helpdesk@eqe.org). We will use your questions as the basis for FAQs, which will be published in due course."
There is only unofficial information: It has not yet be decided which parts will be printable. The printer should however be in the room where the candidate sits.
DeleteBy saving travel and hotel costs to go to an examination centre,it should be possible for a candidate to buy or rent a computer and a printer....
It's a pity that there is no further info for the e-EQE. Thousands of candidates are waiting for some news at the moment. A lot of candidates at the moment who do not follow courses maybe are not aware that there might be a big change in the conduct of D and C - papers split into different parts with a break inbetween - it's also unofficial info - but it could change the preparation and it must be announced as soon as possible
DeleteWhat "unofficial info" do you have? Why would that be reliable? I hear a lot of speculation and wild guesses.
Deleteit is more than to buy or rent a printer or computer.
ReplyDeleteIt is not possible to connect my private printer or computer in my office....
If your employer if not willing to facilitate you (did you ask him?)... the choice has been made for you: do not sit in your office, but at home or at another temporarily location (day office, hotel room, family).
DeleteIt is announced well in time, so you can make your arrangements!
EPO does not care. You will sit at home-they give you the opportunity to sit at work or at home- so you have a choice :-)
ReplyDeleteNothing personal, it is a try for joke from my side
You see that we will be guinea pigs; 3 months before exams we still do not know what system will be used and how exams will be held - for sure there will be changes in D and C but still we do not know what...it is not fair... and I think epi must be more demanding in this respect
yes, agree that the EPI needs to do more to support students and make sure their voices are heard
DeleteYou know the key elements of the system that will be used:
Delete- pdf viewer from which you can copy text (you can simulate using Acrobat Reader);
- basic editor in lock browser (you can simulate using Word);
- parts of the paper can be printed (you can assume that that would be the parts with many pages, such as the prior art in paper C), so you can annotate on those parts
Big unknown is if and how the breaks will effect the (longest) papers: C into two small cases? DI and DII separate again? Can you edit your answer as you write it before the break after the break?
And I would like to know whether I can quickly go to the toilet in the paper time, outside the scheduled breaks. If nature calls, nature calls...
For C for me it's not important when the break between two parts would be.
DeleteBut for D, having in mind that: "what a candidate has written during the first part of the paper will be frozen and locked. The candidate will thus not be allowed after the brake to amend what he has done during the first part"; it is stressing...
You write:
Delete""what a candidate has written during the first part of the paper will be frozen and locked. The candidate will thus not be allowed after the brake to amend what he has done during the first part"
This information is not in the FAQ. Where did you get it from? Is it reliable?
Of course it is not in FAQs - it is preliminary that is why it is not there; yes, it's reliable but preliminary...We will know for sure as soon as they update FAQs
DeleteThat is why I'm saying in my previous comment that I think epi must be more demanding in this respect
That is a good point. I'm too am worried about not being allowed to edit things. For C, if you suddenly change your closest prior art, you may want to change on other claims. For D, if you come across some law on another question that is applicable to an earlier question, you should be allowed to change. Candidates in previous years were allowed to do this for the whole paper but it looks like candidates this year will be heavily penalised.
DeleteAccording to Anonymous on 26 November 2020 at 20:45, the info is reliable. Why then is it posted anonymously? True, identifiable people are easier to trust than anonymous people.
DeleteMartin
Its an absolute joke to expect candidates to view multiple documents on a screen and complete the exams within the current time. Its not fair.
ReplyDelete"Candidates will be allowed to print parts of the pre-examination and main examination papers before the start of the respective paper.
DeleteWhen it comes to deciding which parts can be printed, consideration will be given to ensuring the confidentiality of the questions while enabling candidates to work comfortably and ergonomically."
Why only parts of the exam paper. Candidates will be spending valuable time during the exam trying to figure out which printed parts of the paper fits in with the unprinted parts of the paper. This partial printing makes no sense to me.
DeleteCan someone please tell me why the EPO decides to make things even more complicated as necessary? What is the point in allowing some parts of a paper to be printed off. Either we are allowed to print the whole paper before the exam or give us time to print the whole paper during the exam. It can be that simple.
DeleteFor confidentiality reasons, to skip taking whole paper with you in the bathroom where someone can suggest you the solution
Delete"Candidates will be spending valuable time during the exam trying to figure out which printed parts of the paper fits in with the unprinted parts of the paper."
DeleteCome on, get serious! Have you never seen any exams? Pages are numbered, paragraphs are numbered, figures are numbered, prior art is numbered, claims are numbered, questions are numbered. Is it so difficult to see recognize that page 1-5 were not printed and page 6 and further were? If that is already difficult, how are you going to check for distinguishing features?
Martin
Martin - it takes time in the exam to piece together all of this back again f. It is a complete waste of valuable exam time. What are testing here? The ability for candidates to piece together pages or to answer the actual exam. My question is why can't candidates just print out the whole exam paper - why make it unnecessarily complicated.
DeleteAny news on when this mock is being held. I would like it to be mid-Jan as end of Jan is really getting close to the exams and we need to time to adjust.
ReplyDeleteAlso, not all candidates will be available for 1 week so I hope there is some flexibility as to when we can sit the mocks.
Mock? FAQ mentions no Mock. Only possibility to familiarize. No indication that that would need to be on a specific date - would be very unlikely.
DeleteThere will be one paper from previous years per each paper, when the system is ready in January to test it and get familiar how the exam will be held - this will be Mock
DeleteYes, it needs to be spread out. Many firms are not going to give their candidates 1 week to do the mock and then another week for the exam. The EPO really needs to be flexible on this. Hopefully, they realise how ridiculously long these exams are and reduce time/content.
DeleteI hope it will be possible for the candidate to print at least all the figures because it would be rather difficult to flip back and forth to check the drawings.
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard to even practice any papers at the moment because we simply don't even know how long we are given in the real exam.
ReplyDeleteYou can practice the time allocated by Regulation; there might be additional 30 min for printing and other technical issues but the time of doing the paper would be as per Regulation, then the screen probably woulbe be locked. Soon hopefuly we'll know, I assume in begining of December there should be an update of the FAQs
DeleteThe FAQ on e-EQE has been extended with new information (examination platform, system, planning of mocks, proctoring).
ReplyDeleteSee our new blog post: http://eqe-deltapatents.blogspot.com/2020/12/faq-on-e-eqe-extended-with-new.html