EQE

The EQE is held online and can be taken at any suitable location the candidate chooses. The examination software is Wiseflow; proctoring uses image and audio recording, with monitoring by artificial intelligence complemented by human invigilation. Candidates may use any books and documents they consider useful when answering the papers, so the exam is effectively open book.

The EPO describes it as widely regarded as one of the most demanding professional examinations, and it has been passed by more than 14 000 candidates since 1979. The difficulty comes less from memorising law than from applying it accurately under time pressure to realistic client scenarios, which is why the mandatory training period is treated as essential preparation.

The source page does not set out a retake policy, so no number of attempts or waiting period should be assumed. What it does describe is a detailed system of exemption between former and modular papers laid down in the REE 2025, and transitional measures for candidates who sat a paper under the REE 2009. Check the REE 2025 and the Examination Secretariat notices for your position.

Registration as a candidate is compulsory and must be done at the latest by 31 May of the year in which you intend to enrol for the examination for the first time; candidates who have not registered in time cannot enrol. For the EQE 2027, enrolment for paper F opened on 8 April 2026 and for papers M1 to M4 on 7 July 2026, with applications closing on 30 September 2026 via the EQC portal.

The content of the examination only relates to legal texts which were in force on 31 October of the year preceding the examination. So for a given year's EQE, amendments entering into force after that cut-off are not examinable. Candidates need to be particularly conversant with European patent law, the PCT, the Paris Convention, EPO board of appeal case law and certain national laws.

The required period of professional activity depends on the paper: one year for paper F, two years for papers M1 and M2, and three years for papers M3 and M4. The training period must be completed at the date of the examination, and only periods completed after you obtained the required qualifications are taken into account.

The progressive roll-out gives a natural sequence: paper F first in 2025, then M1 and M2 in 2026, then M3 and M4 in 2027. The training requirements reinforce this, since F needs one year, M1 and M2 two years, and M3 and M4 three years. Note that the main exam papers A, B, C and D were held for the last time in 2026.

The source does not publish failure statistics or an official list of common errors, so treat any such list with caution. What it does stress is that a great deal of the required knowledge is gained during the mandatory practical training, and that candidates must take part in a wide range of activities pertaining to patent applications or patents - so thin, narrow training is the clearest known risk.

Mock examinations can be found in the Compendium area of the EPO's EQE pages, and the site also points to a guide for preparation. Shortly before the EQE, practical tests are offered for enrolled candidates to prepare for the online examination. Working through those, plus the REE 2025, IPREE 2025 and the legal texts, is the route the EPO itself signposts.

No. This is independent study material written for candidates searching for the exam; it is not produced, endorsed or approved by the European Patent Office, the Examination Board or the Examination Secretariat. Always verify procedural details, deadlines and fees against the official EPO EQE pages, the REE and IPREE, and the Examination Secretariat notices before acting.