Official USPTO Reference
Patent Bar Exam Source Materials (2026)
The USPTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline publishes the official source materials for the questions and answers on the registration examination. For the registration examination updated September 23, 2026, the list includes MPEP Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024 plus three additional source categories.
Candidates should check the official OED source-material document regularly. The USPTO states that the materials may be revised from time to time, including during an applicant's examination window.
This page summarizes the current list and explains how to use it for study. The USPTO source-material document remains the authoritative source.
Last verified September 2026
- 4
- Source categories
- MPEP plus three additional
- 9th Ed.
- Tested MPEP
- Revision 01.2024
- Nov 2024
- MPEP published
- Free at USPTO.gov
- 100
- Exam questions
- Drawn from the complete source set
Check regularly for updates
Applicants should regularly verify the source materials as they may be revised during their examination window. Always confirm the current materials in the official OED source-material document.
Current USPTO Patent Bar Source List
| Source | Current version / date | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) | Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024; Published November 2024 | Core patent examination procedures, rules, statutes, and USPTO practice |
| Consolidated Trial Practice Guide | November 2019 | Practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, including post-grant proceedings |
| Changes to Representation of Others Before the USPTO — Final Rules | USPTO final-rule material; Federal Register, April 3, 2013 | Rules governing representation and practice before the Office |
| Implementation of the Global and IP5 Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilot Programs | USPTO PPH implementation material | Procedures for the Global/IP5 PPH pilot programs |
1. MPEP Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024
PRIMARYThe MPEP is the central reference for the registration examination and the source candidates will use most heavily during preparation. The tested edition currently identified by OED is Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024, published in November 2024.
The USPTO provides the MPEP free in searchable, HTML, and PDF formats. Candidates should become familiar with its chapter structure and with finding specific sections efficiently rather than attempting to memorize the manual from beginning to end. For chapter-level study, see the MPEP chapter guide.
The MPEP is not the only source for all 100 questions. The official OED list includes the additional materials below, and candidates are responsible for the complete current source set.
2. Consolidated Trial Practice Guide
The November 2019 Consolidated Trial Practice Guide covers practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, including procedures associated with inter partes review, post-grant review, and related proceedings.
Candidates do not need to treat this document like another full MPEP. Study should focus on the portions relevant to the current registration-examination source list and the types of procedures addressed in Patent Bar preparation materials.
3. Representation Final Rules
The USPTO source list also includes the final-rule material covering changes to representation of others before the Office. This source addresses practitioner and representation rules that can be tested independently of a normal MPEP lookup.
Because OED lists this material separately, a correct answer can turn on these rules directly rather than on an MPEP section.
4. Global and IP5 Patent Prosecution Highway Materials
The current source list includes implementation material for the Global and IP5 Patent Prosecution Highway pilot programs. These materials explain procedures for requesting accelerated examination through participating offices under the applicable PPH framework.
Candidates should learn the exam-relevant rules and know that this material exists outside the MPEP source itself.
Are External Links Available During the Patent Bar?
The USPTO source-material notice explains that external links in the study versions of the reference materials are live, but those same links are redacted in the examination versions. Candidates therefore should not build a study strategy that depends on following outside websites during the test.
That is especially important when a source document refers to an external list, form, fee schedule, or another USPTO page. During study, the link may work; during the exam, the linked destination may not be available through the reference document.
Unredacted (during study)
…also added to the list of patents extended under 35 U.S.C. 156, a copy of which is posted on the USPTO website (www.uspto.gov) and which is also available in the "Patent Term Extension (Restoration)" section of the electronic FOIA Reading Room of USPTO's website at www.uspto.gov/ip/boards/foia_rr/resources/patents/pte.jsp.
Redacted (during exam)
…also added to the list of patents extended under 35 U.S.C. 156, a copy of which is posted on the USPTO website ([External URL (link) Disabled]) and which is also available in the "Patent Term Extension (Restoration)" section of the electronic FOIA Reading Room of USPTO's website at [External URL (link) Disabled].
Is the Publicly Current MPEP the Same as the Exam-Tested MPEP?
The USPTO's public MPEP page currently identifies Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024 as the current published manual, but it also lists later laws, rules, and policy notices that supersede portions of the manual for day-to-day patent practice.
OED's registration-examination source list is the controlling reference for what may be tested. Candidates should therefore distinguish between later USPTO practice updates and materials that OED has actually designated for the examination.
How Wysebridge Uses the Source Materials
The official list above is a USPTO rule. What follows describes Wysebridge platform behavior, not an official exam requirement.
Wysebridge's Patent Bar materials are aligned with MPEP Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024. When evaluating any prep material, including ours, check that:
- Lessons identify the controlling MPEP section or supplemental source.
- Practice explanations distinguish current law from historical released-exam law.
- Where a question depends on one of the additional OED sources, the explanation names that source rather than a generic MPEP citation.
- AI tutor answers cite the source used so you can verify the rule.
- Simulator practice uses the tested source set rather than a broader collection of general USPTO guidance.
- Source-material updates prompt a review of affected course content.
For how the platform indexes and tracks the MPEP corpus, see Wysebridge MPEP infrastructure. To see how questions draw on these sources, browse Patent Bar exam questions or practice in the Patent Bar exam simulator.
Practice against the current source set.
3,000+ practice questions aligned to current source materials.
How Often Should You Check for Source-Material Updates?
Check before you begin serious preparation, again when you receive examination authorization, and once more before the exam. The USPTO expressly warns that source materials can change during an examination window. Build those checks into your Patent Bar study plan.
A prep provider can help monitor changes, but the official OED source-material page should remain the final source of truth for candidates.
What Is Not Automatically Testable?
Not every new USPTO notice, blog post, examiner training deck, Federal Register publication, or policy update automatically becomes registration-examination material. The fact that a document affects current patent practice does not by itself mean OED has added it to the Patent Bar source list.
When in doubt, check whether the material appears in the current OED source-material document.
Check the Official Source List Before Test Day
Use this page as a study summary, but verify the final source set directly with the USPTO before your examination. If OED changes the source materials, the official OED document takes priority over any prep-company summary.
FAQ
Patent Bar Source Materials FAQs
No. It is the primary reference, but OED currently lists the MPEP plus three additional source categories.
For the registration examination updated September 23, 2026, OED identifies MPEP Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024, published in November 2024 (last verified September 2026).
Yes. The USPTO tells applicants to check the source list regularly because the materials may be revised during an examination window.
Do not rely on them. The USPTO notes that external links available while studying are redacted in the examination versions of the source materials.
Use the official USPTO MPEP for authoritative text, the Wysebridge MPEP resources page for access and study tools, and the MPEP chapter guide for chapter-level study guidance.
Study with current, up-to-date materials.
Wysebridge content is aligned with the MPEP 9th Ed., Rev. 01.2024.