TTIPAB Trade Marks Attorney exam-day guide
TTIPAB Trade Marks Attorney · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original ID document in the name used on your registration. Acceptable document types and whether a secondary ID is required are set by the exam provider, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming a single document suffices.
Admission ticket or confirmation email
Print or download the confirmation showing your candidate number, test centre, and start time. If your confirmation has not arrived, contact the provider before travel day.
Permitted reference materials
The TTIPAB trade marks attorney exam is generally open-book with respect to legislation, but the exact list of permitted texts, annotated versions, and tabbing rules must be confirmed with the provider. Check whether handwritten notes in margins are allowed.
Silent, non-programmable watch
Some venues lack a visible clock. Confirm with the provider whether a wristwatch is permitted, since smartwatches and any device with communication capability are almost always prohibited.
Analogue writing instruments and spares
Bring at least two pens plus a pencil and eraser if scantron or multiple-choice answer sheets are used. Confirm with the provider whether pencil is required for any section.
Clear water bottle and light snack
Confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed at the desk and whether a scheduled break exists. If no break is scheduled, plan hydration around the session length.
Printed exam timetable and venue directions
Note reporting time, which is usually earlier than the start time, and the venue's entry procedure. Confirm with the provider the cut-off after which late candidates are refused admission.
Travel and accommodation plan
If travelling, arrive the day before and scout the venue. Keep a buffer for public transport disruption; the provider will not extend writing time for lateness.
Medical or special-access approval letter
If you have an approved adjustment such as extra time or a separate room, bring the written approval. Confirm with the provider how adjustments are implemented on the day.
Strategy sheet of your own making
A one-page summary of statutory tests, key section numbers, and a time-allocation plan. Confirm with the provider whether loose notes are permitted in the exam room or must be bound into a permitted text.
Leave prohibited items at home or in storage
Phones, smart devices, and unauthorised notes are typically banned from the desk. Confirm with the provider where bags and devices must be stored and whether the venue offers secure storage.
Rest and logistics check the night before
Set two alarms, charge nothing that is banned, and lay out ID, confirmation, and permitted materials by the door. Confirm with the provider the emergency contact number in case of illness on the day.
Plan the day
Re-read the provider's candidate information pack and verify venue, reporting time, permitted materials, and ID requirements. Resolve any ambiguity by emailing the provider now, not on the morning of the exam.
Review your own summary of core trade marks law: registrability and absolute grounds, relative grounds and earlier rights, opposition and revocation/invalidity procedures, assignment and licensing, and infringement and defences. Practise applying the tests to short hypotheticals rather than rereading long passages.
Complete at least one full timed practice set or past-style paper under exam conditions, including the open-book look-up time you will actually need. Identify which sections consume disproportionate time and set per-question or per-section time budgets.
Assemble permitted legislation and texts, index them with tabs if allowed, and write your strategy sheet. Confirm with the provider which editions and annotations are acceptable.
Travel to the exam city if needed, check the route and reporting time, and do only light review of your summary sheet and time plan. Avoid learning new material that could destabilise consolidated knowledge.
Pack ID, confirmation, pens, watch, water, and approved materials. Eat normally, set alarms, and prioritise sleep; fatigue costs more marks than one extra hour of revision.
Arrive at the venue with a comfortable buffer before the reporting time. Use waiting time for calm review of your strategy sheet only if permitted outside the exam room. Confirm with the provider the late-arrival cut-off.
Present ID and confirmation, store prohibited items as directed, and locate your seat and any clock. Listen carefully to invigilator instructions about answer booklet completion, candidate numbers, and permitted materials.
Spend the first few minutes scanning the whole paper, noting question values and any choice requirements. Allocate time proportionally to marks and identify questions where open-book look-up will be needed.
For problem questions, state the issue, the applicable statutory provision or case principle, apply it to the facts, and reach a conclusion. For essay questions, structure with headings and address counterarguments. Cite authority precisely but do not spend minutes hunting for an exact page.
Keep to your time budget, move on when stuck, and leave the final minutes to check candidate details, question numbering, and that no answer is left blank where partial credit is possible. Confirm with the provider whether additional answer booklets must be requested and how they are labelled.
Rules to check
Bring original government-issued photo ID in the name used at registration. The exact acceptable documents and any secondary ID requirement are set by the provider, so confirm with the provider in advance.
Follow all invigilator instructions. Phones and smart devices must be switched off and stored as directed; possession at the desk may be treated as misconduct regardless of whether the device was used.
Only permitted materials may be at the desk. The precise list of allowed legislation, texts, annotations, and tabs is provider-specific; confirm with the provider and do not rely on assumptions from other candidates.
Breaks are governed by the provider's rules. If a supervised break is offered, note that exam time may or may not be paused; confirm with the provider whether leaving the room during writing time is permitted and whether you are escorted.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the session, and do not remove question papers or answer booklets unless explicitly permitted. Unauthorised removal or reproduction of exam material is typically treated as misconduct.
Report any illness, equipment problem, or disturbance to an invigilator immediately and ask for it to be recorded; post-exam complaints are harder to substantiate without a contemporaneous note.
Scoring and pass marks are set by the provider and may vary between sessions. Confirm with the provider the current pass standard, the weighting of sections, and whether negative marking applies before you decide on guessing strategy.
If you need a special adjustment, apply through the provider's process well before the exam and bring the written approval. Adjustments are rarely granted on the day without prior authorisation.