Annual report · Fiscal year 2025
2025 Patent Bar Exam Results and Review
The USPTO administered 2,278 registration examinations in fiscal year 2025, and 46% ended in a pass. Across 2012–2025 the national rate has averaged 47%, with little movement through MPEP revisions, the AIA and computer-based testing.
This review covers the 2025 numbers, the 14-year trend, what the pattern suggests about how the exam works, and why capable candidates still miss. The Wysebridge figures are tracked separately from the USPTO's and describe a different population; see how Wysebridge calculates its pass rate.
- 46%
- USPTO pass rate
- FY2025
- 2,278
- Exams administered
- FY2025
- 47%
- USPTO average
- 2012–2025
- 78%
- Wysebridge reported rate
- 2025
The 2025 snapshot
Patent Bar Results for 2025 at a Glance
Fewer than half of all fiscal 2025 examinations resulted in a pass. The decline from 49% in 2024 is three points, which is inside the range the exam has occupied for more than a decade. The USPTO does not attribute year-to-year changes to a single cause.
| Measure | Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Examinations administered, FY2025 | 2,278 | USPTO registration examination |
| USPTO overall pass rate, FY2025 | 46% | 49% in 2024, a 3-point decline |
| USPTO average, 2012–2025 | 47% | Range 43%–54% |
| Wysebridge reported pass rate, 2025 | 78% | Tracked and self-reported by students |
| Wysebridge average, 2012–2025 | 81% | Same tracking method every year |
2012–2025
The Long View: What 14 Years of Pass-Rate Data Show
Zoom out beyond any single year and the exam looks consistent. The USPTO overall pass rate has averaged 47% since 2012, stayed between 43% and 54%, and landed between 45% and 49% in 11 of 14 years.
Pass Rate by Year: USPTO vs. Wysebridge
USPTO overall pass rate and Wysebridge reported pass rate, 2012–2025
| Year | USPTO overall | Wysebridge | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 54% | 89% | +35 pp |
| 2013 | 47% | 84% | +37 pp |
| 2014 | 43% | 84% | +41 pp |
| 2015 | 48% | 83% | +35 pp |
| 2016 | 47% | 79% | +32 pp |
| 2017 | 43% | 77% | +34 pp |
| 2018 | 47% | 77% | +30 pp |
| 2019 | 45% | 81% | +36 pp |
| 2020 | 49% | 82% | +33 pp |
| 2021 | 45% | 79% | +34 pp |
| 2022 | 46% | 81% | +35 pp |
| 2023 | 46% | 80% | +34 pp |
| 2024 | 49% | 80% | +31 pp |
| 2025 | 46% | 78% | +32 pp |
Pass Rates by Year, 2012–2025
| Year | USPTO | Wysebridge |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 54% | 89% |
| 2013 | 47% | 84% |
| 2014 | 43% | 84% |
| 2015 | 48% | 83% |
| 2016 | 47% | 79% |
| 2017 | 43% | 77% |
| 2018 | 47% | 77% |
| 2019 | 45% | 81% |
| 2020 | 49% | 82% |
| 2021 | 45% | 79% |
| 2022 | 46% | 81% |
| 2023 | 46% | 80% |
| 2024 | 49% | 80% |
| 2025 | 46% | 78% |
| 2012–2025 average | 47% | 81% |
USPTO figures are overall pass rates for all examinations, not first attempts. Wysebridge figures are student-reported outcomes tracked by Wysebridge. Full detail is on the Patent Bar pass rates page.
What the results tell us
Why Has the Pass Rate Stayed Near 50% for So Long?
Our reading is that the Patent Bar is a procedural performance exam more than a knowledge exam. It does not reward general familiarity with patent law, passive study or memorization without context. It rewards the ability to work the way the USPTO expects, under time pressure.
That would explain why the rate has held steady while the MPEP, the AIA transition, test delivery and the supply of study resources all changed. The USPTO does not publish an explanation, so treat this as interpretation of the data, not an official finding.
How Do Wysebridge's 78% and 81% Fit In?
Wysebridge's reported pass rate was 78% in 2025 and has averaged 81% across 2012–2025, higher than the USPTO's overall rate in every year of the series. The gap has persisted in easier and harder years, and in large and small cohorts.
