Information on the schedule for the EQE 2021 examination papers - Pre-Exam
"Information on the schedule for the EQE 2021 examination papers" has been published in the EQE website yesterday at the end of the day.
It indicates that:
"The EQE 2021 exam schedule is now available. Candidates are advised that the document may be subject to minor changes as testing continues.
The EQE 2021 will take place online using LockDown Browser. On examination days, candidates are advised to log on to the online examination system's internet platform at least 20 minutes before the start of the relevant paper.
Information on how to register and log on to the online examination system will be communicated in due course.
The pre-examination and both papers C and D will be split into parts. This means that candidates will not be free to allocate their time as they see fit across the different parts of the papers. To compensate for this restriction, the total duration of the relevant papers has been extended. Once the time allowed for a part has elapsed, it will not be possible to go back to that part.
Pre-examination - 1 March 2021
The pre-examination will have the same syllabus and character as before, but it will be split into four parts. Each part must be completed before the start of the next break, with the next set of questions only becoming available after the break. The pre-examination lasts four hours and forty minutes. [Note from the editor: that is the time available to work on the paper - you get 10 minutes extra per part; the total duration of paper and intermediate breaks from beginning to end is much longer]
Candidates will be allowed to print the prior-art documents for the claim analysis parts before the start of the appropriate part. The documents allowed for printing will be made available during the break preceding the relevant claim analysis part."
The details for each of the Pre-Exam (and main exam papers) are given in the document.
The document comprises detailed schedules as to the break-up of the Pre-Exam, with scheduled breaks in between the parts.
It indicates that once the time allowed for a part has lapsed, it will not be possible to go back to that part. Thus, you need to complete each part before the break.
The Pre-Exam is broken into 4 parts: the legal part of the paper is split into two parts of 5 questions (4 statements each), and the claims analysis part is also split into two pars of 5 questions (4 statements each).
Candidates in the Pre-Exam will thus not have the possibility anymore to freely decide on the order in which they do the various parts (2 legal parts and 2 claims analysis parts for Pre-Exam). The total duration of the paper has been extended to compensate for the resulting restrictions.
It appears that you are free in which order to you the 5 questions within a part (as it is not indicated that you need to take them in the required order).
The time schedule as shown in the current version of the document (logon and printing added) is:
Part | Content | Time | CET time |
| Logon to system |
| < 9:40 |
Legal |
|
|
|
Part 1 | 5 x 4 legal questions | 70 min | 10.00-11.10 hrs |
| Break | 20 min | 11.10-11.30 hrs |
Part 2 | 5 x 4 legal questions | 70 min | 11.30-12.40 hrs |
| Break Print docs for claims case 1 | 80 min | 12.40-14.00 hrs |
Claims analysis |
|
|
|
Part 3 | 5 x 4 claim analysis case 1 | 70 min | 14.00-15.10 hrs |
| Break Print docs for claims case 2 | 20 min | 15.10-15.30 hrs |
Part 4 | 5 x 4 claim analysis case 2 | 70 min | 15.30-16.40 hrs |
Note that the document indicates that "this document may be subject to minor changes as testing continues".
So:
- the legal questions will not be available for printing, you will need to take them from the screen (pdf viewer)
- part of the claims analysis documents will be available for printing. In view of what will be printable for paper A, B and C (refer to the full notice), it seems likely that the prior art documents can be printed but (possibly) not the client's applications for the respective parts, (most probably) not the claims and not the statements - you will nee to take the non-printable parts from the screen. In view of the design of the Pre-Exam 2019, it seems likely that the two cases will be independent cases as in 2019, directed to different inventions and each having its own client's application.
Good luck!
Please feel free to provide your comments below. (You may need to check the "Problems with commenting" link on the top left of this webpage.)
The document (dated 2 December 2020; check the EQE website for possible updates) shows the following details for the Pre-Exam:
Also refer to the general blog and the many comments posted thereto:
ReplyDeletehttp://eqe-deltapatents.blogspot.com/2020/12/information-on-eqe-2021.html
Thx for the blog.
ReplyDeleteDo we get an answer form with the True/False circles in the editor?
And can we also type in the editor?
Do we get the questions in the editor, so we can make notes and underline as we would otherwise have done on the paper copy but now that we cannot print the questions?
You will be able to cehck that as of 22 December when the Mock 1 becomes available.
DeleteSee https://www.epo.org/learning/eqe/e-eqe.html
The Wiseflow Tutorial gives a first impression - see page 36-43 (http://documents.epo.org/projects/babylon/eponot.nsf/0/6E924A5197B46378C1258641004B70CD/$FILE/wiseflow_tutorial_2020_12_17.pdf)
The document
So it will take 6 hours 40 minutes from start to end. Much more than the original 4 hours. What a marathon! And a big disadvantage.
ReplyDeleteBut the breaks are appreciated. 4 hours in one run is long.
DeleteI ask the EQE helpdesk about the availability of the calendars for the pee-exam, as that was not mentioned in "The information":
ReplyDeleteAs for paper D, the calendars for the legal questions of the Pre-Exam will also be made available in advance so that you can print them.
See http://eqe-deltapatents.blogspot.com/2020/12/e-eqe-platform-will-go-online-on-21.html for exam platform and Mock 1.
ReplyDeleteSee http://eqe-deltapatents.blogspot.com/2020/12/e-eqe-mock-2-1-5-february-2020.html for announcement of Mock 2: Pre-Exam on Monday 1 February.