u/Creative_Treacle_561

I noticed that the released 2002/2003 exams contain very few questions on 35 U.S.C. § 101, and the ones that do appear seem relatively straightforward—mostly basic utility or statutory-subject-matter questions.

For anyone who has taken the Patent Bar recently, was § 101 similarly light and straightforward on the actual exam? Or should I expect more detailed questions involving the Alice/Mayo framework, transitory signals, laws of nature, or products of nature?

I’m using PLI, and some of its newer § 101 questions require recognizing specific rules or case fact patterns that are much more detailed than anything in the released exams. Without sharing actual exam questions, did you find PLI’s level of difficulty representative, or is knowing the general framework and how to locate the relevant MPEP section enough?

I’m currently studying for the Patent Bar using PLI, and I’m a little confused about how deeply I should be studying MPEP 2100, especially §§ 101 and 103.

I’ve taken three of PLI’s Recently Released Exams, and my impression is that most of the 2100 questions there test relatively high-level rules. If you understand the basic framework for things like anticipation, obviousness, § 101 eligibility, teaching away, reasonable expectation of success, etc., the questions seem fairly manageable.

But PLI’s Post-Course Exam and especially its 103 Mini Exam feel completely different.

For example, the 103 questions often seem to depend on fairly specific teaching points from cases like In re Omeprazole, Crocs, Wyers, ICON, Eisai, Sanofi, etc. Sometimes I feel like knowing the general KSR obviousness framework isn’t enough — you almost need to have read or memorized the particular case examples in MPEP 2141–2144 to recognize why one answer is better than another.

The 101 questions in the Post-Course material also feel much more nuanced than what I’ve seen on the Recently Released Exams.

For people who recently took and passed the Patent Bar:

How deeply did you actually study MPEP 2100?

Did you:

• memorize/learn the individual case examples and their teaching points?
• mostly focus on the general rules and learn where to look things up?
• find the real exam’s 2100 questions closer in difficulty to the Recently Released Exams or to PLI’s Post-Course/Mini Exams?

I’m trying to figure out whether these PLI questions are intentionally harder for training purposes, or whether I really need to know 2100 at this level of detail for the actual exam.

Any advice from recent test takers would be greatly appreciated!

I’ve seen many people say that some questions on the current Patent Bar are repeated from old released exams.

Does this mainly refer to the three 2002/2003 exams included in PLI, or are questions from other years also known to reappear?

I’m currently reviewing the PLI exams and trying to decide whether it is worth finding and completing additional old exams, especially given that many older questions involve pre-AIA law. For recent test takers, which old exams would you recommend prioritizing? Also, when people say questions are “repeated,” do they mean nearly word-for-word repeats, or just similar fact patterns and rules?

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to apply for the USPTO Patent Bar and have a question regarding the work authorization documentation requirement.

My background:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (outside the U.S.)
• Currently in the U.S. on F-1 OPT
• I have a valid EAD card
• I am authorized to work under OPT

When applying for registration to take the Patent Bar, is the EAD card by itself sufficient to demonstrate work authorization, or does the OED also require an employer verification letter or proof of current employment?

I've seen conflicting information online. Some people say an OPT applicant only needs to submit evidence of work authorization (such as the EAD), while others mention providing employer documentation.

Has anyone here successfully applied for the Patent Bar while on F-1 OPT? If so, what documents did you submit regarding your immigration/work authorization status?

Thanks in advance for any insights.