It is a descriptive comparison, not a controlled one: the USPTO figure covers all examinations, while the Wysebridge figure covers program students who reported an outcome. For the questions to ask of any prep-course pass rate, see our methodology.
What Happened Next: the FY2026 Result
The 2025 review expected national pass rates to stay below 50%, most likely 45–48%. The USPTO's FY2026 figure is 46% across 2,309 examinations, which fits that range.
The USPTO introduced an updated examination on September 23, 2026. Check the current source materials before planning your study, because the tested editions can change between cycles.
Wysebridge's perspective
Why Capable Candidates Fail the Patent Bar
Most failures are not about effort or intelligence; candidates typically hold advanced technical degrees. In our experience they come from misunderstanding what the exam tests. These are four patterns we see most.
01
Preparing for content instead of process
Many candidates, and many programs, teach patent law as a subject. The exam tests it as a workflow. If you do not know how rules interact, override each other and sequence in practice, questions feel confusing even when you know the material.
02
Relying too heavily on passive study
Videos, outlines and summaries feel safe, but they do not build exam reflexes. The exam rewards fast elimination of wrong answers, confident decisions and efficient lookup, and those skills only develop through active, exam-style practice.
03
Poor time and MPEP management
Almost everyone plans to use the MPEP; few practice using it well. Common problems are searching entire chapters, looking up answers already known, and confirming low-yield details. Most failing scores are not far from passing, and time is usually the culprit.
04
Treating every question the same
Successful candidates triage: they take the questions they can win quickly and return to the hard ones. Candidates who try to win every question often run out of time on questions they would have answered correctly.
To build these skills, see the Wysebridge study method, the exam simulator and the study plan.
Exam basics
What the USPTO Patent Bar Exam Tests
The USPTO registration examination is a professional licensing exam. Passing it allows you to represent inventors before the USPTO in patent matters. It is procedural and rules-based: it tests how patent prosecution works in practice, not essay writing, case-law analysis or policy argument.
The exam has 100 multiple-choice questions, of which 90 are scored, and you need 63 correct to pass. It is computer-based, given in two timed sessions at a Prometric center, and the USPTO source materials are available electronically during the exam. Questions are fact-heavy and often close in wording, which is why searching efficiently matters as much as knowing the rules.
Read the full guide to the Patent Bar exam, check whether you qualify, and see exam fees and scheduling.
What the exam focuses on:
- USPTO procedures: how applications are filed, examined, amended, appealed, allowed or abandoned.
- Deadlines and timelines: when actions are due, what happens if they are missed, and what options remain.
- Rules and exceptions: many questions turn on a single condition or timing nuance.
- Process navigation: finding and applying the right rule in the official materials under time pressure.
Prepare with Wysebridge
81% reported student pass rate, 2012–2025. Try PRO free for 5 days.
Earlier annual reports
Have questions?
2025 Patent Bar Results FAQs
The USPTO reported a 46% overall pass rate for fiscal year 2025, across 2,278 examinations administered. That is three points below 2024 (49%) and close to the 2012–2025 average of 47%.
Wysebridge's tracked, student-reported pass rate for 2025 was 78%, against the USPTO's 46% overall rate. The two figures come from different populations, so read the gap as context, not a controlled comparison. The Wysebridge average for 2012–2025 is 81%.
Barely. The USPTO overall pass rate stayed between 43% and 54% every year from 2012 to 2025, and 11 of those 14 years fell between 45% and 49%, despite MPEP revisions, the AIA and computer-based testing.
The USPTO does not publish reasons, so this is Wysebridge's interpretation: most misses are narrow and come from studying content instead of process, relying on passive study, weak time and MPEP management, and treating every question the same.
You need 63 correct answers out of the 90 scored questions. The exam has 100 multiple-choice questions, and 10 are unscored.
The USPTO's latest figure is 46% for FY2026, across 2,309 examinations, within the 45–48% range the 2025 review expected.
Still have questions? Contact us or browse our full FAQ.
Prepare for the Exam the Way It Is Tested
See the Wysebridge method, practice in the exam simulator, or download the full 2025 report.