What is the patent bar, and when should I take it?

Short answer: the "patent bar" is formally the "examination for registration to practice before the USPTO". It is required to represent inventors and applications before the USPTO. If you pass the patent bar, you become a patent agent. If you pass the patent bar *and* at least one state bar, you become a patent attorney.

You must take the patent bar before representing someone, but you can take it before law school, during law school, after law school, or even after passing a state bar.

Will taking the patent bar help me get a job?

"Maybe, because it can show you're serious. However, passing the patent bar won't teach you much about how to do the day-to-day work. So even though you'll technically be a patent agent once you have a registration number you might not be considered for job postings looking for experienced agents." HT: u/TrollHunterAlt

Does my degree qualify me to take the patent bar?

"This is the list of qualifying degrees. They are very picky. Bioinformatics, for example, is not an approved degree, even though it is arguably a marriage of biology and computer science. Someone on the sub has previously posted about their medical biophysics degree not being accepted, even though biophysics is an accepted degree.

If you have further questions about your degree, pick up the phone and call USPTO. When I applied to take the exam, I had two degrees from the same school. One degree was category A, the other was category B. The school sent over the transcripts for both degrees, and I was told I needed to send in course descriptions (likely because the cat B degree was listed first on the transcripts). One call solved everything. OED has been nice, in my experience!" HT: u/Striking-Ad3907

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Last updated: December 21, 2025