Making a Plan

In my opinion, creating a study plan is a crucial first step before actually starting to study. First, it gives you a sense of having begun your preparation for the exam, which can help calm your nerves. More importantly, while making a plan, you'll come face-to-face with how much there is to cover. You can't plan effectively without considering the different aspects of the EQE, gathering your study materials, and getting your books ready.

Keep in mind that your plan needs to be flexible. You might end up needing more time on topics like the PCT or opposition than you originally anticipated. You may also want to take a few days off, which is perfectly normal. Additionally, you might discover new materials that you want to incorporate into your study plan.

Everyone’s study habits are different. Some may prefer studying for longer periods a few days a week, while others may opt for shorter study sessions every day.

You also know your starting point: Are you a re-sitter? Did you prepare well for the Pre-exam? Are you also preparing for national patent attorney exams in the coming months?

Consider how much time you have, what your work pressure will be in the near future, and any other responsibilities you have (family, children, pets, etc.).

In general, I wouldn’t recommend enrolling in all four main exams in the same year, as that leaves little room for free time. However, since the new EQE format will begin in 2027, I advise sitting all exams if possible. Aim to pass all four in 2025 or 2026.

For first-time sitters, preparing for all four exams at once can feel overwhelming—it certainly did for me. My advice is to stagger your preparation. Instead of diving into all four exams immediately, try introducing a new one every 2-3 weeks.

(More advice to follow in the next EQE blog post, stay tuned!)

An example study plan

Several candidates have asked how my study plan would look, so I’ve created an example for those preparing for all four main exams. However, I’ve based this plan on ideal circumstances (no children, no other patent attorney exams in the same year, flexible work hours, and a supportive spouse). Since everyone’s situation is different, your plan will likely vary.

Please note, when it comes to important exams, I prefer to be over-prepared.

I hope these disclaimers are sufficient, but I’ll say it again: this is just an example. You need to consider your own circumstances when creating your plan (feel free to use the empty template below). Once you’ve created your plan, be flexible and adjust it if needed.

Principles I followed when creating this study plan:

Allow time to learn how each exam works and try different methodologies.
Until Christmas, there is only one exam per weekend, leaving one full day per week free.
Introduce new exams gradually—starting all four exams at once caused me unnecessary stress.
Introduce time pressure starting in January. Before then, focus on reading, studying, tabbing and highlighting materials, and experimenting with different study techniques. From January onward, fine-tune your methods.
It is essential to practice answering questions under time pressure, especially when doing recent papers. However, it is equally important to sometimes take as much time as you need and find all the legal basis and answer questions thoroughly. This is why I have tried to balance this in my example study plan.
Pete Pollard’s advice in the EQE Telegram group chat (joining link here): "Before each exam, you need to have done at least 4 exams yourself completely";
I adjusted this to aim for four full exams of each paper under time pressure. There are eight weekends in January and February, giving you 16 days (4*4) to complete these exams.
Leave March open as a backup period for final IT checks, legal revisions, or additional time-pressured practice exams if needed.
(I also plan to organise a Mock Paper D exam just like last year, as the feedback from candidates was really positive; it will likely take place on 2 March, Sunday.)