Patent Bar
$594One-Pay, 12 months
or $189/mo, cancel any time
- Every lesson, the question bank and timed exams
- Prometric-style simulator and the AI tutor
- One-Pay: access extended until you pass
Cost Breakdown
Patent Bar Exam Fees in 2026
For a standard first Patent Bar attempt in 2026, the required fees before you sit for the exam total $565: a $118 USPTO application fee, a $226 USPTO registration examination fee, and a $221 Prometric examination-administration fee.
After you pass and complete the post-examination registration requirements, the USPTO currently charges a separate $226 registration or limited-recognition grant fee.
That means the standard government/testing-provider cost from initial application through registration is $791, before optional prep courses, travel, rescheduling, review sessions, or retakes.
- $565
- Total before exam
- Before the first attempt
- $118
- Application fee
- Paid to USPTO
- $226
- Registration examination fee
- Paid to USPTO
- $221
- Exam administration fee
- Paid to Prometric
Last verified October 2026
Required fees
2026 Patent Bar Cost Breakdown
| Fee | Paid to | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | USPTO | When submitting the OED application | $118 |
| Registration examination fee | USPTO | With the OED application | $226 |
| Exam administration fee | Prometric | When scheduling the exam | $221 |
| Total before exam | — | Before the first attempt | $565 |
| Registration / limited recognition grant fee | USPTO | After passing and completing post-exam requirements | $226 |
Fees last verified October 2026 against the official USPTO fee information. USPTO and Prometric fees can change; confirm before paying.
USPTO
What Does the $118 USPTO Application Fee Cover?
The $118 application fee is paid to the USPTO when OED reviews your application for admission to the registration examination. If you have not started yet, see how to apply for the Patent Bar.
For a standard application, this fee is non-refundable. If OED disapproves the application, the USPTO states that the $226 registration examination fee is refunded, but the $118 application fee is not.
USPTO
What Is the $226 USPTO Examination Fee?
The $226 registration examination fee is also paid to the USPTO as part of the application process. It is separate from Prometric's fee for administering the computerized test.
If OED denies admission to the examination, the USPTO says this $226 fee is refunded. If the applicant is admitted and later withdraws, fails to appear, or does not test within the authorized window, the normal refund rules are different and the applicant may need to submit a new application and pay applicable fees again.
Prometric
What Is the $221 Prometric Fee?
Prometric administers the computerized registration examination for the USPTO and charges a separate $221 administration fee when you schedule the Patent Bar exam.
This payment does not replace the USPTO's $226 registration examination fee. Candidates therefore pay both amounts for a normal Prometric-administered exam attempt.
Prometric
Patent Bar Rescheduling Fees
| When you reschedule | Prometric fee |
|---|---|
| 31+ calendar days before the appointment | $0 |
| 6–30 calendar days before the appointment | $60 |
| 0–5 calendar days before the appointment | $221 |
| Scheduling-window extension | USPTO extension fee may apply; verify current fee schedule |
These rescheduling charges are paid to Prometric and are separate from any USPTO fee required to extend an examination window.
Retakes
How Much Does a Patent Bar Retake Cost?
A retake is not simply another $221 Prometric payment. After an unsuccessful attempt, the candidate must follow the current OED reapplication and retake rules and pay the fees that apply to the new application/attempt, plus the Prometric administration fee.
Because USPTO retake procedures have changed temporarily in 2026, check the Patent Bar retake rules for the current waiting-period and reapplication details before budgeting for a retake.
Optional
Optional Failed-Exam Review Session
Applicants who do not pass can review the scored questions they answered incorrectly. The session must take place within 60 days of the mailing date of the notice of results, and lasts 2.5 hours. There are two options, and the fees are different:
- Computer-based, through Prometric: $300.
- Paper-based, at the USPTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline in Alexandria, Virginia: $505.
For timing, what questions can be viewed, and what may be taken into the session, see the failed-exam review session guide.
