| The United States Patent and Trademark Office | | | | Engineering, Electronics Technology, Agricultural |
| (USPTO) registration examination, more commonly | | | | Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Food Technology, |
| referred to as the "patent bar," is the test that one | | | | Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, General |
| must pass to be eligible to practice before the | | | | Chemistry, Ceramic Engineering, Metallurgical |
| USPTO. Individuals that pass the examination are | | | | Engineering, Marine Technology, Chemical Engineering, |
| referred to as either a "patent attorney" or a "patent | | | | Mining Engineering, Microbiology, Civil Engineering, |
| agent." A patent attorney successfully passes the | | | | Nuclear Engineering, Molecular Biology, Computer |
| patent bar and is a member of the bar of at least | | | | Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Organic |
| one state. A patent agent is not a member of a | | | | Chemistry, and Electrical Engineering. |
| state bar but has passed the patent bar. It is | | | | 2. You have received a bachelor's degree from an |
| unnecessary to hold a law degree to become a | | | | accredited institution in another, non-enumerated |
| patent agent. A person can become a patent agent | | | | major and can show the scientific and technical |
| as soon as he satisfies the requirements to sit for | | | | training equivalent to a degree in one of the |
| the patent bar examination. | | | | enumerated majors. To qualify under this option, one |
| To be eligible to take the patent bar examination, | | | | must have significant semester hours in engineering |
| one must have a technical background, as evidenced | | | | and hard science. |
| by your college degree and/or coursework. There | | | | Prometric currently administers the patent bar |
| are two ways to qualify: | | | | examination. The computer-delivered comprises 100 |
| | | | multiple-choice questions, only ninety of which are |
| 1. You have a bachelor's degree in one of a number | | | | scored. To pass the examination, a candidate must |
| of enumerated degrees from an accredited | | | | correctly answer seventy percent (sixty-three) of |
| university. Currently, the qualifying degrees | | | | the ninety scored questions. Each of the scored |
| considered by the USPTO include Biology | | | | questions has been tested on previous registration |
| Pharmacology, Electrochemical Engineering, | | | | examinations and has been analyzed by the USPTO |
| Biochemistry, Physics, Engineering Physics, Botany, | | | | to ensure the question provides a useful assessment |
| Textile Technology, General Engineering, Computer | | | | of a candidate's legal and scientific qualifications. |
| Science, Aeronautical Engineering, Geological | | | | |