Is the patent agent exam different from the patent bar?

No. Both names refer to the USPTO registration examination, officially the examination for registration to practice in patent cases before the USPTO. Passing it is one step toward registering as a patent agent. An attorney who also meets the bar requirements can register as a patent attorney. It is the same exam.

Do I need a law degree to take the patent agent exam?

No. A law degree is not required to sit. You do need the scientific or technical qualification in the current USPTO General Requirements Bulletin, under Category A, B, or C, plus the other application requirements. Check that before you pay for a course.

What does the patent agent exam look like?

It is a computer-delivered exam at Prometric: 100 multiple-choice questions in two sessions, 90 of them scored. A passing result is 63 correct among the scored questions. Designated electronic reference materials, including the MPEP, are available during the exam, and the clock still limits how much you can look up.

How much does Wysebridge prep for the patent agent exam cost?

Patent Bar Monthly is $189/month and Patent Bar One-Pay is $594. Wysebridge ONE is $697 one payment. The 5-day free trial of Patent Bar One-Pay adds a card at checkout and bills on day 5 unless you cancel. A free account is separate and does not include the full course.

For engineers and scientists

The patent agent exam is the USPTO registration exam

The patent agent exam is the USPTO registration examination — the same exam people call the patent bar. You do not need a law degree to sit. You do need a qualifying science or engineering background, and passing is one step toward registering as a patent agent.

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Same exam. Agent and attorney are different registrations.

The Office of Enrollment and Discipline uses one examination for registration to practice in patent cases before the USPTO. A non-attorney who passes and finishes registration becomes a patent agent. An attorney who passes and meets the other requirements can register as a patent attorney. The exam does not replace a law degree, and a law degree does not replace the technical qualification.

Read the agent and attorney comparison for the work each registration covers, the patent agent career guide for the path after you pass, and the patent attorney guide if you are deciding about law school. Salary research lives on the patent agent salary guide.

What you sit, and what has to be true first

The computer-delivered exam has 100 multiple-choice questions in two sessions. 90 are scored. You need 63 correct among the scored questions to pass. Prometric administers it, and the MPEP is available on the testing computer. The time limit is why lookup practice matters as much as reading. The patent bar exam guide covers scoring, source materials, and scheduling. Fees are on the exam fees page, and the application steps are on how to apply.

Before you buy prep, confirm you can sit. Category A, B, and C are explained on Do I qualify? and in the USPTO eligibility guide. The bulletin, not a course, decides eligibility.

How Wysebridge prep maps onto this exam

The Patent Bar prep program is the course for this exam: MPEP-focused lessons, practice questions that include released USPTO exams, and a timed simulator shaped like the Prometric sessions. A week-by-week schedule is on the study plan. If you want to look around first, create a free account for samples and flashcards. The full course is the paid plan.

The 5-day trial is Patent Bar One-Pay with a card at checkout. You are not billed until day 5, and you can cancel before then. Current prices are on Patent Bar pricing.

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