What the EQE committees said about Paper D…
I have attended the discussion about Paper D at the Annual meeting of EQE tutors and members of the EQE committees today, 9 November 2022.
Please see below my summary of the meeting, which includes several tips for EQE 2023 and 2024 Paper D candidates.
The pass rate is expected to drop down to 40-50% again. The high pass rate in 2022 was due to the fact that there weren't many resitters in 2022 (because of the high pass rate in 2021).
The 2022 Paper D exam was not easier than in previous years.
The incorrect date in the English version of 2022 D1 Q5 was a human error.
The purpose of Examiners' report is to help future candidates prepare. In some questions alternative answers also attracted marks, but only the best answer is in the Examiners' report.
Many candidates copy-pasted long parts from the online syllabus (GL). Therefore, it seems that candidates appreciate the possibility to consult EPO's website during the exam. However, candidates should note that citing legal basis without context does not give marks.
They are working hard to make PCT applicant's guide also available via WISEflow, but it is not yet certain it will work in 2023. (UPDATE on 14 November: PCT applicant's guide is already available via WISEflow.)
From the submitted answers it seemed there was no time pressure in Paper D 2022.
Markers are flexible when it comes to the citation of legal basis: candidates using the latest GL are not penalized. However, it is advised to stick to the syllabus or indicate which GL you are using if you are using a newer version.
For candidates, WISEflow is already available to practice on. Use the opportunity to test the environment as often as needed.
Candidates don't need to worry about the change of the 10-day rule under R.126(2) EPC. As this change is only effective from 1 November 2023, you will still need to apply the 10-day rule in EQE 2023 and 2024 (the cut-off date being 31 October 2022 and 2023).
Giving both a correct and a wrong answer will NOT attract marks.
Every word in a D1 question has its meaning/reason. For example, if you need to discuss renewal fees in your answer (which candidates very often forget), the trigger word is having the filing date.
New EQE was not discussed in detail this time, but candidates worrying about the transitional provisions should be rest assured that a fair system will be created and nobody will be disadvantaged.
Additional note from yesterday’s discussion (relevant for all exams):
Computer implemented inventions are a hot topic these days and this type of claim is becoming more frequent in practice. Therefore, candidates from all technical fields are required to have a basic knowledge about claims having a mix of technical and non-technical features. Candidates have already been tested in both EQE 2021 (Paper B) and EQE 2022 (claim 6 of Paper C).
Since the EQE tests “fit-to-practise”, it is expected that the EQE will keep testing this topic in the upcoming years.
So, please make sure to study these parts in the Guidelines before your exams, e.g. GL G-VII 5.4 (https://lnkd.in/dcynNmN9) and GL G-II 3.6 (https://lnkd.in/dhii3hAu).