Draft 2010 version of EPO Examination Guidelines now available

Today (30/11/09), the EPO published a draft version of the Examination Guidelines. These Guidelines are updated based upon the EPC changes scheduled for 1/4/10, and may possibly be updated again.

For those sitting the EQE in 2010:
The Chairman of the Examination Board has also posted a notice, stating very clearly, that the version to be used on the EQE2010 is the version of 1 April 2009.

Pre-examination for EQE 2012 possible

At the tutor's meeting of 6 Nov 2010, we were told that the Examination Board is aiming to implement the new pre-examination in 2012.
The idea of a pre-examination is to provide an initial test of knowledge and competence. Candidates may only sit the EQE if they pass this pre-examination.
Only 2 years of training are required to sit this pre-exam.
However, it is not completely clear what the form and content of the pre-exam will be. There were many ideas in the past about splitting off the DI paper to be the pre-exam, or using the A paper.
It is very likely that it will be a separate and new paper testing some legal and drafting aspects. The details are now being finalised, and should appear sometime after EQE 2010 in March.

All new candidates  at that tiome must first take and pass the pre-exam before being allowed to sit the A/B/C&D papers.
Some candidates are exempted from being forced to pass the pre-exam:
- anyone who has already took an EQE paper at EQE 2011 or earlier, or
- anyone who will have completed at least 3 years of training in March 2012 and has enrolled for EQE 2012

Remedies under PCT

PCT is rather compicated, which makes any overview particularly helpful.
I recently discovered this very useful document and presentation on the WIPO website.
In particular, the document (starting on page 27, has a very nice summary of "Procedural Safeguards for International Applications". Several of these have been on the EQE before.

Changes to EPC on1 April 2010 (1/4/10) will NOT be tested on EQE 2010

At the meeting between the tutors and the examination committees two weeks ago, it was clearly stated  by the D committee that the changes scheduled for 1/4/10 will NOT be tested.
The exam tests the law on the 31/12/09 - the fact that these changes have been published in the OJEPO this year does not mean that they automatically form part of the syllabus.
That should make studying a little bit easier.