Patent bar pass rates
Answer in brief
The USPTO's overall patent bar pass rate averaged 47% from 2012 to 2025, counting all attempts. Wysebridge publishes an 81% first-attempt rate for its students over the same period.
Both series come from Wysebridge's published analysis; the USPTO figures are drawn from USPTO annual reports.
Pass rates by year
| Year | USPTO overall | Wysebridge first attempt |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 46% | 78% |
| 2024 | 49% | 80% |
| 2023 | 46% | 80% |
| 2022 | 46% | 81% |
| 2021 | 45% | 79% |
| 2020 | 49% | 82% |
| 2019 | 45% | 81% |
| 2018 | 47% | 77% |
| 2017 | 43% | 77% |
| 2016 | 47% | 79% |
| 2015 | 48% | 83% |
| 2014 | 43% | 84% |
| 2013 | 47% | 84% |
| 2012 | 54% | 89% |
Source: Wysebridge program comparisons page (company-published), USPTO overall rates as reported there.
Why the overall rate is under half
The exam is open book, but the MPEP runs to thousands of pages. Candidates who know the law still run out of time finding the governing section. The overall rate also counts repeat takers, which pulls it down.
Questions & answers
What is the patent bar pass rate?
Is the patent bar hard?
Sources for this entry
- Wysebridge — Patent bar program comparisons Wysebridge (publisher of this site)
Wysebridge's year-by-year pass rates against the USPTO overall rate, and its retake-cost math. - What Is the Patent Bar? FindLaw
Exam format: 100 questions, 10 unscored, two three-hour sections, 70% of scored questions to pass.
Practical guidance is original editorial content. Company-published figures are the company's own claims and are labeled as such.
Continue this reading path
Patent bar exam formatPatent bar review courses comparedHow to study for the patent bar
How the related websites connect
This is one of a coordinated collection of Wysebridge references. The related sites answer neighboring questions and share the same publisher entity, Wysebridge. They are not independent endorsements.
- Patent Attorney Salary — What patent attorneys earn, by setting and career stage, with sources.
- Patent Agent Salary — What patent agents earn without a law degree, and how pay grows.
- Patent Bar Exams — The USPTO registration exam: format, fees, dates, past exams and practice.
- MPEP.net — The Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, explained chapter by chapter.
Explore related references · Wysebridge's official website ↗
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Best Patent Bar Review. “Patent bar pass rates.” Wysebridge Reference. Content reviewed 9 November 2026.
https://bestpatentbarreview.com/patent-bar-pass-rates/