EPAC - European patent administration certification



The European patent administration certification (EPAC) has been designed to enable paralegals, patent administrators and formalities officers to demonstrate that they have the required knowledge and skills to deal independently and autonomously with the procedures associated with the filing, prosecution, grant and maintenance of European and international patent applications before the EPO, as well as post-grant procedures.

The examination focuses on procedural aspects under the European Patent Convention, the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and the Paris Convention as well as national laws and other agreements in so far as they apply to European patents and patent applications, including the London Agreement.

Candidates must answer questions on the various patenting routes and application procedures and the procedural, administrative and formalities-related tasks involved.

EPAC schedule

The EPAC 2023 examination will be held online on 12 October 2023.

Two technical test will be held on 14 and 21 September 2023.

 

EPAC downloads

EQC Portal

In the European Qualification and Certification Portal you can manage your personal account where you can register and enrol for EPO qualification and Certifications.

 

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About EPAC

The EPAC attests professionals' knowledge and skills in managing the filing of patent applications, as well as processes associated with their prosecution, grant and maintenance for European and international patent applications before the EPO.

Candidates are advised to prepare for the EPAC exam by taking advantage of the wide array of tailor-made training opportunities offered by the European Patent Academy. Sign up for the EPO newsletter and Academy email alerts to get all of the latest updates. For more detailed information on the exam, you can also consult our Frequently Asked Questions.

Enrolment

When and how to enrol

To enrol, please complete the following steps and note that the deadlines are strictly enforced.

1. Creation of a personal profile

Candidates must request to create their personal profile on the EPAC portal. This requires verification of identity by providing a valid passport or national identity card. To be able to enrol in EPAC 2023, this first step must be completed by 7 August 2023.

2. Enrolment

Enrolment for the EPAC 2023 will open on 18 April 2023 until 14 August 2023 for candidates who have completed the first step. The candidate’s request for enrolment and payment of prescribed fees must be received by 14 August 2023.

Fees

Enrolment fees for EPAC are laid down by the President under Article 2 of the Rules concerning the establishment of a European patent administration certification.

- EPAC 2023 enrolment fee: 100 EUR

Fees for EPAC are payable by credit card or bank transfer only. Please note that the closing date for enrolment will be strictly observed and applications for enrolment will be deemed not to have been filed unless the prescribed fees have been validly paid.

As bank transfers can take several days to process, this method of payment is not recommended near the closing date for enrolment. Credit card payment is recommended as the fastest method.

Fees may not be paid by debiting an EPO deposit account.

Languages

The examination papers are drawn up in the three official languages of the EPO (German, English and French). When enrolling, candidates must select the official language they wish to sit the examination.

Review

Candidates have the possibility to contest a decision by requesting a review according to Article 12 of the EPAC rules. The fee for a review is 300 EUR.

EPAC dates

Examination

The EPAC 2023 examination will be held online on 12 October 2023 and will include two parts.

1. The first part will consist of multiple-choice questions and will take place from 10.00 to 11.00 hrs CEST (Central European Summer Time).

2. The second part will feature open questions and will take place from 14.00 to 16.00 hrs CEST.

Examination software

Candidates who have successfully enrolled for EPAC 2023 will have access to the examination software WISEflow.

The software gives access to a mock paper and EPAC 2022 and enable candidates to familiarise themselves with the exam environment. The papers will not be marked but answers to the various questions are available on the EPAC website.

Technical tests

Two technical tests will be held on 14 and 21 September 2023 at 10.00 to 11.00 (CEST) and 14.00 to 16.00 (CEST) on both days. Although these technical tests are optional, they are strongly recommended to allow candidates to test their equipment.

The EPO provides training material for EPAC candidates. This material is available in English only and can be accessed using the following link:

Successful candidates

List of candidates who have been successful in the European patent administration certificate.

Archive

Neither the EPAC Board nor any of its members will comment on the exam answers or reply to questions relating to the validity of answers. If it becomes apparent that some questions are open to interpretation such that the answer sought is not the only correct one, then the EPAC Board will take measures to ensure that no candidate is disadvantaged.

Mock examination

EPAC 2022

Online lectures

Contact

Contact form

F.A.Q.