Glossary

Patent bar

The common name for the USPTO's Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases.

MPEP

Manual of Patent Examining Procedure: the USPTO examiners' manual and the only reference allowed during the patent bar.

OED

The USPTO's Office of Enrollment and Discipline, which approves exam applications and registers practitioners.

Prometric

The testing company that administers the patent bar at its test centers.

AIA

The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011, which changed U.S. patent law; older exam answers can predate it.

First-attempt pass rate

The share of candidates who pass the first time they sit the exam.

Patent agent

A non-lawyer registered by the USPTO to prepare and prosecute patent applications.

Patent attorney

A licensed lawyer who has also passed the patent bar and is registered with the USPTO.