Registration
What Does It Cost After You Pass?
Passing the examination does not immediately complete registration. After the post-examination requirements are satisfied, the USPTO charges a $226 registration or limited-recognition grant fee.
Learn what happens after passing the Patent Bar, including the registration steps that come before this fee.
Prep
What About Patent Bar Prep Costs?
Prep-course pricing is separate from the official USPTO and Prometric charges. See current Wysebridge course pricing on the pricing page.
Free self-study is possible because the USPTO publishes the MPEP and source materials at no charge, while paid prep is optional.
Budget
Other Costs to Budget For
- Travel, parking, lodging, or meals if your preferred Prometric location is not nearby.
- Rescheduling fees if you change the appointment close to the test date.
- A scheduling-window extension fee if you need additional time and the USPTO permits an extension.
- Retake application, examination, and Prometric fees after an unsuccessful attempt.
- Optional failed-exam review-session fee.
- Credential-evaluation, transcript, translation, or document costs for applicants whose eligibility requires them.
Timeline
When each fee is paid
Step 1
Submit your OED application
Apply for the Patent Bar through the USPTO and pay the $118 application fee and $226 registration examination fee. OED says complete applications typically take four weeks or less to process.Step 2
Receive your notice of admission
Once OED approves the application, your notice sets the window in which you must schedule and sit for the exam. OED is temporarily setting that window to 180 days until further notice (normally about 90 days). Follow the date in your own notice.Step 3
Pay Prometric and schedule
Pay Prometric's $221 administration fee when you book your testing date and location.Step 4
Take the exam
Sit for the 100-question computer-based exam, delivered in two three-hour sessions at a Prometric test center.Step 5
Pass and complete registration
After you pass and satisfy the post-examination requirements, pay the $226 USPTO registration or limited-recognition grant fee.
Make your first attempt count.
Practice with current-law questions and timed exam simulation before you pay for exam day.
Verify the Fees Before You Pay
As of October 2026, the standard first-attempt Patent Bar cost is $565 before the exam and $791 through the post-pass registration fee. Verify the current USPTO and Prometric amounts immediately before applying or scheduling, especially if your application involves moral-character fees, limited recognition, examination waiver, an extension, a review session, or another nonstandard situation.
Official sources: USPTO fee information and the current USPTO General Requirements Bulletin.
FAQ
Patent Bar Fee FAQs
The standard required fees before the first attempt total $565: $118 to the USPTO for the application, $226 to the USPTO for the registration examination, and $221 to Prometric for exam administration.
Using the standard current fees, the total is $791: $565 before the exam plus the $226 USPTO registration/limited-recognition grant fee after passing and completing the post-exam requirements.
The standard $118 USPTO application fee is non-refundable. If OED disapproves an application, the USPTO states that the $226 registration examination fee is refunded.
Yes. The USPTO collects the application and registration examination fees. Prometric separately collects the computerized exam-administration fee.
No. The USPTO publishes the MPEP and current registration-examination source materials online for free.
Yes. USPTO and Prometric fees can change. The fees on this page were last verified in October 2026; confirm the amount on the official USPTO fee information before paying.
Plans
Patent Bar alone, or everything
Wysebridge ONE
$697one payment
Everything on Wysebridge. $1,505 bought separately.
- Full Patent Bar prep, extended until you pass
- Both IP law courses, yours to keep
- The Practicum and Practice Lab: patent drafting and office actions
- Unlimited MPEP highlights and notes
- A year of Professional Plus and advanced Intelligence
- IP course certificates at member prices ($97 each)
Already on One-Pay? Upgrade to ONE for $103. After year one, ONE's Professional Plus, Intelligence, member pricing and Practice Lab continue at $59/yr, a preferred alumni rate; cancel any time and keep what's yours.
Pass on your first attempt — make every fee count.
A retake means paying the USPTO and Prometric again. Wysebridge students have passed at 81% (2012–2025 average).